Kirkus
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How can I mislead you? Let me count the ways.Macdonald (The Hummingbird Saint, 2016, etc.), described as an "expert in business storytelling," opens with an instructive look at one of the avenues by which dubious information becomes enshrined as factnamely, good intentions. His case study is the lowly Andean grain called quinoa, discovered a couple of decades ago by health-conscious eaters and celebrated as a superfood. So popular was it that quinoa prices tripled in South America, followed by "rumors that local people could no longer afford to eat their traditional food because of the insatiable demand from North America and Europe." Yes, but the unstated part of the equation was that this demand brought enough money into the economy that Bolivian farmers could eat something more expensive. Chalk up a "partial truth," then, which may or may not be sufficient to explain why something is the way it is, even when ventured for "the noblest of reasons." Usefully, Macdonald examines not only partial truthsincomplete for reasons ranging from good aims to obfuscationbut also other categories of "competing truths," among them subjective and unknown truths, as well as truths that are not strictly factually provable but are so because we act on them as if they were. In the end, no matter what category our various mendacities and half-baked notions fall into, one is impressed by how much activity centers on them. In a particularly pointed example, the author examines the use of the word "natural" when applied to a fizzy drink in which cane sugar took the place of the former corn syrup and the regulatory quandaries thereby exposed, eventually causing the company to drop the term. "You know your marketers have lost touch with reality," Macdonald writes, "when they need detailed regulatory guidance' on how to use a word like natural."Nothing earthshakingly new here, but an interesting and entertaining excursus that, in this post-truth era, may prove of use in helping unpack a specious claim or two. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Library Journal
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Novelist Macdonald (Rogue Elements) applies his storytelling and communications expertise to this relevant analysis of truth. The author defines truth as based on fact and incorporating subjective judgments not known to be untrue. His focus is not on the lies, conspiracy theories, fake news, etc., in today's posttruth era, but on the misleaders who hide behind the First Amendment and cover up the truth. He emphasizes that truth is what we believe it to be, and that beliefs can easily be manipulated. Rather than a philosophical discussion about the concepts at hand, Macdonald targets those who are tired of being lied to by politicians, marketers who selectively use connections to influence commerce, leaders desiring a better way of inspiring their organizations, and those seeking the most ethical truth. This important, timely work includes a list of organizations that studiously fact check and analyze misinformation, nicely complementing Kevin Young's Bunk, Jennifer Wilson's Critical Thinking, Ori Brafman and Rom Brafman's Sway, or Rolf Dobelli's The Art of Thinking Clearly. VERDICT Essential for all economics, political science, and pop culture collections.-Dale Farris, Groves, TX © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Macdonald's (The Mind Game, 2001) thought-provoking work, his first foray into nonfiction, explores how the truth can be altered to fit an agenda. He argues that truth is neither good nor bad but a neutral tool that can be used by anyone to achieve a goal. There are an infinite number of truths, all equal in value. Our views can be manipulated to persuade us of one thing or another, since the truths we encounter shape our thoughts and opinions. Macdonald works as a business storyteller, consulting with companies to bring their best truths forward. He uses the example of a floundering tech company that had spent a decade on failed projects. Macdonald rebranded them as a technology pioneer, citing the company's long history of taking risks the truth was edited to make the company appealing to a modern market. Truth is a fascinating look at how such an abstract concept can be shaped to many purposes, the ethics of bending the truth, and what consumers can do to analyze the innumerable truths presented to us.--Emery, Seth Copyright 2018 Booklist