Propaganda

Written by Edward Bernays

Narrated by Jonathan Quinn

A seminal and controversial figure in the history of political thought and public relations, Edward Bernays (1891 - 1995), pioneered the scientific technique of shaping and manipulating public opinion, which he famously dubbed "engineering of consent". During World War I, he was an integral part of the US Committee on Public Information (CPI), a powerful propaganda apparatus that was mobilized to package, advertise, and sell the war to the American people as one that would "Make the World Safe for Democracy". The CPI would become the blueprint in which marketing strategies for future wars would be based upon.

Bernays applied the techniques he had learned in the CPI and, incorporating some of the ideas of Walter Lipmann, became an outspoken proponent of propaganda as a tool for democratic and corporate manipulation of the population. His 1928 bombshell Propaganda lays out his eerily prescient vision for using propaganda to regiment the collective mind in a variety of areas, including government, politics, art, science and education. To hear this book today is to frightfully comprehend what our contemporary institutions of government and business have become in regards to organized manipulation of the masses.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HN Publishing
• Release date: Jan 1, 2018
• ISBN: 9781509491636

Edward Bernays

Edward Louis Bernays was an Austrian-American pioneer in the field of public relations and propaganda, referred to in his obituary as "the father of public relations". Bernays was named one of the 100 most influential Americans of the 20th century by Life.

Reviews for Propaganda

[Devin David · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This man knows what he’s talking. His view on public relations and marketing are timeless. He presented it in a very organized manner and made the the concepts easy to understand. Take notes.

[Blake · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Powerful text. Took my time listening to this so I could really break down what was being shared.

If you’ve listened to Crystallyzing Public Opinion this text is a must!

[Paul Himmelman · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The audio is lousy and Edward Bernays is an awful person. This book is decent.

[Michael Smith · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Horrible reading and skips around magnificently like a Burroughs nivel

[avirukt · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Extremely basic principles, very repetitive. Expected an in depth understanding of the group mind but this book merely scratches the surface.
The narrator's voice modulation and tone are unattractive and failed to capture my attention.

[Farhan Rafid · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Every modern man’s must-read. One have to disinfect his mind from the centuries of propaganda

[Dokubi · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is worth reading, but I found the narrator for this audiobook to have unfortunately muddy diction, making it an uncomfortable listen for me. I recommend sticking to the text version, or finding an audio version with a different narrator.

[Stefan · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I am aware this is the seminal work on propaganda but I feel it is of mostly historical value. Examples are antiquated enough they are largely irrelevant. The information is so general it should be called "an introduction to" or "the history of" propaganda.

[G A McKee · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I decided to read this book to pass the time, waiting for the break of dawn. This book - Propaganda by Edward Bernays - was held up as a “must read” by that popular “anti globalist” broadcaster & comedian, Alex Jones of Austin, Texas. He was selling the hardcover version to his audience as some kind of revelation about how & why “ globalists” were using sinister propaganda to control our minds while promoting their “ new world order”. However upon reading the book I found it was nothing like the sales pitch of the irrepressible Mr Jones. Bernays explained at the outset that he was defining the term “propaganda” to mean the effective propagation or selling of political programs and policies to the voting public. It was all Marketing 101 from my perspective. It was also an early text book of the PR industry. It was Bernays’ advice on effective marketing to politicians and presidents of institutions. I only got one take-away from this book. The rest sounded obvious, like the common sense of a good used car salesman. My ears pricked up when Bernays said, in relation to a university institution, there was a risk that “the personality of the president might outweigh the function of the organization”. At the time, the internet was buzzing with chatter about why Tucker Carlson - the most popular commentator on Fox News - was fired by the board. It was that comment by Bernays that led me to understand. There was a similar case in Australia when the young charismatic CEO of the Australian Christian Lobby, Martyn Iles, was suddenly and unexpectedly fired by the board, at the peak of his popularity. His “personality outweighed the function of the organization”. The board did not want another Billy Graham as CEO. Their function was to stop laws inimical to Christian values from being passed in parliament. Their function was not Christian evangelism. Apart from that little take-away, I learnt little of interest from this marketing & PR manual.

[Ishnad Chowdhury · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Very relevant for political or PR professionals. A little out of time references, but the principles still apply.