A review by sindri_inn_arsaeli
On Bullshit by Harry G. Frankfurt

4.0

A quick read, at under 70 pages and a funny take on the topic! Frankfurt is very serious about his analysis, but he is also humorously intentional about the language he uses, making a play at displaying the language of bullshit at regular intervals. The words he uses are long and arduous, and at first glance the work is quite dense, but almost any of the extra bullshit he puts on display can be glosses over to still reveal the points he makes in this extended essay, making the whole use of language a highly sophisticated joke, tying in to the definition of bullshit as being about creating a certain perception of the bullshitter, more than conveying a specific truth. Frankfurt definitely conveys the perception that he should be taken as someone who knows what he's talking about, when clearly in the very first paragraphs, he has already stated that this is hardly more than musings on a little studied idea.
He makes some interesting and strong points and for readers who will laugh at the language, the joke holds up since it takes so little time to read, and for readers who hate the language, honestly, just skip the big words! and you'll still understand what he's saying