Books for understanding why we vote against our interests, ignore evidence, and double down on bad ideas.
Sections
2
Books about the political brain
Films about the political brain
Books about the political brain
An amusing yet frightening trip into the madness of those who have ruled us.
The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam|Paperback
I read this a long time ago but helpful to that our votes are possibly never as rational as we think.
The Political Brain: The Role of Emotion in Deciding the Fate of the Nation|eBook
Why good people are convinced the other side is evil, and why they’re both right.
The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion|Paperback
The uncomfortable truth about every decision you’ve ever made.
Thinking, Fast and Slow|Paperback
How a handful of scientists convinced millions to distrust the evidence in front of their eyes.
Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Climate Change|Paperback
Written in 1951, but describes things happening today.
The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements|Paperback
A classic read. The world didn’t end, so they believed harder.
When Prophecy Fails
The book that explains the scandals you’ve watched unfold in slow motion, while everyone looked away
Wilful Blindness
A ruler is conned into believing he’s wearing magnificent clothes, and an entire kingdom plays along rather than say what they can plainly see. Worth asking ourselves when we last did the same.
The Emperor's New Clothes
A helpful introduction to cognitive dissonance. The science of why everyone else is wrong and we never are.
Mistakes Were Made (but Not By Me) Third Edition: Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts|eBook
Films about the political brain
An alarming story about how decent, ordinary people can reason compromise.
Good - Apple TV
Three farmers united by fear and resentment of one enemy. Wes Anderson stylish film about tribalism.
Fantastic Mr. Fox - Apple TV
A German teacher gives his students a week-long experiment in autocracy. By day three it’s out of control. The scariest thing about it is that it’s based on a true story from California in 1967.
The Wave - Apple TV
A film about wilful blindness in high office. Two journalists uncover a bit story.
All The President's Men - Apple TV
When reality gets too complicated, politicians and citizens alike retreat into a simpler fake version of the world. If you’re not in the UK I believe it’s available elsewhere for free.
HyperNormalisation
Nobody wants to know when there is proof of a problem in this movie.
Watch Don't Look Up | Netflix Official Site
The rise of psychoanalysis as a powerful means of persuasion for both governments and corporations, and how it later helped influence the contemporary society of lifestyles and marketing.
The Century of the Self
The engineers who built the algorithms that hijack our attention sit down and explain exactly what they did and why they’re frightened of it.
Watch The Social Dilemma | Netflix Official Site
A spin doctor and a Hollywood producer fabricate a war to distract from a presidential scandal.
Wag the Dog - Apple TV
A telemarketer learns to sound white to get ahead, and keeps getting ahead until he can’t remember who he was. Funny and smart.
