Among the Truthers

From 9/11 conspiracy theorists and UFO obsessives to the cult of Ayn Rand and Birther crusaders, America is suffering from an explosion in post-rationalist ideological movements. In Among the Truthers, journalist Jonathan Kay offers a thoughtful and sobering look at how social networking and Web-based video sharing have engendered a flourishing of new conspiracism. Kay details the sociological profiles of ten brands of modern conspiracists—the Failed Historian, the Mid-Life Crack-Up, the Damaged Survivor, the Campus Revolutionary, the Stoner, the Clinical Case, the Puzzle Solver, the Christian Doomsayer, the Cosmic Voyager, and the Egomaniac—in a compelling exploration of America’s departure from reason and what it means for the very future of rational discourse as the nation steps further into the 21st century. How did America’s trust in its own institutions collapse, and who are the new prophets of political paranoia? The Erosion of Trust: An incisive look at why faith in government and media has collapsed, creating fertile ground for outlandish theories to take root. False Flag Operations: A sobering history of state-sponsored deception, from historical precedents to the modern-day belief that the 9/11 attacks were an inside job. Ten Conspiracist Profiles: A fascinating sociological breakdown of the key archetypes driving these movements, from "The Failed Historian" to "The Mid-Life Crack-Up." The Age of Misinformation: A critical analysis of how social networking and web-based video have become powerful engines for spreading paranoia and what it means for the future of rational discourse.