Books › Trust Me, I'm Lying
Trust Me, I'm Lying
Confessions of a Media Manipulator
352 pages
A cynical, eye-opening descent into the dark arts of internet media manipulation and manufactured outrage.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like sitting in a dimly lit bar with a former con artist who is finally ready to spill their secrets. It is a brisk, provocative, and deeply cynical journey into the underbelly of the internet, where outrage is manufactured and truth is entirely negotiable. The narrative moves with a frenetic, almost illicit energy as it exposes the levers of the attention economy, before settling into a sobering, paranoiac reflection on the monster we have collectively built. The prose is punchy and unapologetic, designed to grab your attention and refuse to let go. It will delight skeptics, marketers, and anyone who has ever suspected that the daily news cycle is nothing more than a carefully orchestrated illusion.
- Mood
- disillusioning
- paranoiac
- frenetic
- sobering
- Tone
- cynical
- confessional
- provocative
- urgent
- unapologetic
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- the attention economy · illusion of truth · moral compromise · systemic corruption · manufactured outrage
- The writing
- Punchy, direct, and highly readable, blending sensational personal anecdotes with sharp, aphoristic critiques.
- The arc
- Moves from the thrilling, illicit rush of pulling the strings to a heavy, sobering realization of the damage caused by a broken media ecosystem.
- Who it's for
- Skeptics, marketers, and media junkies who want a brutally honest look at the hidden mechanics of internet virality and outrage.
Content notes
- toxic internet culture
- manipulative behavior
- online harassment
About the book
You've seen it all before. A malicious online rumor costs a company millions. A political sideshow derails the national news cycle and destroys a candidate. Some product or celebrity zooms from total obscurity to viral sensation. What you don't know is that someone is responsible for all this. Usually, someone like me.
I'm a media manipulator. In a world where blogs control and distort the news, my job is to control blogs-as much as any one person can.
In today's culture... 1) Blogs like Gawker, Buzzfeed and the Huffington Post drive the media agenda. 2) Bloggers are slaves to money, technology, and deadlines. 3) Manipulators wield these levers to shape everything you read, see and watch-online and off.
Why am I giving away these secrets? Because I'm tired of a world where blogs take indirect bribes, marketers help write the news, reckless journalists spread lies, and no one is accountable for any of it. I'm pulling back the curtain because I don't want anyone else to get blindsided.
I'm going to explain exactly how the media really works. What you choose to do with this information is up to you.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
Description from Open Library.
Books like Trust Me, I'm Lying
See why they match
All marketers are liarsSeth GodinA brisk, provocative exploration of why we believe what we believe, and how to craft narratives that resonate deeply.
Ego is the EnemyRyan HolidayA sobering but deeply empowering reality check that strips away the noise of self-importance to reveal the quiet power of humility.
BUILDING A STORY BRANDDonald MillerA clarifying, actionable guide that transforms the anxiety of marketing into the empowering act of telling a good story.
BrandwashedMartin LindstromA brisk, eye-opening tour through the invisible psychological tripwires that dictate our everyday choices.
This Is Not PropagandaPeter PomerantsevA dizzying, globe-trotting descent into the funhouse mirror of modern disinformation and the weaponization of reality.
Everybody liesSeth Stephens-DavidowitzAn eye-opening exploration of the digital footprints that reveal what society is really thinking when no one is looking.