en-US Tue, 23 Jul 2024 21:16:57 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Review6696813125 Tue, 23 Jul 2024 21:16:57 -0700 /review/show/6696813125 Nicholas gave 5 stars to Propaganda Techniques for Manipulating Australians: Alternatives to compromise, controversy and game-changing (Paperback) by Benjamin Marks
Benjamin Marks' "Propaganda Techniques for Manipulating Australians" is a bloody ripper of a read. Instead of boring you with dry definitions, Marks throws you headfirst into the murky world of propaganda, making you feel the manipulation in your bones.

One of the best things about this book is Marks' linguistic acrobatics. He throws around seemingly contradictory descriptions that leave you questioning everything – your sanity, the words on the page, even your most cherished beliefs. It's a mental workout disguised as a good time, forcing you to re-examine your own perceptions and the insidious motives lurking behind everyday language. It's like he's whispering in your ear, "Wake up, sheeple!"

He cheekily asks:

"Humblebrag or pleasing? Rude or real? Biting or overbearing? Overflowing or overblown? Overwritten or immersive? Drilling into readers' skulls a jarring message, again and again, with crucial variations, nuances, and applications - or, self-indulgent ostentation torturing closed-minded readers? Readable or unchallenging?" which kept a humorous tone throughout the book.

Some parts got a bit verbose but the constant AHA moments make it totally worth it. Plus, the $19.84 price tag? A sly wink to Orwell.

Marks' sharp insights, like his thought-provoking questions "Investigative journalist or conspiracy theorist? Connecting dots or dotty?", make you question the labels we slap on people and ideas.

He drops truth bombs like this one from Edward Bernays: "The only difference between 'propaganda' and 'education,' really, is in the point of view. The advocacy of what we believe in is education. The advocacy of what we don't believe is in propaganda."

This book is your secret weapon against the BS bombardment we face daily. It gives you a toolkit to spot propaganda from a mile away and encourages you to question everything you see and hear. If you want to be a more knowledgeable, less gullible citizen, this book is a bloody good place to start. ]]>