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Toxic Sludge is Good For You: Lies, Damn Lies and the Public Relations Industry Paperback – July 1, 2002

by John Stauber (Author), Sheldon Rampton (Author), Mark Dowie (Introduction)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 103 ratings
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Common Courage’s number one seller blows the lid off of today's multi-billion-dollar propaganda-for-hire PR industry, revealing how public relations wizards concoct and spin the news, organize phony "grassroots" front groups, spy on citizens and conspire with lobbyists and politicians.

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  1. Print length
    224 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Common Courage Press
  4. Publication date
    July 1, 2002
  5. Dimensions
    5 x 1.5 x 7.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1567510604
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1567510607
  8. See all details
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The Amazon Book Review
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Sure, many of us in this modern world are cynical. The most cynical may even suspect that the news is manipulated and massaged by sponsors, that corporations act in their best interests, that political campaigns are determined not by votes, but by bucks, and that we don't get "all the news that's fit to print" but instead, "all the news that gets the ink". But even the most media-savvy amongst you will be awed by the behind-the-scenes descriptions of the Public Relations industry in action so masterfully described in this book. If you want your eyes to be opened, open them upon the pages of this book. (But remember: there are some very important people counting on you, and they really would prefer that you didn't ever hear about this book, much less buy it.)

From Publishers Weekly

Stauber and Rampton cite a classic example of image manipulation in this chilling analysis of the PR business. During the aftermath of the 1975 Three-Mile Island nuclear accident, a company spokesman said that a spark in the accumulated hydrogen bubble could result in a "spontaneous energetic disassembly"?otherwise known as an explosion. The authors trace certain specious practices of the $10 billion PR business to P.T. Barnum, who in 1836 wrote anonymous pro and con letters to editors about himself, generating heated interest. Modern public relations has evolved "crisis management" and "anti-" PR campaigns including sabotaging the tours of authors who challenge industry clients, for example, Jeremy Rifkin, author of Beyond Beef. The new euphemism for sewage sludge, "biosolids," is part of a campaign to convince the public that municipal sludge, replete with an astounding array of toxic substances, is good for farm soil. The authors point to Business for Social Responsibility, an organization that includes The Body Shop, Ben & Jerry's and others, as now containing "some of the most environmentally destructive corporations on the planet." Giant agencies extend their contracts to selling national policies, as Hill & Knowlton did in selling the Gulf war to the American public. Although most large news organizations at least rewrite PR materials, many smaller markets "rip and read" prepackaged video news releases. This is a cautionary reminder that much of the consumer and political world is created by for-hire mouthpieces in expensive neckties.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Common Courage Press; First Edition, Second Printing (July 1, 2002)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1567510604
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1567510607
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 1.5 x 7.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 103 ratings

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John C. Stauber

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
103 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Nina M
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is so eye opening!
Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2020
Verified Purchase
This book will change the way you see the world and challenge how you think. It really goes into how the PR industry can twist and manipulate the truth to benefit a company, person, or agenda. Please read this to give you a better understanding of how our world REALLY works!
One person found this helpful
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Bigstory
5.0 out of 5 stars Manufactured Consent
Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2009
Verified Purchase
Over two hundred and ten pages of tantalizing and juicy behind-the-scenes info that most of the general public is either ignorant about or could care less. This book is broken down into twelve seperate chapters; each chapter covers an important area of PR manipulation. The chapters are as follows:

1] Burning Books Before They're Printed
2] The Art of the Hustle and the Science of Propaganda
3] Smokers' Hack
4] Spinning the Atom
5] Spies for Hire
6] Divide and Conquer
7] Poisoning the Grassroots
8] The Sludge Hits the Fan
9] Silencing Spring
10] The Torturers' Lobby
11] All the News That's Fit to Print
12] Taking Back Your Own Back Yard

While reading this book, I really get the impression that the PR specialist are "artist" in their own way. Using the art of subtle manipulation and various other sneaky methods, these "story-tellers" are painting a picture of reality that puts the most positive light on some crummy issue, or corporate entity. While I always hear someone say 'you can't always believe what you see or read', I can't help but wonder if these people really understand the extent of their spoken words. This book will help shed some light.
14 people found this helpful
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Brian Wallace (Co-author of It's Not Your Hair)
4.0 out of 5 stars open up and say ahhhhh
Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2003
Verified Purchase
an enlightening collection of articles that expose the PR scandals and ongoing campaigns of misinformation that cover our brains like so much toxic slime.
The information is intelligently presented and serves as a primer on knowing exactly what is going on. Like the "War on Drugs," we unfortunately buy into way too much propaganda and yet we still call ourselves a "free" society.
Libertarians and Ralph Nader wannabes everywhere should seriously consider ordering and reading this thorough and strangely entertaining work of illumination.
It misses a point for being kinda pricey for its size (compare with "Everything You Know is Wrong.") Ironic - given its subject matter of being duped.
I'm glad I got it, though.
Just say Know!!!
7 people found this helpful
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Jessyjonation
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read !
Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2022
Verified Purchase
I read this book in high school 1997 and I just had to get it for my home library.
It still rings true today!
They are trying to sell you poison and
Tell you that it’s good for you.
Big corporations and big pharmaceutical companies do not care about you.
“You will own nothing, and you will like it”
“Eat the bugs , live in the Pods”
6 people found this helpful
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Robertaccio
5.0 out of 5 stars Telling the truth about all those liars
Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2008
Verified Purchase
Excellent, I love this book and the information in it is to be used in every classroom. Teachers, take a look at it and bring it to the students.

I loved to learn about the tricks that corporations have used to make profits while disregarding the damage they have done to the environment and lied to use about it.

This book illustrates how much of what we think of as independent, unbiased news and information has its origins in the boardrooms of the public relations companies.

What your student will say after reading this books is something in the lines of:"Where have I been all this life?".

A must read.
2 people found this helpful
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Darla J.
5.0 out of 5 stars Want to know what is really going on behind closed ...
Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2014
Verified Purchase
Want to know what is really going on behind closed doors? Want to know the ways in which the PR industry manipulates and lies to the public? Want to know who to trust? (Hint: Almost no one). This book really opened my eyes to the fact that we are manipulated by media from the moment we wake up until the moment we close our eyes at night. This was required reading for my Ethics in PR class in college. The book is somewhat dated, with most of the incidents taking place prior to the internet, but don't be fooled by online content either. The internet has only made it easier for the common person to be duped by big business.
4 people found this helpful
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miverson
3.0 out of 5 stars Great seller....terrible book.
Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2015
Verified Purchase
I am giving this review 3 stars because the book arrived to me in the condition that it was described and in a timely manner. However, I cannot in good faith rate this book any higher because of how bad it is.

This book is really terrible. I am normally not so negative on a review but man...

This book was required reading for my ethics class. While it brings up some interesting and scary information about the public relations industry I could not help but be distracted and put off tone of the writers. They honestly sound like kids who are complaining about getting their lunch money taken. I would expect to read complaints worded like these guys have from my 7th grader but from grown adults it is ridiculous.

tldr; The seller is great. If you are required to read this book for an ethics class (which is the only rational reason I can imagine that anyone would want to purchase it) I feel bad for you. Be prepared to be upset about how the public relations industry has manipulated people in the past...but also be prepared to have that overshadowed by how upset you will be with the writers of the book.
One person found this helpful
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AmyJo Smith-Kojic
5.0 out of 5 stars You cannot un-read this book, it sticks with you.
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2019
Verified Purchase
Read this book and never believe anything you read as the Gospel forever more. This book makes you THINK about what you're reading, check out other perspectives, fact check, and re-evaluate statistics presented - I read it more than 20 years ago, and have been recommending it since.
7 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Pontifex Maximus
5.0 out of 5 stars Still worth reading
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 28, 2019
Verified Purchase
Slightly old now but still an excellent readable overview
One person found this helpful
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MTB guy
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book
Reviewed in Canada on January 8, 2014
Verified Purchase
I am studying this with my PR students, but everyone should read this book. It's amazing how brainwashed we all are. And very scary that we are so manipulated by PR. This book will open your eyes.
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Segovia
1.0 out of 5 stars Weak and elusive book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 26, 2016
Verified Purchase
I found the book enormously disappointing and am surprised by the positive reviews. The first couple of chapters were the standard introduction to PR found in no end of textbooks.
The book then really just repeated endless case studies but without any real theoretical conclusions
Although taking a 'radical' view of the PR industry and lobbying (in the US) the book showed its self imposed limits by completely ignoring possibly the largest and most significant lobbyin organisations, AIPAC. Rather ironic given the claims of the book, but standard fare.
The book wasn't particularly readable either. Not sure who would be interested in it - I rushed to close it
2 people found this helpful
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