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Reviews
The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why It Matters by Tom Nichols
gininewman's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
2.5
Helped understand why people think the way they do in the face of facts to the contrary
allysonwbrunette's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed this book, but wow, do I wish that there had been a new preface written in 2020 in the age of conspiracy theories and a global pandemic. This content really hits differently in this year. My husband bought this book and I read it before he got to it. It was a good read, but honestly, pretty dry. Not really a page turner, but I suppose this is to be the case when addressing important topics like why expertise has earned doubts and why much of that doubt is ill-directed. In a nutshell, this book confirmed a few things for me:
Everyone thinks they are brilliant because they have access to the internet.
Younger generations and the less educated are less and less able to determine the credibility of information in front of them.
Americans are complete crackpots when it comes to conspiracy theory adoption.
(And a bit of projecting because it is 2020): we’re freaking doomed.
It was interesting seeing how the internet has empowered curiosity and stupidity in one breath, but also how the current context of the world so desperately wants to prove experts wrong. Much of the book addresses the dislike of those who work in academia or in a policy role in government. If you’re curious about why Americans’ brains appear to be melting at a quicker clip in recent years and are up for a short, but relatively textbook-ish read, I’d recommend this one.
Everyone thinks they are brilliant because they have access to the internet.
Younger generations and the less educated are less and less able to determine the credibility of information in front of them.
Americans are complete crackpots when it comes to conspiracy theory adoption.
(And a bit of projecting because it is 2020): we’re freaking doomed.
It was interesting seeing how the internet has empowered curiosity and stupidity in one breath, but also how the current context of the world so desperately wants to prove experts wrong. Much of the book addresses the dislike of those who work in academia or in a policy role in government. If you’re curious about why Americans’ brains appear to be melting at a quicker clip in recent years and are up for a short, but relatively textbook-ish read, I’d recommend this one.
radbear76's review against another edition
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Excellent but depressing.
sarahofstories's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
snorful's review against another edition
4.0
A good book which raises valid points, some are even useful outside of an American context. man, Americans are weird.
horfhorfhorf's review against another edition
3.0
Shelving this as a book I'd like to return to once things have quieted down politically a bit... impossible not to read this and simultaneously fume at "the state of things" and, frankly, I need to be reading books that give me a break from reality instead of forcing me to address it throughout my waking hours.
Notes:
- Like that Nichols is campaigning for the academic/intelligentsia to reconnect with the public & help address topics they know little about (beyond HuffPo/WashPo/etc articles)
- Amused that Nichols thinks people who refuse to vaccinate their children can be reasoned with
Notes:
- Like that Nichols is campaigning for the academic/intelligentsia to reconnect with the public & help address topics they know little about (beyond HuffPo/WashPo/etc articles)
- Amused that Nichols thinks people who refuse to vaccinate their children can be reasoned with