False

The most consequential riddle in human psychology is why so many people believe such incredibly wrong and dangerous things. Joe Pierre, master of this mystery, has written a fascinating book that best describes and explains the seductive appeal of lies, misinformation, and conspiracy theory. Only by plumbing the depths of gullibility can we hope to neutralize its increasingly corrosive effects on our ever more fragile democracy * Allen Frances, Professor and Chair Emeritus, Department of Psychiatry, Duke University *As a psychiatrist, Pierre brings a fresh perspective to the problems of fake news and misinformation, and why people can be led to believe things that are false or misleading. From delusions to faith, and science and probabilities, Pierre takes the reader on a fascinating tour of the kaleidoscopic diversity of human belief formation and its pitfalls. * Stephan Lewandowsky, Professor of Cognitive Science, University of Bristol *Many books address our common fallacies, biases, and cognitive errors, but Pierre’s False shows how these psychological quirks have fueled many of our contemporary delusions, including ‘Pizzagate’, QAnon, flat Earth belief, and the Covid lab leak and anti-vaccination conspiracies. The writing is lively, accessible, and filled with illustrative examples drawn from our contemporary world. Highly recommended. * Stuart Vyse, behavioral scientist, contributing editor, Skeptical Inquirer magazine, and author of Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Superstition *

Joe Pierre MD is a Health Sciences Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco. As a full-time clinician, he has extensive experience treating people with psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia, delusional disorder, and substance-induced psychosis. His academic work focuses on the grey area between psychopathology and normality, with an emphasis on delusion-like beliefs including conspiracy theories. He also serves as an expert witness consultant in forensic cases involving the intersection of psychosis, religion, and ideological belief. He has been featured in over 100 news articles and media interviews, appearing in The New York Times, The Guardian, Vanity Fair, Slate, and the award-winning documentary Behind the Curve as well as on CNN, BBC, NPR, and VICE News. His blog Psych Unseen has attracted over 3 million views.