Misguided: Where Misinformation Starts, How It Spreads, and What to Do About It

by Matthew Facciani

Winner, 2025 Choice Outstanding Academic Title

Why are people inclined to believe misinformation? This wide-ranging and comprehensive book shines a light on how false beliefs take root and spread, exploring the cognitive, emotional, and social factors that make us all susceptible to misinformation.

Challenging approaches that focus solely on education and media literacy, Matthew Facciani emphasizes the important role identities and social ties have in the complex interplay of forces that lead people to believe things that are not true. Susceptibility to misinformation is largely shaped by social dynamics. The pressure to affirm one’s personal and group identities can leave individuals vulnerable to false beliefs. Facciani examines both offline and online connections, highlighting how social media, news media, and personal networks can promote and amplify false claims. To bring social-scientific findings to life, he shares the stories of people who fell for misinformation, with contemporary examples including the COVID-19 pandemic and antivaccine movement.

Facciani examines the effectiveness of various approaches to combating misinformation, underscoring the importance of understanding the psychological and sociological mechanisms behind its spread. He provides actionable recommendations for reducing the influence of misinformation at all levels, from having productive conversations with friends and family to rebuilding trust in institutions. Distilling the latest research accessibly and featuring compelling case studies, Misguided equips readers with practical strategies to counteract false beliefs.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Sociology

374 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 8, 2025

Reviews

[Debbie Maclellan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book if you are someone who wonders why people think the way they do. Why do people believe things that are not evidence based? What factors influence the way you and others think? Matthew provides some great examples from today’s political scene in the US. Well written and easy to read.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super accessible book and yet full of very important information. Very academic in style but I actually love that
Most books on that topic are about the How, this one is more about the why

[Girolamo Castaldo · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy, essential reading if you want to understand how and why misinformation spreads, with useful tips on how to avoid falling prey to it -- and how to "rescue" someone who's already fallen for it.
My only complaint is that the book may sound a bit dry in places, where multiple studies are cited without much comment, but otherwise Facciani does a great job of explaining the many facets of a very important issue.

[Julie Simons · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely some interesting information on how our tolerance of uncertainty, confidence & sensitivity to social cohesion affects how & what we believe on a macro level. There were also parts I found too academic, dry & outdated. But overall a decent read on an interesting subject.