The Irrational Ape: Why We Fall for Disinformation, Conspiracy Theory and Propaganda

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This is a standout example of what David Robert Grimes describes as flawed logic, and how it puts us at real risk. The author has set himself the not inconsiderable task of unravelling the many tangled ways in which we deceive ourselves and one another. One possible solution? Learning to think like scientists. Firstly, the author is not a leader in any field of psychological research. My own view is that the production of books on a particular subject matter should be the privilege and preserve of those people who have made significant contributions to the field or people who have gone to great efforts to unearth rare and historical accounts relevant to the discipline. Neither of these appear to apply to the author. The author is a physics graduate who subsequently involved himself in medical research and the public understanding of science. This is all commendable but it does not qualify him to write on psychology. This shows in the case studies he chooses, all of which can be found in many other books and are readily accessible on the internet. In other words, the author offers nothing new, either in content or insight. Studies show that trust around the world is in crisis, although distrust levels vary in different countries. While trust in science as a profession remains high, some particular areas of science are not doing well in this regard. Despite that, I think sometimes the author's biases popped up in the work. I wonder if, considering his excoriating description of Trump's duplicitous scrabble for power, whether this would put some readers off reading his summary (even though I think he was quite right about Trump).

Within the case studies there are some examples of human misjudgement but there is scant evidence of the evolutionary underpinnings that led to the logical error (i.e. the vestigial manifestation of the titular ‘ape’). There is some speculation here and there but little in the way of clinical evidence. The fact that many faux sceptics are otherwise intelligent can mislead. “One might assume that rationality is a byproduct of intelligence, but there is little correlation between intelligence and rationality,” Grimes notes. Systematic inquiry

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We may not have to save the planet from nuclear annihilation, of course, but our ability to think critically has never been more important . In a world where fake news , mistrust of experts , prejudice and ignorance all too often hold sway, we can all too easily be misled over issues such as vaccinations , climate change or conspiracy theories . We live in an era where access to all the knowledge in the world is at our fingertips, yet that also means misinformation and falsehoods can spread further and faster than ever before. Trusted sources are needed now, more than ever. Science has certainly has had its failings in the past. One only needs to think about Eugenics, or claims that an examination of people’s faces or brain scans can tell if someone is going to be a criminal or not, and of course history is littered with unethical experiments on people. Firstly, I’m not claiming to understand everything discussed in the book. The author didn’t really make it much easier for the common people to process which tells me that most people that fully understand everything discussed will be of similar beliefs and position as the author.

This book also offers us a reminder of the human cost when sinister narratives take hold in a nation's psyche and when you isolate and dehumanize certain groups, the next step of elimination is not far off. He has some valuable insights into the mobbing and shaming brigade on social media, and how the act of wielding a pitchfork does not make one heroic. There's nothing new or groundbreaking here, but Follow evidence, think critically is an important message that can't be repeated too often. Grimes covers: He quotes the late Carl Sagan as observing: “We’ve arranged a global civilisation in which most crucial elements profoundly depend on science and technology. We have also arranged things so that almost no one understands science and technology. This is a prescription for disaster.” Fingertip falsehoodsThe Irrational Ape skilfully interweaves anecdotes, contemporary examples and scientific studies to bring to life a diverse range of examples of 'uncritical thinking', proffering insights into both their causes and effects. He is incorrect that there is ‘nothing wrong with holding religious beliefs’. Religious beliefs are predicated upon argument from authority, revelation and ad-hoc reasoning. Platonic reasoning led to self-referential paradoxes being introduced into Christian theology. These are all ‘irrational’ ways of forming a belief.

The book points out that while conspiracies undoubtedly occur, keeping large ones secret for long is nigh on impossible. In our interconnected world, it’s even harder to keep things under wraps. Why did revolutionary China consider the sparrow an 'animal of capitalism' - and what happened when they tried to wipe them out? With a cast of murderous popes, snake-oil salesmen and superstitious pigeons, find out why flawed logic puts us all at risk, and how critical thinking can save the world. While I agree with the authors overarching lesson of not believing something just because of your preconceived beliefs, experiences because someone else says so, he continually tells us to follow the science, believe in the research, look at the facts. I find this quite hypocritical given that science, research and facts can also be wrong. Science evolves and we’re always learning. Just because there is no scientific evidence NOW, doesn’t mean there won’t be in the future. Just because science has proven something previously, doesn’t mean there won’t be new scientific discoveries in the future that make previous scientific evidence null and void.This wonderful book seeks to provide us all with the tools needed not only to spot lies & distortions but to debunk them too, even if it means jettisoning beliefs we hold dear. Throughout the book, Dr Grimes encourages the reader to form their beliefs and views of the world when the claims made about it have first been subjected to some critical thought. The whole book is geared towards helping the reader achieve this and not to be misled by the ubiquity of misinformation in today's information age. The other way the author seeks to make this an enjoyable and readable work is to include many anecdotes illustrating his points. These are especially powerful when they are anecdotes based on his own experience. For instance, the section on anti vaccine activists and the HPV vaccine contains a very powerful and emotional story of Laura Brennan's fight against the anti-vaxers before she died last year - because she had not had the HPV vaccine. Whilst Dr Grimes is an academic and science communicator, don't go away thinking that this book will be hard-going for the casual reader, it's wonderfully written and is frequently beautifully poetic in places - I often found myself re-reading a paragraph a few times because it was so imaginatively written. In short, it's accessible! Dr Grimes writing style is charming and personable, holding the readers' hand to help them navigate through the misinformation and conspiracy thinking of the modern world. On this journey you will certainly learn a great deal too. Some of the footnotes in the book are genuinely hilarious. The references and further reading section at the end of the book is wonderful too.