Post-Truth: Why We Have Reached Peak Bullshit and What We Can Do About It - Hardcover

Lies and deception, exaggeration and euphemism, flannel and waffle, spin and selective use of the facts, artifice and insincerity, pure nonsense and gibberish: bullshit is everywhere you look.

Never has there been more concern about dishonesty in public life. From President Trump to the Brexit debate, we hear constant talk of falsehoods and fake news, and appeals to alternative facts.

In 2016, politics changed and so did political communication. Traditional politicians, with their carefully-honed messaging, took something of a battering. Instead of left-right divisions in western society, the great schism became one of liberalism and populism, each with different priorities and values. Suddenly it seemed, adherence to facts was less important than which side of the divide you were on. No wonder the term post-truth exploded into the public consciousness.

But while a lot has changed, deception and spin are hardly new. So this book goes beyond the politics of Trump and Brexit to take a measured look at why deception and nonsense are so endemic. It argues that for all the extremes of 2016, 'post-truth' is rooted in styles of communication that we are all familiar with - and which we all use.

Using examples from all walks of life - from canned laughter to company annual reports - Evan Davis examines what post-truth actually is and why people peddle it. Does it work and should we be worried? And how can we all navigate our way through a post truth era?

Evan Davis knows better than most, how people can be economical with the truth. As a radio and television presenter, he interviews politicians and CEOs on a daily basis and has to expose what they really mean. He's the perfect guide to a world in which we have reached peak bullshit.