The Father of Spin

The acclaimed biography of the legendary PR man "raises important issues about the presentation of information to the American public by the media" ( The Boston Sunday Globe ). The Father of Spin is the first full-length biography of Edward L. Bernays, who, beginning in the 1920s, was one of the first and most successful practioners of the art of public relations. In this engrossing biography, Larry Tye uses Bernays's life as a prism to understand the evolution of the craft of public relations and how it came to play such a critical—and sometimes insidious—role in American life. Drawing on interviews with primary sources and voluminous private papers, Tye presents a fascinating and revealing portrait of the man who, more than any other, defined and personified public relations, a profession that today helps shape our political discourse and define our commercial choices. "[Mr. Tye] succeeds wonderfully in illustrating the often creepy power of our opinion makers." ― The New York Times "A remarkable look at the spinmeister who helped to invent public relations . . . candid and enlightening." ― Kirkus Reviews