Nonfiction Book Club

Join fellow readers at the library for an engaging discussion of Misbelief: What Makes Rational People Believe Irrational Things by Dan Ariely on Thursday January 11th at 1:30 p.m.

Misinformation affects all of us on a daily basis, from social media to larger political challenges, from casual conversations in supermarkets, to even our closest relationships. In Misbelief, preeminent social scientist Dan Ariely argues that to understand the irrational appeal of misinformation, we must first understand the behavior of “misbelief”- the psychological and social journey that leads people to mistrust accepted truths, entertain alternative facts, and even embrace full-blown conspiracy theories. Utilizing the latest research, Ariely reveals the key elements: emotional, cognitive, personality, and social that drive people down the funnel of false information and mistrust, showing how under the right circumstances, anyone can become a misbeliever. Yet Ariely also offers hope. Combating misbelief requires a strategy rooted not in conflict, but in empathy. The sooner we recognize that misbelief is above all else a human problem, the sooner we can become the solution ourselves.

Copies of the book are available on Libby and may also be reserved for pickup at the library.