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A review by readthesparrow
Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies into Reality by Renee DiResta
challenging
dark
informative
slow-paced
2.0
Disclaimers: This review is based on an advanced copy provided through Netgalley by the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.
As someone interested in the disinformation and propaganda campaigns occurring online, I was very excited to read this book. Having finished it, I am glad that I read it, primarily since there were several moments where I felt I was given language to articulate thoughts I already had about social media and the internet (primarily regarding my own interactions with it). However, as a whole, the book wasn't a terribly enjoyable read for me.
However, I feel the book format is actually quite ineffectual for this kind of discussion; my most common thought while reading was that it would be so much more effective as a piece of audio/visual media. The writing, too, didn't help. I found the style largely unengaging. Strangely enough, despite coming into the book already interested and highly invested in the topic, I had to force myself to finish reading because it was just such a slog to get through. I think one of the primary reasons for this is the structure of the book, which instead of focusing on specific actors or instances, it instead focuses on different elements of propaganda and bounces around narratives as it tries to explain it.
The only moments I found genuinely interesting or engaging were a few moments where DiResta expresses her own experiences or indulges in a bit of tongue-in-cheek dry humor. For example, the forward, when she talked about her involvement in pro-vaccine movements in her hometown as a young mother, or when she poked fun at Ali Alexander's involvement in Stop the Steal as "bravely live stream[ing] from a rooftop several blocks away once the violence started" (p. 169).
It's also interesting to see where the author's personal bias intersects with her criticism of certain figures. For example, while she did criticize Joe Rogan, her criticism of him was remarkably light considering... well, everything about him and his career.
Additionally, while she examined the propaganda efforts run by political organizations including the Russian government, Hamas, and Iran, she was curiously very vague about other government's propagana efforts (most notably, due to the ongoing genocide against Palestinians, an bizarrely careful skirting of Israel's internet propaganda efforts both historically and present-day).
Finally, for a book subtitled "the people who turn lies into reality," there is remarkably little focus on actually analyzing or profiling specific propagandists (besides one or two DiResta has personal 'beef' with--'beef' which is perfectly understandable she has, considering it's mostly Taibbi). But still, it would have been nice if she had actully done deep dives into specific propagandists besides Taibbi.
These obvious glaring moments where DiResta handles certain actors with kid gloves, paired with the difficult-to-get-through writing and overall lack of in-depth analysis on specific actors, makes Invisible Rulers a book I just can't say I would recommend. While certain parts were interesting, the overall reading experience as a whole wasn't enjoyable or engaging.
If interested in modes of propaganda, misinformation, and recruitment for bespoke realities online, I'd personally recommend Caelan Conrad's videos (including their "Gender Critical" series and "The School Litterbox: Modern Urban Legend") as personal favorites.
As someone interested in the disinformation and propaganda campaigns occurring online, I was very excited to read this book. Having finished it, I am glad that I read it, primarily since there were several moments where I felt I was given language to articulate thoughts I already had about social media and the internet (primarily regarding my own interactions with it). However, as a whole, the book wasn't a terribly enjoyable read for me.
However, I feel the book format is actually quite ineffectual for this kind of discussion; my most common thought while reading was that it would be so much more effective as a piece of audio/visual media. The writing, too, didn't help. I found the style largely unengaging. Strangely enough, despite coming into the book already interested and highly invested in the topic, I had to force myself to finish reading because it was just such a slog to get through. I think one of the primary reasons for this is the structure of the book, which instead of focusing on specific actors or instances, it instead focuses on different elements of propaganda and bounces around narratives as it tries to explain it.
The only moments I found genuinely interesting or engaging were a few moments where DiResta expresses her own experiences or indulges in a bit of tongue-in-cheek dry humor. For example, the forward, when she talked about her involvement in pro-vaccine movements in her hometown as a young mother, or when she poked fun at Ali Alexander's involvement in Stop the Steal as "bravely live stream[ing] from a rooftop several blocks away once the violence started" (p. 169).
It's also interesting to see where the author's personal bias intersects with her criticism of certain figures. For example, while she did criticize Joe Rogan, her criticism of him was remarkably light considering... well, everything about him and his career.
Additionally, while she examined the propaganda efforts run by political organizations including the Russian government, Hamas, and Iran, she was curiously very vague about other government's propagana efforts (most notably, due to the ongoing genocide against Palestinians, an bizarrely careful skirting of Israel's internet propaganda efforts both historically and present-day).
Finally, for a book subtitled "the people who turn lies into reality," there is remarkably little focus on actually analyzing or profiling specific propagandists (besides one or two DiResta has personal 'beef' with--'beef' which is perfectly understandable she has, considering it's mostly Taibbi). But still, it would have been nice if she had actully done deep dives into specific propagandists besides Taibbi.
These obvious glaring moments where DiResta handles certain actors with kid gloves, paired with the difficult-to-get-through writing and overall lack of in-depth analysis on specific actors, makes Invisible Rulers a book I just can't say I would recommend. While certain parts were interesting, the overall reading experience as a whole wasn't enjoyable or engaging.
If interested in modes of propaganda, misinformation, and recruitment for bespoke realities online, I'd personally recommend Caelan Conrad's videos (including their "Gender Critical" series and "The School Litterbox: Modern Urban Legend") as personal favorites.