Conspiracy: A History Of Bollocks Theories , And How Not To Fall For Them
Tom Phillips and Jonn Elledge (Hachette Australia: Wildfire) 2022, 373pp, RRP $32.99 (paperback); $39.99 (audiobook); $15.99 (e-book)
Phillips and Elledge’s seriously comprehensive study of conspiracy theories old and new is sometimes funny and occasionally disturbing, and yet the very people who desperately need to read the damn thing simply won’t because they’re all too busy doing their own “research”.
Featuring chapters devoted to all your most favourite (or least favourite) conspiracy theories, this also tries to get to grips with why people fall for them, and keep on falling – and falling again. After establishing exactly what a conspiracy theory is, we’re off into topics including: astronomical and astrological conspiracies (‘The Fault In Our Stars’); UFOs and all things alien (“Unidentified Lying Objects’); some especially loony conspiracies surrounding key events in history (‘In Search Of Lost Time’); and more.
There are also two consecutive sections that rope in everything to do with COVID-19 (‘Viral Misinformation’ and ‘2020 Hindsight’), and although these were written during the height of the pandemic, it’s (perhaps) surprising just how spot on the authors were when they predicted that COVID-related conspiracies would persist well after the arrival of vaccines.
And no, COVID isn’t ‘over’ yet, no matter what you might have heard, and it’s sure to drag on for a long time yet, But, please, feel free to do your ‘own’ research.
Idiots.
Dave Bradley
This title is available through the Hachette Australia website. Click HERE to purchase your copy.
