The New Heretics - Andy Thomas

Join author Andy Thomas for this in-store event, where he will present  his latest book "The New Heretics - Understanding the Conspiracy  Theories Polarizing the World".

This is the most balanced and  well-reasoned investigation available into why people believe today’s  highly divisive conspiracy theories, from COVID and QAnon to 5G scares,  fake news and more. "Through their part in some huge  controversies, conspiracy theorists are being branded the Number One  Enemies of our times – the new heretics. They are seen to threaten the  very fabric of modern society, spreading doubts and fears that result in  Washington Capitol invasions, transmission mast burnings or the spread  of anti-vaxx material. Yet the theorists prefer to call themselves  "truth seekers" and see the mainstream establishment as the real  disruptor, treating its increasingly harsh censorship as direct  validation of their views. In truth, the new heretics, whose  numbers are swelling, are symptoms of a wider polarization splitting  apart much of the world in ideological divisions. Many have lost trust  in politicians and the media, while nuanced debate is crushed and  information overload and manipulation breeds uncertainty, civil unrest  and mental health issues. How does the age old strategy of  divide-and-rule play out in such an environment? Using his  extensive experience of negotiating disputes between cynics and truth  seekers, Andy Thomas explores the proliferation of conspiracy thinking,  peeling back unhelpful layers of biased thinking on all sides to find  more insightful ways to bridge the polarised divides and create a better  way forward."