Conspiracy Theories: A Guide to the World's Most Intriguing Mysteries

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Taking a global and interdisciplinary approach, the Routledge Handbook of Conspiracy Theories provides a comprehensive overview of conspiracy theories as an important social, cultural and political phenomenon in contemporary life. Mark Fenster has provided a solid and illuminating study of the public's fascination with conspiracy theories and sets forth a stimulating correlation between the popularity of such theories and the social and political values of our society.

It was temporarily taken down on 20 June 2019 and reposted on 2 October 2019 following amendments made to more accurately reflect the contents of the volume in response to concerns expressed by the book’s editor. Conspiracy theorists, Robertson argues, develop a shadow kind of “capital” to confront the elites’ actual power: epistemic capital, based on their “knowledge” of what’s “truly” going on. The idea that the elites may actually believe the conspiracy theories they propagate is too often overlooked. This book presents an important resource for students and scholars from a range of disciplines interested in the societal and political impact of conspiracy theories, including Area Studies, Anthropology, History, Media and Cultural Studies, Political Science, Psychology and Sociology. Fenster analyzes the "conspiracy community" of radio shows, magazine and book publishers, Internet resources, and role-playing games that promote these theories.

The crisis threatens the integrity of our democracies, our ability to cultivate trusting relationships, even our physical and psychological well-being-yet most attempts to combat it have proven insufficient. For example, if you can believe that a small group of people is controlling everything, it can be easier to understand why things are the way they are. This book explores the relevance of conspiracy theories in the modern social and political history of the Nordic countries. If you’re interested in the idea of a shadowy elite controlling world events, this book is a must-read.

However, in working on my forthcoming novel Dead Ends, in which a quiet neighborhood descends into paranoia and insanity driven by fear, politics, and technology, I sought out novels that engaged with conspiratorial thinking and violence. Fenster's careful examination of conspiratorial beliefs as evidence by right-wing groups, by various media, and even by those who devise such theories as a form of ludic or satiric endeavor (like Robert Anton Wilson) is revealing. Michael Barkun argues that in the 80s and 90s, these crazy right-wing groups started exchanging ideas. From secret societies to aliens and assassinations, decode historys greatest cover ups with The Big Book of Conspiracy Theories. Conspiracy theorists are seen as powerless, and this perception shapes how conspiracy theories are studied.This engaging book will be an important read for anyone concerned about the future direction of American politics, as well as anyone who's watched friends or family fall into patterns of conspiratorial thinking. Seller has stated it will dispatch the item within 1 working day upon receipt of cleared payment - opens in a new window or tab . It maps out the key debates, and includes chapters on the historical origins of conspiracy theories, as well as their political significance in a broad range of countries and regions. He asks tough questions and connects the dots among five decades’ worth of suspicious events, including the assassinations of John and Robert Kennedy, the attempted assassinations of George Wallace and Ronald Reagan, the crimes of Watergate, the Iran-Contra arms-for-hostages deal, the disputed presidential elections of 2000 and 2004, the major defense failure of 9/11, and the subsequent anthrax letter attacks. The consequence of defining conspiracy theorists as powerless is that doing so distorts the entire study of conspiracy theories.

The greatest challenge in studying conspiracy theories—a task likened to trying to housebreak a chicken in a recent New Yorker article—may well be simply defining what a ‘conspiracy theory’ is in the first place. In Foolproof, one of the world's leading experts on misinformation lays out a crucial new paradigm for understanding and defending ourselves against the worldwide infodemic.I don’t think of myself as a paranoid guy – I don’t, for instance, believe in a real life Deep State – but these are the sorts of stories that resonate for me. Conspiracy Theories in the Time of Covid-19 provides a wide-ranging analysis of the emergence and development of conspiracy theories during the Covid-19 pandemic, with a focus on the US and the UK.

As someone who campaigns for a better way to operate spaceship Earth, Dispelling Wetiko was the precise slap in the face I needed to break free from the spell that has captured so many would-be change-makers like myself. His book doesn't leave readers feeling overwhelmed or powerless, but offers a primer on how not to be duped—and how to help others who've fallen prey to conspiracies. In 1958, he funneled his wealth into establishing the organization that would define his legacy and change the face of American politics: the John Birch Society.Theory Conspiracy provides a state-of-the-art collection that takes stage on the meeting and/or battlegrounds between conspiracy theory and theory-asconspiracy. I find the issue of conspiracy theory compelling and appreciate Fenster's fruitful approach to what has been mysteriously ignored by the academy.