Unfortunately, this one was not for me. While I enjoyed the opening, I was very quickly lost in the bulk of information.

The concept and topic is very important and I would recommend this book to my more analytically minded friends however I personally struggled to take in everything within the book.

This was an interesting read. As someone who is very aware of fake news and propaganda, I didn't learn too much from this but I can see how it would be very informative if someone has no idea how fake news/propaganda gets spread around. I really liked the illustrations in here too. They were nicely done and easy to read.

My thanks to NetGalley and Quirk books for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

I didn't request this book with the hope of giving it a bad review. I really REALLY hoped it was a balanced look at BOTH sides of dividing issues and not a book where one side was clearly the bias with facts/figures/data/emotional manipulation/propaganda siding heavily with the bias, being just another echo chamber and useless for actual calm and reasoned discourse.

My hope, slight as it was, withered and died. I gave it until 37% and then I couldn't take the "we're clearly right, you're clearly wrong AND stupid" smug attitude this book was just oozing.

I decided, before I read anymore and just raised my blood pressure, to check the back and look for the sources of the "facts" this book was acting were the end-all, be-all. That is when I DNF'd, as the bibliography was only a SELECT bibliography.

No, just NO. The English major in me was WRITHING. Show me the sources! I want to be able to go to where you got that information and read it for myself, and follow that back and follow THAT back.

By not showing all of one's sources, it comes across as one of two things, or a combination of 1) plagiarizing or 2) making things up (ie-lying whether intentionally or otherwise).

Also, this book was using emotion VERY strongly to make it's point, which smacks of the very propaganda that the book is allegedly trying to combat and refute.

Hint: using the very thing that you are attempting to dismantle for the opposite side is hypocrisy and weakens your argument considerably. Something else this book is calling the other side.

Now, unless this book is being VERY deep and is trying to use the same methods their opponents are using as a way to teach the reader as they read the book, this book is full of it.

I am being very careful to not state what side this book is coming from and what it is attacking, as that is not my point. I am so angry because

1) it is making an incredibly poor representation of it's side and it's embarrassing. It is only going to make the opposite side point out it's flaws and say "See, they are liars/stupid/hypocrites and what they say can't be believed!", so the opposite side won't engage in a rational, respective dialogue, because this isn't. It's just going to widen the divide and not encourage thoughtful discourse. Those on the opposing side will feel vindicated and those on the side of the book will either feel embarrassed and angry that their side was represented so poorly or echo-chamber lock-step agree without actually thinking objectively and seeing the flaws in this book's reasoning.

2) there ARE nuggets of good points in the 37% of what I read, but the propaganda and faulty thinking just scuttle the good bits and makes it impossible to see.

3) this could have been a book that BRIDGED the gap, rather than keeping the status quo or widening the gap further. That is what I was hoping for and was sorely disappointed.

4) it used SUPER ingenuous comparisons that WERE true, BUT were out of context. Example: stating that there were more of one type of commodity seller than McDonalds. True, but it wasn't comparing two food brands, it was like comparing alcohol stores or car dealerships to McDonalds, there are more alcohol sellers and car dealers than McDonalds TOO. A more honest way for them to look at it would be to compare the commodity in question and ALL hamburger sellers. I'm sure that there are more hamburger sellers out there than ANY type of commodity seller, but I don't know because this book didn't use that comparison, just one that while correct, is severely misleading. (note: they are only discussing types of stores/sellers/dealers in the USA, not anywhere else).

All in all, this was a book that rammed it's philosophy down the throat of the reader. No nuance, no inkling that it was using the very tricks of the trade it was revealing that the other side used, all while pretending that it was being fair and balanced. So not a very self-aware book either, which given the topic, it badly needed to be.

Now, I'm not saying NOT to read this book. It was horribly unbalanced, but it would be a good Rorschach test to see what side the reader is on and if the reader can still think for themselves (both sides).

1, I am so angry because this book could have been, SHOULD have been, so much BETTER than it was, stars.

This copiously illustrated book covers propaganda—what it is, well-known examples, and how to understand and avoid it. There’s a lot of information here. It’s all about showing readers why people believe things that aren’t true, who benefits from that, and the importance of media literacy.

The anti-big business, pro-fact approach would be perfectly suited to older teen readers, who should love the thrill of learning more about the behind-the-scenes of how the world works. “Secret knowledge” has quite the appeal when someone’s learning to make their own opinions.

This book is an interesting start to understanding how marketing and propaganda influence our thinking. Using data and examples, Spitale gives a comprehensive explanation of the vocabulary and methods used to sway people’s opinions. He then focuses the reader's attention on how politics has used similar techniques throughout history, to influence how people vote and act through emotion, rather than through logical thought.

It was at this point, using Spitale’s own reference of, looking at your emotional response, that the reader needs to question the facts because the argument pinpoints the techniques used by the Republican party to win votes.

This is a thought-provoking book. At times, you need to put some effort into following some of the denser passages of writing, but the sketches and diagrams break the wordiness into digestible pieces.

Overall, a great read.

This needs to be required reading for pretty much everyone who lives in the United States, knows someone who lives in the United States or is thinking about traveling to the United States. Seriously.
Thanks to NetGalley and Quirk books for the ARC.

How To Win The War On Truth is a graphic novel that explores historical examples of how the media, companies, and governments waged misinformation wars on everyday folks. The book also details how to find truths within media lies and educate ourselves to recognise our own susceptibility to misinformation.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE BOOK
The author's use of real-life examples of misinformation and its effects is very educational and exposes how vulnerable even the most discerning of us can be. It shows how good people can turn into monsters based on false convictions fueled by misinformation.

Also, the artwork complements the writing, bringing clarity to a complicated subject.

WHAT I DISLIKE
Nothing.

WHO IS THIS FOR?
This is for adults and young adults keen to learn how to navigate the internet world. It is for those who want to learn how to discriminate when taking in data that is meant to influence us.

Great addition to help understand aspects of media literary! Includes historical references and apications for today.

I initially gave the book four stars after reading only two chapters and did not think I had the time to finish it. However, I have now finished it and will only give it two stars. It feels like a flawed book to me.

It is a book where the title will appeal to those who are skeptical about what we the general public are fed by the media and the politicians, and educators who want to extol the virtues of impartiality and teach about how to spot untruths. All the examples used are ones relevant to the United States. The initial chapters describe a number of examples of the truth being manipulated, for example the coffee cup burning and law suits, the Loch Ness monster, the slow driver and the different examples for why this might be happening, cigarettes and drugs. The text gradually became more political. I thought the explanation of the theory of propaganda was enlightening. However, it was in the choice of examples that I started to dislike. There are a number of reasons for this:
Examples and certainly charts do not always say when the data refers to. The text partially explains.
There is no proper referencing and so assertions or quotes can not be checked. After all manipulation does occur when people are 'economical with the truth'. (Sorry, I cannot reference this quote correctly and so have just fallen into my own trap).
My ebook did not show the bibliography.
There is little balance, the public relations campaigns of 'don't drink and drive', or prevent forest fires are mentioned but how should we distinguish these from propaganda is never explained.
The theory about why propaganda happens is explained extensively but the methods to identify this are not. Critical thinking is rarely mentioned.
There is a strong political bias in the book, anti-racism, anti-Republican, anti-big business. Many of us also adhere to these biases and so the book ended up in confirming the bias I initially had, rather than arguing against them. In this way the author could be accused of doing exactly what he accuses the politicians and big business of doing.

The book's title suggests it is a self help book but I feel it becomes a political polemic. That said, the idea of the book as a self help book is excellent and I should like someone to write one with British and European examples. It should be shorter and careful to give a more balanced view.

'How to Win the War on Truth' is an exhaustive graphical explanation of what propaganda is, and how it impacts the way we think, feel, and live our lives in the information age. I teach an annual "How to Spot Fake News" class for adults at my public library, and this book was a great resource for identifying key information literacy concepts and real-world examples to share with students. I will definitely be recommending this one to patrons and staff.

What is truth? Is there and absolute Truth with a capital T or is all true relative based on how many people believe it? Is there an organized assault on truth or is this just the result of a very frenzied "marketplace of ideas?" Interested? Read on!

Samuel Spitale is fervent in his belief that objective truth is under attack. He has come to the conclusion that the United States and other countries have evolved into a post-truth nation where facts matter less than appeals to emotion and personal beliefs. He is among the thinking majority that believe this is a dangerous state of being. So he conceived of How to Win the War on Truth as a means of educating the reader on tools to recognize when they are being manipulated and how to fight back in eight chapters. Chapter 1: Propagating the Faith delves into the history and process of propaganda, public relations and advertising. Chapter 2: Cutting Out Complexity examines how a complex situation is reduced to a simple either or choice. Chapter 3: Bias and the Brain sheds light on how the lenses we view the world are wired and how these lenses can be manipulated. Chapter 4: Emotional Manipulation checks out how propaganda uses people's emotions to take action. Chapter 5: Dividing and Conquering (An Audience) looks at the use of stereotypes to separate folks into "us vs them" groups. Chapter 6: Power, Profit, and Propaganda slices into the use of propaganda by corporations to increase their influence and bottom line. Chapter 7: Propaganda Techniques lays out the tools used in propaganda. Chapter 8: The Southern Strategy provides a case study in the use of propaganda in the service of politics.

Samuel Spitale in How to Win the War on Truth provides a passionate plea for readers to be media literate, not passive media consumers. His point of view is clear to any discerning reader, but he does not ask for blind faith, rather he provides activities that allow the reader to participate in their own education. If you have an interest in thinking about stories, politics, and/or life, take the time to carefully read this book!

While I found the topic of this book interesting, I struggled to read it in a digital format as the writing was too small for my phone screen. For this reason, I was unable to finish it. I liked the format though.

How to Win the War on Truth is an excellent resource to help anyone build their critical reading skills.

Author Samuel Spitale and artist Allan Whincup explore a variety of ways and means that our attention and thoughts and memories are manipulated or coerced by propaganda. Spitale begins by discussing the infamous McDonald's hot coffee incident, where the victim was severely burned and hospitalized. Instead of receiving sympathy, the victim become a punchline for a frivolous lawsuit. This case begins our discussion and is referred to several times later, but also discussed are: the war on drugs, the history and development of Fox news, the health risks of sugar, marketing campaign, the US-Iraq War begun in 2003 and many other topics.

Each of the 8 chapters looks at a different method or technique of propaganda and examples of its effective usage. Whincup's illustrations serve to both break up the text and to draw attention to specific key points.

A book perfect for middle school and higher that encourages us to always ask the question "Why are the telling me this?"

This was sooo interesting. There were lots of words here--it's more illustrated nonfiction than graphic novel, honestly. It is very organized and detailed and spends a lot of time on the various problems we have with truthfulness in our society. One thing I really liked was the time spent on corporate issues, not just political ones. I think that is a factor we don't often talk about. I am a little concerned that almost all the examples are either business related or right-wing. There are truly more examples there lol. But I worry a tiny bit that some people who might read the book will be turned off by that. I found it personally very convincing, however, and if I still had kids at home I would read and discuss parts with them. We need more good materials to help teach media literacy and this is a good tool, I think. It's very comprehensive and covers a lot
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I've already recommended this book to multiple people in my life. It is packed thick with information that will increase your media literacy in a world filled with algorithms and sponsored messages. It doesn't just blame Big Tech, but actually unpacks the psychology behind various media messages while tracing their roots through history. It does so with a combination of bold illustrations, fact bubbles, and "articles" so that it's an easy format to pick up and put down as you are able to process the information. Recommend!

perfectly fine book, though clearly for the US market in terms of the topics covered. But it can be applied to every country. Every cheater copies the other. The war on truth and manipulation of the media whether by govts, companies or individuals. I did find a lot I already knew, though I guess this is mainly aimed at those who may not be fully aware of the techniques and example/case studies. As a graphic text it works well with more descriptive sections broken up with simple and shorter blocks. A detailed book written in a very engaging prose. Highly recommended to young readers to escape the manipulation.

How To Win The War on Truth is an easy to understand guide to how exactly the US became a post-truth nation and offers an educational course in how to contribute to getting back to the realm of truth. The way the author combines infographics with narrative helps to make dense subject matter easier to follow.

The question at hand is how did we get to a post-truth society? The author gives a convincing argument and details for the start of this beginning with Freud’s nephew and advertising and moving forward into the 20th century as more money falls into the hands of fewer and fewer people, we end up with money buying influence. The narrative is nothing new to anyone who pays attention to the history of the past 150 years, but for those who have not been exposed to this collection of facts, this book is a digestible way for them to learn about how we got to where we are.

This book would be a great book to read in conjunction with Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny, as it fills in some of the blanks of the political history of the United States, and calls out racism, sexism, and classism, that has been underlying the political game for generations.

Ultimately, I don’t know that I agree that knowing how we are being manipulated is a sufficient way to winning the war on truth. The author’s own writings in the book points out that the black and white thinking used by advertisers and politicians is a very effective way of forcing people to use their primitive brain structures, but also makes them unlikely to actually seek out a truth outside of those primal responses. Knowing what to be on the lookout is a great first step, but at the end of the book, I wanted more action steps. Knowledge is power, but what is the next step?

A perfectly fine book, though clearly for the US market in terms of the topics covered. The war on truth and manipulation of the media whether by govts, companies or individuals. I did find a lot I already knew, though I guess this is mainly aimed at those who may not be fully aware of the techniques and example/case studies. As a graphic text it works well with more descriptive sections broken up with simple and shorter blocks.