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True or False: A CIA Analyst's Guide to Spotting Fake News

by Cindy L. Otis

Tracing misinformation from history to today

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AlbakiReads Editorial

Tracing misinformation from history to today

Cindy L. Otis connects examples of misinformation across different periods—from ancient Egypt and the French Revolution to more recent media—with practical guidance for evaluating what circulates online and in everyday conversation. The book is organized around both historical context and present-day information habits, including how personal biases can shape what people accept as true. Its focus on social media and AI places those questions within newer channels for misinformation, while the broader historical sweep shows that the problem predates them.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Teens and young adults interested in media studies and misinformation
  • Readers seeking practical approaches to checking news and online information
  • Those interested in the history and impact of misinformation

Themes

Misinformation across historyNews and media literacyCritical thinkingInformation biasSocial media and AI

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

"Though billed for young adults, this is a book that every adult should read." --The Washington Post

Join former CIA analyst Cindy L. Otis as she unveils the true history of fake news and provides tips on how to avoid falling victim to it in this informative and timely YA nonfiction title.


In our modern information age, it's impossible to escape fake news. Whether it's coming from the mouth of a politician or the suspicious article shared in your family group chat, fake news is everywhere. But the truth is, fake news is not a new phenomenon. From the ancient Egyptians to the French Revolution to Jack the Ripper and the founding fathers, fake news has been around as long as human civilization. But that doesn't mean that we should just give up on the idea of finding the truth.

In True or False, former CIA analyst Cindy Otis will take readers through the history and impact of misinformation over the centuries, sharing stories from the past and insights that readers today can gain from them. Then, she shares lessons learned in over a decade working for the CIA, including actionable tips on how to spot fake news, how to make sense of the information we receive each day, and, perhaps most importantly, how to understand and see past our own information biases, so that we can think critically about important issues and put events happening around us into context.

As new technologies like social media and AI create new avenues for misinformation to spread, it is more important than ever to understand how to critically examine the information we receive. Highly informative and immensely engaging, True or False continues to serve as an essential guide for young readers looking to determine fact from fiction in the news, on the internet, and in the world around them.

This title has common core connections.

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