Propaganda
Product ID: 600544531
Desertcart purchases this item on your behalf and handles shipping, customs, and support to Ireland.
2024 Reprint of the 1928 Edition. Propaganda , an influential book written by Bernays in 1928, incorporated the literature from social science and psychological manipulation into an examination of the techniques of public communication. Bernays wrote the book in response to the success of some of his earlier works such as Crystallizing Public Opinion (1923) and A Public Relations Counsel (1927). Propaganda explored the psychology behind manipulating masses and the ability to use symbolic action and propaganda to influence politics, consumer choices and corporate image, which we now call "branding". Walter Lippmann was Bernays' unacknowledged American mentor and his work The Phantom Public greatly influenced the ideas expressed in Propaganda a year later. The work propelled Bernays into media historians' view of him as the "father of public relations." Bernay's manual of mass manipulation provides a detailed examination of how public discourse and opinion are shaped and controlled in politics, business, art, education, and science. In a world dominated by political spin and media manipulation, Propaganda is an essential read for all who wish to understand how power is used by the ruling elite of our society. The nephew of Sigmund Freud, Edward Bernays (1891-1995) pioneered the scientific technique of shaping and manipulating public opinion, which he called "engineering of consent.'" During World War I, he was an integral part--along with Walter Lippmann--of the U.S. Committee on Public Information (CPI), a powerful propaganda machine that advertised and sold the war to the American people as one that would "Make the World Safe for Democracy." The marketing strategies for all future wars would be based on the CPI model. Over the next half century, Bernays, combining the techniques he had learned in the CPI with the ideas of Lippmann and Freud, fashioned a career as an outspoken proponent of the engineering of consent for political and corporate influence of the population, earning the moniker "father of public relations." Among his powerful clients were President Calvin Coolidge, Procter & Gamble, CBS, the American Tobacco Company, and General Electric, and the United Fruit Company. Review: Excellent - Required reading in 2026 Review: Worth reading to understand events and how they affect us - Frightening when you read how the events of the past have changed our world, and not necessarily for the better.
| Best Sellers Rank | 218,501 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 231 in Advertising (Books) 1,357 in Business & Economic History |
| Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 811 Reviews |
T**A
Excellent
Required reading in 2026
V**S
Worth reading to understand events and how they affect us
Frightening when you read how the events of the past have changed our world, and not necessarily for the better.
K**S
Propagnada in the new, mass -consumerist society.
A short but informative paphlet on the meaning of propaganda.
S**Y
Great book of ideas.
If you want to understand how politics works, and how powerful politicians can influence your point of view, this is the book for you. It was written a long time ago, but don't let that put you off , human nature never changes, so these ideas are as good today as the day they were first written down.
I**M
Properganda
So far a good read
P**Z
Great value and quality
Excellent conditions
C**C
Very Interesting Read
If you want to understand how we are basically lied to and manipulated through the media, by government and by companies this is for you. Interesting history.
J**Y
Great book
Fast delivery, great quality and will definitely buy again.
A**O
Want to know how the media spins?
Will truth ever return as a standard?
J**A
Print quality awful
The book came with many pages not printed and missing. Worst quality.
M**U
Don't worry...
... you did not suffer a stroke - this book really has been edited THAT badly ;)
K**R
Print run through an LLM, not original print.
The book is good. Great commentary but I was looking for a true to original print. This book is riddled with OpenAI GPT long dashes between words. Hall mark of being run through an LLM. I can't tell if the print is a cheap knock off or the person with rights to print revised the content? Would have preferred original contents close to first publication. Cannot trust the content if it's been altered. Quite disappointed and absolutely hate the trend of LLM written books. Atleast get rid of the dahses. Last book I bought for $20 was a copy from India marked to be sold for 200 ruppees. Not loving the Amazon book experience...
S**M
Learn the psychology of mass influence
I heard the name of Edward Bernays mentioned in a couple of podcasts as the nephew of Sigmund Freud (the famous psychoanalyst) and the uncle of Marc Randolph (the co-founder of Netflix). When I discovered that he had authored a book, I was quick to pick it up. I am deeply fascinated by what drives human behavior and who better to learn from than the “father of public relations” himself. The word propaganda is a loaded term and we tend to associate it with negative connotations but, as Bernays explains, anyone seeking to be influential in this world needs to become a propagandist. At it’s core, propaganda is influencing the masses to think a certain way. Of course, this power of influence has been leveraged by bad actors for nefarious means, and that’s why it’s so important to read this book so that you don’t fall victim to it. At the end of the day, whatever role you play in life, becoming a propagandist will make you more effective at it. Whether that means propagating the idea of dental hygiene to your kids or propagating the idea of why someone should by your product, it comes down to the ability to influence someone’s patterns of thought—and propaganda is about doing that at a mass scale. This was an interesting read for sure and I would recommend it to anyone looking to become an independent thinker in this world. Learning how to wield the power of propaganda is especially important for the heart-centered individuals that are sincerely looking to elevate humanity. Unfortunately, it is the bad actors that have become more effective at this art.
Trustpilot
2 months ago
2 months ago