Foolproof, Sander van der Linden
Foolproof, Sander van der Linden
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Foolproof
Why Misinformation Infects Our Minds and How to Build Immunity

Author: Sander van der Linden

Narrator: Sander van der Linden

Unabridged: 10 hr 11 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Kalorama

Published: 05/16/2023


Synopsis

From fake news to conspiracy theories, from inflammatory memes to misleading headlines, misinformation has swiftly become the defining problem of our era. 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.

With remarkable clarity, Sander van der Linden explains why our brains are so vulnerable to misinformation. Like a virus, misinformation infects our minds, exploiting shortcuts in how we see and process information to alter our beliefs, modify our memories, and replicate at astonishing rates. Once the virus takes hold, it's very hard to cure.

But we aren't helpless. As van der Linden shows based on award-winning original research, we can cultivate immunity through the innovative science of "prebunking": inoculating people against false information by preemptively exposing them to a weakened dose, thus empowering them to identify and fend off its manipulative tactics. Deconstructing the characteristic techniques of conspiracies and misinformation, van der Linden gives listeners practical tools to defend themselves and others against nefarious persuasion—whether at scale or around their own dinner table.

About Sander van der Linden

Sander van der Linden is professor of social psychology in society at the University of Cambridge and a regular advisor to governments and social media companies on fighting misinformation. His research has been featured in the New York Times, Rolling Stone, and elsewhere. He lives in Cambridge, UK.


Reviews

Goodreads review by s.penkevich on February 06, 2025

The always inspiring Mahatma Gandhi once said ‘live as if you were to die tomorrow, learn as if you were to live forever,’ a great reminder to always keep your mind active and learning. Especially in our ever changing world full of misinformation it is increasingly important to learn how to sort fac......more

Goodreads review by Steve on March 21, 2023

What sets "Foolproof" apart from other pop science books is that the author, Sander van der Linden, is a world expert in his field -- one of the best scientists out there studying misinformation. So, you can tell, reading the book, that Sander really knows his stuff, and gives great commentary and d......more

Goodreads review by Carol Lynn on February 07, 2023

This was a really fun read! Linden doesn't preach, he sticks to fun anecdotes and research to prove his theoretical eleven antigens for building up your immunity to misinformation. He's also got an easy reading style - a lot of modern references and simple language to keep the audience engaged.......more

Goodreads review by Chris on July 09, 2023

Hot damn did I love this book. I read so many books on this topic, and I always get concerned that each book is going to be exactly the same (because a lot of them are when they’re on a popular topic), but Sander blew my brain up with how good this book is. Sander actually sent me an early copy of t......more

Goodreads review by Kara on April 05, 2023

One of my responsibilities as an English teacher is to help my students build their media literacy skills. In the past couple of years, I have become increasingly convinced, in fact, that media literacy is the most essential skill English classes can cover. The deluge of disinformation and morass of......more