BIG LIES

Big Lies: From Socrates to Social Media by Mark Kurlansky is all about (you guessed it) lying! Specifically, it talks about the history of lying. Also, it debunks useless conspiracy theories, saying that, for instance, the dreaded Illuminati is a total and complete lie. Kurlansky says that we are all trapped in a “dance, spinning and leaping uncontrollably in an immense, unfathomable carnival of lies.” He even mentions that social media is full of lies, so be careful out there—he says it’s difficult to tell a truth from a lie! But the book clearly focuses on politicians and their lying, specifically Donald Trump and—surprise, surprise!—Hillary Clinton. This is not a self-help book teaching you what to expect in a lie. But the book proves why, for example, Wikipedia is not a good source. The author of this very book was once asked to assess a Wikipedia entry on the Basque people. He found that the entry was mostly (but not entirely) accurate. Also, the book has comics by Eric Zelz. They’re super funny but cut away from the serious, informative tone of the book. Yet the comics are fun to read.