opening minds: the secret world of manipulation, undue influence and brainwashing - Couverture souple

Atack, Jon

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 0997109637 ISBN 13 : 9780997109634

Editeur : Open Minds Foundation, 2016

Synopsis

Opening Minds by Jon Atack shows how we can be cajoled into accepting unethical, uninvited and often harmful influence. With this book, you can help your friends and your children to resist or escape from manipulation. We live in an age where unethical persuasion is applied every day, all day long, to bypass reasoning through direct appeals to our emotions. Throughout history, people have been unwittingly influenced to act against their own best interests. But today, ever more sophisticated forms of influence are being devised, posing a significant threat to a free and open society. It is persuasion so sinister and subtle that it can derail critical thinking and overwhelm even the most intelligent of people, reducing them into unthinking compliance. Manipulation, undue influence and brainwashing, or whatever we call this exploitive persuasion, challenges the very notion of human rights. The use of it by unscrupulous cults, totalitarian groups and abusive individuals is growing at an alarming rate. But such influence is also used on a daily basis by marketing organizations and Internet promoters, targeting young people and interfering with their reasoning skills. It is surprising to find that undue influence remains a well-kept secret in the media and for the general public. This book shows in detail how we are cajoled into submitting to unethical, uninvited external influence. The knowledge in this book is vital for those who wish to help their loved ones spot, resist and escape from the many traps of undue influence in our world.

A propos du livre

À propos de l'auteur

Born in the cathedral city of Lichfield, UK, Jon Atack has always been fascinated with the intricate workings of the human mind. He draws his unique perspective and streetwise, yet compassionate, wisdom from hundreds of interviews with the survivors of undue influence in a career spanning over three decades. Widely acclaimed in academic circles not only for his talents as a historian and researcher, but also his sharp wit and social insight, he honed his skills while deconstructing the labyrinthine net of lies surrounding cult leader Ron Hubbard. Having devoted much of his life to helping former Scientologists recover their mental equilibrium and spiritual independence, he has since turned his attention to the wider problems of unethical persuasion, not only in abusive groups but in our culture at large. To this end, he spearheaded the Open Minds Foundation in 2015, and is working to educate the public on the social manipulation we all face in our daily lives. He lives in a quiet village near Nottingham, England, where, following Voltaire’s advice, he cultivates his garden, and also his four children and one grandchild – Spike Robinson.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Open Minds Foundation
• Date d'édition: 2016
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 0997109637
• ISBN 13: 9780997109634
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 238
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: non disponible