The subtitle of this hilarious (and scary) book is "Perfecting the ancient art of delivering half=truths, fake news, and obfuscation - with a smile!"
Anyone who was alive during the last presidential will recognize the name Kellyanne Conway, currently serving as Counselor to president Donald J. Trump. During the campaign her unofficial title was spin doctor and her ability to deny and distract is legendary. Bernstein divides his book into 2 sections called, aptly, Deny and Distract. He analyzes Kellyanne's legendary success in invoking alternative facts, pivoting, creating false equivalencies, discrediting, invoking doubt, distracting, and generally gaslighting interviewers by making them feel as if THEY are in the wrong.
One of the things that I really like about this book is that the author actually includes footnotes referring to the various conversations and interviews that he uses to illustrate Conway's techniques. That's good. Being rather conservative, I didn't especially enjoy the earthy language that he employed to make his point, but I'll forgive him because he's so darn clever.
Anyone who has ever witnessed Kellyanne Conway in action and been bewildered and flummoxed, wondering how she managed to get away with changing the subject, turning the tables, and generally making stuff up, will enjoy reading this short but timely book.
