Five books to read to avoid falling victim to a hoax

Five books to read to avoid falling victim to a hoax
A conman's claim to have found Adolf Hitler's diaries was one of the greatest hoaxes of the past century. (Image: NZME)
The Economist
Humans are, and have long been, a credulous bunch. In 1844, Edgar Allan Poe published an article in the New York Sun about a man who had flown across the Atlantic in a balloon. Two days later, the newspaper fessed up (“We are inclined to believe that the intelligence is erroneous”), but not before its offices had been besieged by people wanting to know more. In 2009, a similarly inflated story – which caused American news networks to scramble their reporters – was released by a couple from Colorado who said the...

More Books

‘After Lives’ Review: The biographer’s art
The Life

‘After Lives’ Review: The biographer’s art

Essays by a writer of literary lives on the obsessions and obstacles endemic to her trade.

‘The Humble Investor’ and ‘How Not to Invest’
Books Review

‘The Humble Investor’ and ‘How Not to Invest’

Betting against others’ overconfidence is key to beating the market.

Searching for an Alzheimer’s cure in Colombia's mountains
Books Review

Searching for an Alzheimer’s cure in Colombia's mountains

A tender story of the unshakeable will to make meaning in the face of inexorable loss.

Tech billionaires need a break from reality-distortion fields
Technology Opinion

Tech billionaires need a break from reality-distortion fields

Novel forms of power require novel checks and balances.