Trust Me, I'm Lying

Trust me, it's worth the listen, and I'm not lying

For someone who works in marketing, I have always assumed that there was a lot of manipulation in the mass media. But I must admit, I was shocked at the level to which this new breed of savvy marketers will go to get the exposure. When I was in College, I didn't see "Media Manipulation 101" on the class list. This book exhibits the new level of sophistication that exists in the industry of buzz. If it were a college course, it would be "Advanced Media Manipulation 301–Graduate level."

Although this book is meant to be a "don't do what I did, do what I say" story, it really expanded my vision as to what is possible in today's media saturated culture and I found myself running scenarios in my head how I could use similar ideas to promote the things that I care about... even if a person's intentions were honorable.

If this book did anything for me, it was to reinforce my suspicion that you definitely can't believe what you read in the paper and even more so online.

After I was done with the audiobook, my only question was why the author explains all the dirty tricks he used (and had astonishingly good results), to then turn around and spend the second half of the book explaining why you shouldn't do the same thing he did. Out of guilt?

At any rate, the author did a great job narrating the story. And I would recommend it to anyone in business (especially in marketing). Trust me...

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37 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

AN interesting read quickly turns into a long rant

Ryan makes an important point: web-based media today is not very professional and optimized for pageviews not for accuracy. Therefore, it can be manipulated. The examples and recommendations could be written in a blog post, or in a chapter or two.

But Ryan goes chapter after chapter ranting on this point, giving more examples and elaborating on the same thoughts without much to offer.

My suggestion is not to waste your time.

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19 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

You'll never believe the news again.

In this nonfiction confessional, author Ryan Holiday explains exactly what a "media manipulator" is and how the work is accomplished. He should know; he's been one for years.

Everyone from the most trusted names in news down to the most traffic-hungry blogs with zero editorial standards are looking for the next big scoop and/or (more importantly) page views with which to charge advertisers for ads. Manipulators like Holiday take advantage of these money-based desires to affect what gets covered and in what light. Basically, if you can get a little blog to pick something up (by any means necessary, including and especially fake "tips," "leaks," and user submissions), a larger blog can pick up that it's been reported and it goes up the chain from there. Viral newsgathering.

Using tactics described in detail in this book, manipulators can further or damage causes, spread outright lies and deceit, build or ruin reputations, and take credit for things that are impossible.

After finishing this book, readers will be more skeptical than ever when viewing online news. It's a bit depressing, actually. I'd rather know than not, though, right? I'd recommend the book.

A NOTE ON THE NARRATOR: This book would have been much better if the author had not performed it himself. Despite this, you get used to it after a while, and the subject matter is interesting enough to overcome any annoyance with the substandard performance.

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19 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Fascinating Perspective on Today's Media

Loved this audiobook. Such an interesting subject...fascinating to learn the strategies used to exploit blogs and to discover the underbelly of our digital culture.

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14 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Eye opening stuff

Loved the book. It changed the way I think about the media and how I plan on approaching bloggers in the future. Not that I plan on creating fake email accounts but recognizing their mindset and finding a way to give them what they want is invaluable. I thought I was doing that already but after listening to the book, I recognize that I haven't been.

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10 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Worst Narrator Ever!

Would you listen to Trust Me, I'm Lying again? Why?

No, I wouldn't listen to this again. I couldn't listen to it the first time. His mono tone and lack of enthusiasm while presenting his story makes it extremely hard to follow. I literally had to shut it off after 15 minutes.

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7 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Essential insight into our new news/media system

What made the experience of listening to Trust Me, I'm Lying the most enjoyable?

Everyone knows there's something fishy about the way the media works these days. Was I a fool or did there used to be more adherence to ethics and accountability for honesty? Ryan Holiday outlines exactly where we went wrong with modern media and shows the faults in a historical context. As far as reliability our media system has regressed 100 years and the web is providing the tools to do it.
We do have the ability to change this though, and just knowing what's wrong helps fix the problem significantly, as new technologies come with a learning curve. Here's the manual.
The beginning of the book outlays a lot of really useful information for how to get noticed in today's world, how to promote an idea or brand (and the shady ways in use today). That's what drew me in, but I stayed for the well put together picture exposing the framework of sham that leads our politics, ads, fun, -our lives- online. In the end it's a bit repetative and feels a touch watered down for page count. Maybe just in comparison to the meaty beginning?Overall I think this is information everyone of voting age NEEDS TO KNOW. If not to understand politics, to understand advertising, culture, and the conversations happening all around you both online and off.

What does Ryan Holiday bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

It's nice to hear him speak because it's written from his perspective. He is speaking to you in the book, so you get that added element of his personality that voice brings. If it wasn't narrated by the author I wouldn't care which, but in this case it's a nice bonus to gain a little insight/perspective about who he is.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, I did listen to it all in one sitting.

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7 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Don't Read Your Own Book, but Listen to This One

Mr. Holiday tackles a pretty tough issue in this book. He does it intelligently and informatively. There is a lot of conflict in its telling. It's like listening to Pandora lament about opening the box.
Mr. Holiday outlines the ways in which the news is being manipulated by the Internet. He does this from the POV of being a manipulator. Much of what he says is common sense, but seeing the illustrations and having it laid out in plain view somehow solidifies it in the mind.
If you are trying to start your own Internet blog sensation, this book is a must listen. If you are an avid Internet news consumer, this book is a must listen. If you never use the Internet for news, this book is a must listen.
While his reading felt like listening to a reading race, over time he either slowed down or I got used to the pace.

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7 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Can you afford NOT to read this?

I have to say, this is one of the best books I have listened to since I started with Audible. The writer presents information that I always suspected but couldn't nail down. He's current, articulate and must lead a very interesting life. Buying a book ( print or audio) is never hard but this author delivered about 200% value. The content speaks for itself. If you haven't read or listened to this book, give it some serious thought. You will NOT be disappointed! Great Job Ryan! Have you written anything else?

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6 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

A little too much trust

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Probably not. While interesting, it was not as thought-provoking as advertised. That combined with little to no actual sources to back up his claims, it is really just the author's word hoping to be taken as truth.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

It was read well, however there are particular moments in the book where the audio cuts to what sounds like last-minute additions. The audio is lower quality, and sounds as though recorded through a built-in computer microphone.

Was Trust Me, I'm Lying worth the listening time?

It is a quick read, so I have no regrets.

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5 personnes ont trouvé cela utile