Propaganda by Edward Bernays Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Propaganda
Book Review: Important book
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm glad this book has been re-published so people can read it. This is a book that until now have been very hard to obtain. For years this book was the unofficial handbook for the PR industry. It is important to read and understand the contents of this book to understand the history of PR. The book gives a foundation to understand the fine art of "control of the public mind" that we see today. This book can perhaps throw some light on the techniques used in present history concerning among other the "War on Terror". I will also recommend "Crystallizing Public Opinion" by the same author (if you can find it) and "Public Opinion" by Walter Lippmann.
As already stated in a review, the 5-star rating is primarily for the value (and importance) of this book.
Book Review: Insightful and Essential
Summary: 5 Stars
A master of his craft, in "Propaganda" Edward Bernays splendidly advocates the art he defines as the "consistent, enduring effort to create or shape events to influence the relations of the public to an enterprise, idea or group." (p.52). Some may recoil from his assertions that propaganda is necessary to give order to a chaotic world and that in a democracy an intelligent minority must "regiment and guide the masses" ... "to clear understanding and intelligent action." (p.127 & 128)
As refreshing today as when he wrote eighty years ago, Bernays explains that, contrary to what many believe, propaganda is not confined to corporate advertising, but is indispensable to political parties, special interest groups, news media, and some government agencies. Indeed, today's global warming "crisis" would cease to exist without it.
Bernays declares propagandists should maintain certain principles including refusing clients believed to be dishonest, products that are fraudulent, and not engaging in deceit or outright lying. Though severely criticized for establishing the successful cigarette advertising campaigns for tobacco companies, he demonstrated his integrity by dropping the companies as clients when he became convinced of the strong association between smoking cigarettes and lung cancer. Unfortunately, many modern practitioners are not as scrupulous.
This concise book is compelling for those who dare to think on their own rather than being told by an elite few what to think and how to act.
Book Review: Invaluable resource for Americans
Summary: 5 Stars
The rating here is primarily for the value of this book, smartly put back into print.
Propaganda, though written in the late 1920s, is an excellent resource for a citizen in general. This manual, a seminal document, is a key resource on the thoughts and workings of the public relations industry, then only a speck compared to what it is today. Everything from corporate PR to advertising in general has basically internalized what is covered in this book in order to serve those institutional functions that mold the public's mind.
This is all related to the 'manufacture of consent', something that Chomsky, who writes a good intro here, and Ed Herman explored in depth in their book 'Manufacturing Consent' where they lay down a Propaganda Model.
This is a huge topic for Americans, period. While media and their role, and their 'slants' is a hot topic (sometimes even within the media, but to limited scope of discussion) this book is a straightforward reprint of the PR industry manual. It's no 'secret'--it's more like company policy. It's far more illuminating than the latest pundit book of the week, discussing, among other things, the 'liberal' media, say.
Don't let the intro or its author derail you from reading this--this is nothing more than a mini-bible on how to manipulate the masses in an institutional framework (media, PR, government, etc). There's nothing really controversial here, since this is basically a historical document that still holds up after decades. Highly recommended.
Book Review: It was too good to be true.
Summary: 5 Stars
Not only did Bernay believe propaganda had the answer to society's need for order out of chaos, he also strongly believed that propaganda was noble at heart. His major folly was falling victim to his own ideal as to how a propagandist should wholeheartedly believe in whatever he is propagandizing. Bernay zealously pictured a world filled with noble businessmen and women, working together with the public in unison. Perhaps Bernay's business model sufficed in producing profits for business', whilst the public enjoyed the benefits of honest commerce in the early 20th century. Today however, all the 'rules' of Propaganda have been broken with impunity.
"It will be objected, of course, that propaganda will tend to defeat itself as its mechanism becomes obvious to the public. My opinion is that it will not. The only propaganda which will ever tend to weaken itself as the world becomes more sophisticated and intelligent, is propaganda that is untrue or unsocial (122)"
Bernay probably believed his own words when he first wrote the book back in 1928. After seeing the advent of the television, satellite and the early theories of the Internet, Bernay's understandably changed his mind. The book captures Bernay's early theories of propaganda as a tool to better productivity.
Book Review: Manipulation of the Masses
Summary: 4 Stars
"The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country."
And we're off and running through the world of Propaganda, the how-to manual for the manufacture of consent by Edward Bernays. Since American voters were unable to think for themselves, the nephew of Sigmund Freud asserted, political parties were necessary to narrow down choices to a handful of candidates.
Small wonder the Founders were wary of a mass democracy and the sways of public opinion. "An informed citizenry can be trusted with its government." Thomas Jefferson. "A well-instructed people alone can be permanently a free people." James Madison.
In his excellent introduction, Mark Crispin Miller details how propaganda was used to mold support for America's entry into WW1. Once the war was over, the public wised up to the ruse and angrily repudiated the Wilson administration. Propaganda was a dirty word throughout the 20's and 30's.
Regrettably, our modern day campaigns have become a testament to Bernays's expertise. Talking heads on television yak on about a candidate's charisma, wardrobe, and "thrilling life story." The marketplace of ideas has given way to fundraisers, photo-ops and two-bit slogans. Revisionist history has transformed Woodrow Wilson from schmuck to hero while voters blindly follow The Party like sheep.
Lessons unlearned are lessons lost.