BS Field Guide: How to Spot Spin, Misinformation, and Deceit

by Robert W. Harris

BSers are people who use deceptive techniques to be persuasive. How do they do it? They Blow Smoke. They Beguile Slyly. And they engage in Blatant Subterfuge. In other words, they say whatever they believe will bolster their argument, without regard for facts, reason, and fairness.

When BSers present an argument that seems reasonable, it’s easy for us to believe, trust, and accept rather than question, test, and evaluate. So BSers, relying on defective thinking, can persuade the unwary among us. It’s sad but true.

So in this brief introductory guide, Robert Harris acquaints you with some of the basic BS techniques. If you learn to spot BS, you can protect yourself from being persuaded by defective arguments. Then you can become a more intelligent consumer of news, opinions, and ideas.
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Robert Harris is a writer, inventor, and puzzle constructor. He has authored more than 30 books, including The Möbius Affair, 6 Keys to Improving Memory, 101 Things NOT to Do Before You Die, and Sudden Forgiveness. His website is Artspace5.com.

15 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 12, 2015

About the author

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There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Robert W. Harris earned degrees in art and cognitive psychology and then worked as a teacher for ten years. Since 1990, he has authored a dozen books, including When Good People Write Bad Sentences (St. Martin’s Press).