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A review by eclecticemily
Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the Worlds Most Notorious Diaries by Rick Emerson
informative
fast-paced
5.0
Summary: A nonfiction book about the woman who wrote Go Ask Alice and various other books that purported to be diaries written by real teenagers. It also goes over the culture at the time and the effect these books and other fabrications had on it.
Favorite Quote: In most industries, this would be a shitstorm. In publishing, it’s barely an anecdote, and that’s the real warning. When obvious fraud no longer rates attention, let alone rebuke, things get ugly fast, and even good people can believe the very worst. (pg. 209)
Review: The book starts out with an Author's Note basically saying that it's going to do its best to not be loose with any of its facts and that's a theme that carries throughout. Most of the problems in this book come from others not questioning things, even things they suspect or know are not true. It also shows how when people do question things, like the various people who question religion, they are maligned. The subject of the book even states at one point that she knows people won't question her because if they do, they'll seem impolite. All this comes together to paint a picture of how these more outlandish claims are allowed to flourish, both in this time period and the present.
Favorite Quote: In most industries, this would be a shitstorm. In publishing, it’s barely an anecdote, and that’s the real warning. When obvious fraud no longer rates attention, let alone rebuke, things get ugly fast, and even good people can believe the very worst. (pg. 209)
Review: The book starts out with an Author's Note basically saying that it's going to do its best to not be loose with any of its facts and that's a theme that carries throughout. Most of the problems in this book come from others not questioning things, even things they suspect or know are not true. It also shows how when people do question things, like the various people who question religion, they are maligned. The subject of the book even states at one point that she knows people won't question her because if they do, they'll seem impolite. All this comes together to paint a picture of how these more outlandish claims are allowed to flourish, both in this time period and the present.