References and Further Reading
References & Further Reading
Foundational Concepts: Truth, Bullshit, Reality
Frankfurt, Harry G. (2005). On Bullshit. Princeton University Press.
→ Foundational text for understanding performative rhetoric unconcerned with truth.
Frankfurt, Harry G. (2006). On Truth. Knopf.
→ Companion volume arguing why truth still matters ethically and civically.
Arendt, Hannah. (1967). Truth and Politics. In Between Past and Future.
→ Classic analysis of how political power relates to factual truth.
Searle, John R. (1995). The Construction of Social Reality. Free Press.
→ Essential for distinguishing objective reality vs. social/institutional reality.
Dennett, Daniel C. (2017). From Bacteria to Bach and Back. Norton.
→ Helpful background on how meaning, belief, and narrative evolve.
The Origin of “Reality-Based Community”
Suskind, Ron. (2004). “Faith, Certainty and the Presidency of George W. Bush.” The New York Times Magazine.
→ Source of the now-famous “reality-based community” quotation.
Suskind, Ron. (2008). The Way of the World. Harper.
→ Broader context on power, narrative, and post-9/11 governance.
Disinformation, Propaganda, and Information Warfare
Benkler, Yochai; Faris, Robert; Roberts, Hal. (2018). Network Propaganda. Oxford University Press.
→ Definitive study of asymmetric disinformation ecosystems in the U.S.
McQuade, Barbara. (2024). Attack from Within. Seven Stories Press.
→ Clear explanation of modern democratic erosion and internal threats.
O’Connor, Cailin & Weatherall, James Owen. (2019). The Misinformation Age. Yale University Press.
→ How false beliefs spread even among rational actors.
Paul, Christopher & Matthews, Miriam. (2016). The Russian “Firehose of Falsehood” Propaganda Model. RAND Corporation.
→ Useful for understanding volume + repetition + inconsistency strategies.
Wardle, Claire & Derakhshan, Hossein. (2017). Information Disorder. Council of Europe.
→ Origin of the misinformation / disinformation / malinformation framework.
Media, Power, and Manufactured Reality
Herman, Edward S. & Chomsky, Noam. (1988). Manufacturing Consent. Pantheon.
→ Still relevant for understanding structural media incentives (even if not adopted wholesale).
McChesney, Robert. (2013). Digital Disconnect. New Press.
→ How commercial media structures distort public discourse.
Wu, Tim. (2016). The Attention Merchants. Knopf.
→ Critical for understanding outrage-driven media economics.
Psychology, Cognition, and Belief Formation
Kahneman, Daniel. (2011). Thinking, Fast and Slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
→ Cognitive biases that make falsehoods “sticky.”
Haidt, Jonathan. (2012). The Righteous Mind. Pantheon.
→ Why people reason morally after adopting conclusions.
Mercier, Hugo & Sperber, Dan. (2017). The Enigma of Reason. Harvard University Press.
→ Explains motivated reasoning and group belief dynamics.
Democracy, Institutions, and Civic Breakdown
Levitsky, Steven & Ziblatt, Daniel. (2018). How Democracies Die. Crown.
→ Democratic erosion without coups.
Mounk, Yascha. (2018). The People vs. Democracy. Harvard University Press.
→ Liberal democracy under stress.
Runciman, David. (2018). How Democracy Ends. Basic Books.
→ Subtle failure modes of democratic systems.
Journalism, Expertise, and Epistemic Authority
Kovach, Bill & Rosenstiel, Tom. (2014). The Elements of Journalism. Three Rivers Press.
→ Normative standards for truth-based journalism.
Nichols, Tom. (2017). The Death of Expertise. Oxford University Press.
→ Cultural hostility toward experts and institutions.
Suggested “Starter Set” (If You Only Read 5)
1. Frankfurt – On Bullshit
2. Suskind – NYT Magazine (2004)
3. Benkler et al. – Network Propaganda
4. McQuade – Attack from Within
5. Arendt – Truth and Politics