The Perils Of Perception (why We’re Wrong About Nearly Everything)

By (author) Duffy, Bobby
Short description/annotation

A ground-breaking exploration of our ignorance - informed by several exclusive studies across over 40 countries

Description

New Statesman''s Best Books of 2018

''Mandatory reading'' Steven Pinker

Do you eat too much sugar? What proportion of your country are immigrants? What does it cost to raise a child? How much tax do the rich pay? Are we more ignorant than we used to be?

Take a minute to answer these questions. No matter how educated you are, this book suggests you are likely to be very wrong indeed. Informed by exclusive research across 40 countries, conducted by global polling firm Ipsos, The Perils of Perception investigates why we don''t know basic facts about the world around us.

Using the latest research into the media and decision science, Bobby Duffy asks how we can address our ignorance and why the populations of some countries seem better informed than others. Essential reading in the so-called ''post-truth'' era, this book will transform the way you engage with the world.

Table of contents
1: A Healthy Mind 2: Sexual Fantasies 3: On the Money? 4: Inside and Out: Immigration and Religion 5: Safe and Secure 6: Political Misdirection and Disengagement 7: Brexit and Trump: Wishful and Wrongful Thinking 8: Filtering Our Worlds 9: Worldwide Worry 10: Who''s Most Wrong? 11: Managing Our Misperceptions 12: Acknowledgements 13: Notes 14: Index
Review quote
Mandatory reading. This mind-altering book show how most of us are badly deluded about the state of the world.
Review quote
Illuminating and important. Duffy has spent a decade finding the gaps between our perceptions and reality. The result is this fascinating study.
Review quote
A superb and timely analysis of a genuine and growing threat to democratic debate.
Review quote
Simply indispensable. Marrying fascinating data with superb analysis, this is a unique book.
Review quote
A tour-de-force. Required reading for all engaged citizens of the world.
Review quote
A masterful overview of how our perceptions are repeatedly off the mark. Consequential and timely.
Review quote
Interesting and well-informed. An invaluable guide. Duffy is a voice of calm reason amidst all our anxieties about a post-truth world.
Review quote
A great read that will help you get a better fix on reality. This book will help you understand why many of the things you think are probably wrong.
Review quote
Fantastic: there are eye-opening and shocking statistics on every page. Perils of Perception may force you to reconsider your most deeply held views.
Review quote
Fascinating
Review quote
Illuminating. Like stepping from the shadows into the light, this book will help you see the world anew.
Review quote
A first-class book with hugely important and relevant analysis. Incredibly well-written and easy to read.
Review quote
A refreshingly calm look at the facts behind today''s fevered debates.
Biographical note
Bobby Duffy is Managing Director of the Ipsos MORI Social Research Institute and Global Director of Ipsos Social Research Institute. Previously he has been seconded to the British Prime Minister''s Strategy Unit and to the Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion (CASE) at the London School of Economics. Following publication of the book, he will take up the position of Director of The Policy Institute at King''s College London.