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74 = NEXUS & REVIEWS THEM: Adventures with Extremists that they are, and the interactions are at once __ rehash a press release—and, let's face it, by Jon Ronson hilarious and scary. The last chapter, on that's the vast majority these days—should Picador/Macmillan, UK, 2001, rev. edition secret men's business at Bohemian Grove, is take serious note of the breathtaking case 2002; Simon & Schuster, USA, 2002 a hoot—giant owl effigy burning and all— studies presented here, and so should their ISBN 0-330-48951-8 (337pp pb) (UK); but Ronson passes up a chance to garner any _ editors. The authors argue that the PR peo- 0-74322707-7 (337pp hc) (USA) hard-core information. We are leftto make _ ple who manipulate perceptions believe that Price: A$21.00; NZ$27.95; £7.99 + £1.00 up our own minds, though I suspect some the public needs to be manipulated for its p&p; Euro30.90; US$24.00 readers will now only respond to "conspira- | own good, and responds to ideas/news/prod- Availability: Aust/NZ— Macmillan; UK/ cies" with ridicule rather than analysis. ucts from an illogical, emotional perspec- Europe—NEXUS offices; USA—Simon & tive—an anti-popular prejudice at odds with Schuster, http:/Awww.simonsays.com TRUST US, WE'RE EXPERTS! democratic principles. Citing an attempt in 1996 to boost the image of Monsanto's aspartame/NutraS weet to consumers who were showing "emotional hile "shooting the messenger" is not How Industry Manipulates Science usually the ideal way to get at the truth and Gambles with Your Future of a message, sometimes it does help to by Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber and seemingly illogical responses" in the show up the messenger. This is just what Jeremy P. Tarcher, USA, 2001, 2002 form of ill health, the authors relate how the impish English author Jon Ronson has done —_|SBN 1-58542-139-1 (360pp tpb) PR team created "sweetspeak", substituting in Them, a work five years in the making (no Prigg: A$28.00; NZ$39.95; £11.99; words such as "substitute" with euphemisms dove due to the overseas ops involved). Euro18.90; US$14.95; C$21.99 like "new taste" and "unique". This is just a describes his encounters with in dividuals Availability: Aust/NZ/UK/USA/Canada— _peek into this jaw-dropping book, with d eroups,. ¢ them diametrically Penguin, http:/www.penguinputnam.com; _ imaginative chapter headings like "Dying anc groups, some 0: y Europe—NEXUS Office for a Living", "Attack of the Killer Potatoes" opposed, who have been called "extremists" by others. Included in the line-up are the Ku Klux Klan, the Anti-Defamation League and , ° ' Muslim fanatics, as well as others trying to _then there's hope yet. Then again, they're get a handle on conspiracies, such as David the researchers who brought us Toxic Sludge Icke with his 12-foot reptilian shapeshifter is Good for You! and Mad Cow USA (see scenarios, Randy Weaver's daughter and Jim —Teview in 5/04). John Stauber is the founder facouple of Americans can come up with and "The Best Science Money Can Buy". a title oozing as much irony as this one, Tucker, dedicated Bilderberg-watcher for and director of the non-profit Center for the now-defunct Spotlight newspaper. Media & Democracy, and he and Sheldon Ronson says his book "can be read as a Rampton write/edit the quarterly journal PR snapshot of life in the Western world on 10 Watch (http://w ww.prwatch.org), a must- September 2001", according to the revised read for anyone interested in uncovering the preface to this new paperback edition. He hidden agendas of government and business. admits that before the September 11 events While the focus of their latest book, Trust he thought some of the radicals, conspiracy Us, We're Experts!, is on exposing public theorists and fundamentalists he spent time relations tactics in the arena of science and with were "just being overly dramatic". But — medicine, we can equally apply their inci- you've got to hand it to him: he's shown up sive analysis to seeing through ongoing some of these folks to be the paranoid, spin-doctoring by the White House and deluded, bigoted and misinformed people Pentagon. Any journalist who's ever had to that they are, and the interactions are at once hilarious and scary. The last chapter, on secret men's business at Bohemian Grove, is a hoot—giant owl effigy burning and all— but Ronson passes up a chance to garner any hard-core information. We are left to make up our own minds, though I suspect some readers will now only respond to "conspira- cies" with ridicule rather than analysis. rehash a press release—and, let's face it, that's the vast majority these days—should take serious note of the breathtaking case studies presented here, and so should their editors. The authors argue that the PR peo- ple who manipulate perceptions believe that the public needs to be manipulated for its own good, and responds to ideas/news/prod- ucts from an illogical, emotional perspec- tive—an anti-popular prejudice at odds with democratic principles. Citing an attempt in 1996 to boost the image of Monsanto's aspartame/NutraS weet to consumers who were showing "emotional and seemingly illogical responses" in the form of ill health, the authors relate how the PR team created "sweetspeak", substituting words such as "substitute" with euphemisms like "new taste" and "unique". This is just a peek into this jaw-dropping book, with imaginative chapter headings like "Dying for a Living", "Attack of the Killer Potatoes" and "The Best Science Money Can Buy". APRIL — MAY 2002 www.nexusmagazine.com