Trust Me, I'm Lying

Trust Me, I’m Lying

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Description

The cult classic that predicted the rise of fake news—revised and updated for the post-Trump, post-Gawker age. Hailed as “astonishing and disturbing” by the Financial Times and “essential reading” by TechCrunch at its original publication, former American Apparel marketing director Ryan Holiday’s first book sounded a prescient alarm about the dangers of fake news. It’s all the more relevant today. Trust Me, I’m Lying was the first book to blow the lid off the speed and force at which rumors travel online—and get “traded up” the media ecosystem until they become real headlines and generate real responses in the real world. The culprit? Marketers and professional media manipulators, encouraged by the toxic economics of the news business. Whenever you see a malicious online rumor costs a company millions, politically motivated fake news driving elections, a product or celebrity zooming from total obscurity to viral sensation, or anonymously sourced articles becoming national conversation, someone is behind it. Often someone like Ryan Holiday. As he explains, “I wrote this book to explain how media manipulators work, how to spot their fingerprints, how to fight them, and how (if you must) to emulate their tactics. Why am I giving away these secrets? Because I’m tired of a world where trolls hijack debates, marketers help write the news, opinion masquerades as fact, algorithms drive everything to extremes, and no one is accountable for any of it. I’m pulling back the curtain because it’s time the public understands how things really work. What you choose to do with this information is up to you.”

  • Author: Ryan Holiday
  • Publisher: Penguin
  • Published: 2013-07-02
  • Pages: 354
  • ISBN-13: 9781591846284

Additional information

Author

Ryan Holiday

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Summary

What the internet says

Aggregated insights from reviews and discussions across the web.

Overall reception: Mixed reception

Trust Me, I'm Lying by Ryan Holiday receives mixed to positive reception online, with readers praising its eye-opening insights into media manipulation while criticizing its repetitive structure. Reviewers consistently describe the book as a 'paradigm-shifter' that fundamentally changes how they view online media, blogs, and news consumption. Many readers appreciate Holiday's candid confession of his tactics as a 'media manipulator' working for clients like American Apparel and Tucker Max, finding his explanations of how bloggers are 'slaves to money, technology, and deadlines' both fascinating and disturbing.

However, a common criticism is that the book's core insights could have been condensed into a much shorter format—several reviewers wished it were 'an 800 word blog post instead of a book.' Readers note that the content becomes repetitive, with 'very similar stories page after page' that don't maintain interest through to the end. The book is divided into two parts: the first details Holiday's PR stunts and manipulation tactics, while the second analyzes the incentives driving internet news and 'pageview journalism.' While the revelations are compelling, some readers express moral discomfort with the manipulative tactics described, even as they acknowledge the book's importance in exposing how modern media actually works.

Despite its flaws, most reviewers consider it essential reading for understanding the media landscape, particularly for media students, bloggers, and anyone wanting to be more critical of online content. The book successfully exposes how poorly vetted online articles are and how false information spreads through blogs copying each other. Readers report becoming more skeptical of online content after finishing the book, though Holiday offers no solutions to the problems he identifies—a limitation he acknowledges is like saying 'there wouldn't be a drug problem if people stopped using drugs.'

What readers loved

  • Eye-opening and paradigm-shifting insights into how online media and blogs actually work
  • Candid, honest confessions from an insider about media manipulation tactics that are both fascinating and educational
  • Exposes how poorly vetted online articles are and how bloggers copy stories from each other without fact-checking
  • Makes readers significantly more critical and skeptical of online content they consume
  • Well-written and engaging prose that draws comparisons to philosopher Eric Hoffer
  • Provides valuable understanding of 'pageview journalism' and the economic incentives driving sensational content
  • Important and timely analysis of how false information becomes accepted truth through repetition across blogs

Common critiques

  • Core insights could have been condensed into a much shorter format rather than a full book
  • Becomes repetitive with similar stories and examples throughout, making it difficult to maintain interest
  • Offers no solutions to the media problems it identifies, only exposing issues without actionable remedies
  • Morally disturbing content about manipulation tactics that may not sit well with readers seeking ethical approaches

Based on reviews from

  • Goodreads
  • Goodreads Review
  • Publishers Weekly
Last updated May 18, 2026 Summary based on publicly available reviews. May not reflect every reader's experience.

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