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Battling the Big Lie

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I sometimes say that my internal monologue includes footnotes, so I felt right at home in Dan Pfeiffer's Battling the Big Lie. This book contains TONS of footnotes, and they're pretty hilarious. They made for fun side quests while reading about an otherwise heady topic (the potential fall of democracy) and it was fun to see what the author was thinking about as he wrote. And Dan Pfeiffer's thoughts are well worth reading! After a noteworthy career in electoral politics (most notably serving as the White House Communications Director under President Obama), he has carved out a niche commentating on campaign messaging on TV and podcasts. He knows what he's talking about, and it comes across well through his words.

This book presents itself like a history of the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, with a particular focus on the ways right wing disinformation may have shaped the outcome of both races. It also offers strategies for combatting this disinformation in the years ahead, hopefully with the goal of building a more savvy voting public. I'm horrible at rating books, but I'll give it a 4.0. Definitely worth reading if you're interested in American politics or even just if you're wondering why your grandma is suddenly very into Fox News.

(Thanks to the author, Twelve, and Hachette Book Group for providing me with a free copy in exchange for my honest review!)

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I am fairly frequent listener to podcasts, and my two favorite categories are politics and true crime (some might say there is overlap there…) In the politics category, my absolute favorite is Pod Save America, and I am a HUGE fan of Jon Favreau, Tommy Vietor, Jon Lovett, and Dan Pfeiffer, so when Dan’s latest book, Battling The Big Lie, came out last year, I definitely wanted to read it. Particularly since I had read his Yes We (Still) Can and loved it. Thanks to Twelve Books and NetGalley, I received a copy of the new one in exchange for this honest review.

Dan really knows his stuff. In his role of senior advisor to President Barack Obama for strategy and communications from 2013 to 2015, he was in a position to really understand the role of media and the impact of various media companies (Fox, for sure) on politics. Among the things I like best about the Thursday podcast Dan does with Jon Favreau is that it makes me think,  informs me thoroughly in a no-BS way, and it makes me LAUGH! This book is the same. I admire what Crooked Media does, and have enjoyed many of their products, with Dan’s books being among the best. Five stars.

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As a long time listener to multiple podcasts in the Crooked Media suite, I requested this one as soon as I saw that it was coming out. I think Pfeiffer makes excellent points about to undeniable influence of the Republican party's use of both social media and traditional media. His solutions are well thought out and make good sense for attempting to equal the playing field. However, the book became al little repetitive for me as I got past about the 75% point. I think the editing could have trimmed it down a bit. Added bonus, however, were the hysterical footnotes. If you can read a physical copy that would make them the easiest to follow along with :)

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This book reads much like a college thesis which may be it should, but I found quite a few small errors in it, mostly the absence of small words to finish out a sentence or missing in the middle of a sentence. Being a Democrat myself, I believe very much in the premise of this book, and the points that Dan Pfeiffer is trying to drive home. I have concerns that some of the information used will quickly be outdated. Example, some of these people mentioned in this book are actually getting in trouble for the things that they did as they should be. My concern is that as the future takes place, some of the concerns he brings to light might not be taken seriously or be considered outdated. I hope he considers writing a follow-up book to this one.
My favorite chapter is of course the last one it made me want to get involved and change the future. Have a say in our political destiny. I wish that he had given hyperlinks or something to some of these organizations however, but overall I think this book is wonderful and there should be a follow-up written. Thank you Dan Pfeiffer for taking the time to put this together for those of us who want pay attention and take action wherever and however possible

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Dan Pfeiffer brings the work that needs to be done to life to improve our democracy. His books are a great addition to his work on Pod Save America.

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Dan Pfeiffer should be one of the most trusted voices in political analysis today. He uses his past political experience, including working in Obama's White House, to analyze how unorthodox and radical politics have become recently. His personal experiences and stories help create a greater understanding of the political climate and clear difference between the way things were (read: the old norm) and the way they are post-Trump. This was an enlightening book written conversationally and easy to understand.

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Battling the Big Lie: How Fox, Facebook, and the MAGA Media Are Destroying America by Dan Pfeiffer

9781538707975

324 Pages
Publisher: Twelve Books, Twelve
Release Date: June 7, 2022

Nonfiction (Adult), Politics, Civil Unrest, Sedition, Insurrection January 6th, Social Media

By now everyone in America knows about January 6, 2021, and the insurrection acts against the Capitol. This book researches the events that led to that day and how television and social media has changed people’s opinions of people and politics.

Many people believe that these changes were recent. The author shows that this movement began with George Bush and Al Gore election and continued to grow during the Obama presidency. This movement is based on fear, conspiracy theories, propaganda, and outright lies. There is so much hatred and its being bred and mass communicated on air and online.

As a woman watching my rights being taken away, I was appalled and scared reading this book. It makes me wonder what will be left of our great country in five or ten years from now. The author did an amazing job with researching and presenting the information in a captivating way, so it is easy to understand. He tells us if we do not do something soon, it will be too late for democracy as we know it. If you are interested in politics, you should read this book.

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I've read Pfeiffer's previous book and loved it. Somehow, I think this one is even better. Dan gives such a poignant, timely analysis of the issues American democracy is facing. He gives decisive critiques and isn't afraid to be blunt in what he says. I particularly recommend this book for people who are solution-oriented and are looking for ways to change the state the US is in. A lot of political books too often diagnose problems, yet offer no solutions. Dan does the exact opposite and offers ways to change the course the US is set on for the better.

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I received a reviewer copy of Battling the Big Lie by Dan Pfeiffer from the publisher Twelve from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, let me be upfront, I love Dan Pfeiffer and think he is excellent (he reminds me of Josh Lyman, soo). So I'm probably still a bit biased, but wow wow wow I thought this book was great and also important.

This book covers the spread of misinformation especially the big lie. If you do not see a crisis in democracy, I hope you read this book. Dan writes such a persuasive case for why this is the moment to act, how we got here with some political history (I don't know if Dan would like that I refer to it as political history, since he is mostly talking about his career).

He also offers up real solutions that are both small and easy and also large scale.

At the end of the book I was more convinced Dan was write. I am pressing this in everyone's hands and I basically summarized the whole book to my partner. This book is a must read, truly. Entertaining and insightful.

Also pair this with Sandy Hook by Elizabeth Williamson

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This book was very well done. For a sad subject Dan Pfeiffer was able to keep my interest and to learn a few new things. This was the first book I read by him and I'm going to pick up the others.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance read .

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I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

The first two parts were five star, the last part was a one. Divide 11 by three and you get a four rounded up. He does a great job spelling out the big lie but a bit OTT regarding what to do about it.

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It’s absolutely no surprise that Dan Pfeiffer pitches a homerun with this book. Incisive and with a voice that you can practically hear, Pfeiffer does a phenomenal job at breaking down the lies at the core of the conservative media movement.

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**Thanks to NetGalley and Twelve Books for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

This was a 3.5-star read for me. I've read and enjoyed both of Dan Pfeiffer's other books, so I was excited to get my hands on this one. Obviously, the subject matter of this book is different and more depressing than his other books. I liked the organization of the book and the fact that he provides practical strategies for both individuals and for the Democratic party as a whole. And of course, the famous footnotes are back!

However, I felt like this book was missing personal anecdotes and stories, which is what made his other two books so enjoyable for me. I loved his previous use of providing a story (he has so much political experience!) and then pivoting to the ultimate lesson/takeaway. Unfortunately, there was not a ton of that in this book, so the book came off as a little lecture-y sometimes. That being said, I realize that his job in politics has changed a lot, so it's possible that there just aren't as many stories that are applicable to these new topics.

Overall, I still enjoyed this book, and I think anyone interested in making sure our democracy doesn't crumble in the next ten years will enjoy it as well.

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