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bluestarfish's review against another edition
3.0
A slim Umberto Eco? Yup. Rather funny look at journalism, conspiracy theories (and their consequences), political scandal (consequences), and Italy at 1992.
zare_i's review against another edition
4.0
Ever wondered how news are made? How articles get selected and organized and why is it very difficult to find newspaper that will provide you with the facts and motivate you to learn more about subjects of interest? These days everything has bombastic headlines - sometimes not even related to articles - facts are there but in certain cases re-arranged to give somewhat different view on the event (and thus affect the perception). And of course everything needs to be a summary, even summary of summary - because people cannot get bored down with stuff they might not understand. News are made to fit people and as long people want simpler and simpler news these will get more and more summarized and simplified. Sounds scary doesn't it.
Now imagine a project to create the newspaper that could give you tomorrows' news today, could provide you with insights of what tomorrow could bring. And lets say this project starts by creating samples by looking into past events and reconstructing them using data known to have taken place after event but writing about it like they are yet to take place - so that these issues can be presented like demo version, or issues nr. 0. And imagine they make connections about some things from the past not meant to be connected.
Excellent book, highly recommended, it will make you laugh at times but most of all it will make you aware (hopefully) of how news get made and how to try to make sense of what is presented to you through media - always question and never take things for granted.
Now imagine a project to create the newspaper that could give you tomorrows' news today, could provide you with insights of what tomorrow could bring. And lets say this project starts by creating samples by looking into past events and reconstructing them using data known to have taken place after event but writing about it like they are yet to take place - so that these issues can be presented like demo version, or issues nr. 0. And imagine they make connections about some things from the past not meant to be connected.
Excellent book, highly recommended, it will make you laugh at times but most of all it will make you aware (hopefully) of how news get made and how to try to make sense of what is presented to you through media - always question and never take things for granted.
ejohn19's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
samuel_ernesto's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
catrink's review against another edition
3.0
Umberto Eco brings his special style to a story that revolves around conspiracy theories and the role of the media in forming opinions and perspectives of the average person. The story works, if somewhat dated (cell phones will never last in popularity), but this isn't about technology. Much shorter than his usual works, but that might make it more accessible for a newcomer to this author. Always an unusual ride!
dcossai's review against another edition
4.0
“To know what to include in a newspaper, you have, as journalists say to set the agenda. […] It’s not the news that makes the newspaper, but the newspaper that makes the news. And if you know how to put four different news items together, then you can offer the reader a fifth.”
A manual on how to read the news masquerading as a manual on how to manipulate the news masquerading as a political thriller revolving around a conspiracy theory, Umberto Eco’s final novel, Numero Zero, published in both English and Italian a year before his death, is even more relevant today than it was five years ago. As is typical of Eco, his fiction serves as a front to showcase the ideas he raises in his non-fiction in a practical setting, in this case those about the media, a subject he addressed in several essays spanning decades.
Eco was always a visionary ahead of this time, and this book is no exception. Published more than year before Oxford Dictionaries picked “post-truth” as the word of the year for 2016, Eco’s story about a fake newspaper gives us all we need to know about understanding how the media works in the age of post-truth: how news guides us towards certain conclusions without explicitly taking a stance; how it sets the agenda and public discourse; how it controls what makes the news and what is hushed up; the economic and political interests that determine news agendas; and even ways to create stories where there are none – or fake news, before the term became part of our everyday jargon. Eco also anticipates the Trumps of today by showing us effective ways of dismissing factual accusations and maintaining falsehoods despite evidence to the contrary.
Numero Zero is a must-read in media literacy. It can easily be read in one sitting, written in a straightforward style that does not even come close to the reading difficulties posed by The Name of the Rose. Universal in relevance, Italy nonetheless never feels far away throughout the book. Its plot spans the major points of 20th-century Italian history, weaving it all together into an intriguing, if farfetched, conspiracy theory. Mussolini, the secret services, murder, terrorism, bombings, cover-ups: you can’t ask for more from a thriller.
A manual on how to read the news masquerading as a manual on how to manipulate the news masquerading as a political thriller revolving around a conspiracy theory, Umberto Eco’s final novel, Numero Zero, published in both English and Italian a year before his death, is even more relevant today than it was five years ago. As is typical of Eco, his fiction serves as a front to showcase the ideas he raises in his non-fiction in a practical setting, in this case those about the media, a subject he addressed in several essays spanning decades.
Eco was always a visionary ahead of this time, and this book is no exception. Published more than year before Oxford Dictionaries picked “post-truth” as the word of the year for 2016, Eco’s story about a fake newspaper gives us all we need to know about understanding how the media works in the age of post-truth: how news guides us towards certain conclusions without explicitly taking a stance; how it sets the agenda and public discourse; how it controls what makes the news and what is hushed up; the economic and political interests that determine news agendas; and even ways to create stories where there are none – or fake news, before the term became part of our everyday jargon. Eco also anticipates the Trumps of today by showing us effective ways of dismissing factual accusations and maintaining falsehoods despite evidence to the contrary.
Numero Zero is a must-read in media literacy. It can easily be read in one sitting, written in a straightforward style that does not even come close to the reading difficulties posed by The Name of the Rose. Universal in relevance, Italy nonetheless never feels far away throughout the book. Its plot spans the major points of 20th-century Italian history, weaving it all together into an intriguing, if farfetched, conspiracy theory. Mussolini, the secret services, murder, terrorism, bombings, cover-ups: you can’t ask for more from a thriller.
samyinbookworld's review against another edition
1.0
This book was so boring. Even thought it described media manipulations, it contained so much detailed Italian history. Maybe this book would be great for people who like history.
blackoxford's review against another edition
5.0
Typical Eco playing with your mind to your mind's great satisfaction.