Person
Every book Renee DiResta recommended on podcasts
Renee DiResta appears on podcasts such as The Daily Stoic and The Jordan Harbinger Show, where she provides expert commentary on media manipulation, the spread of fake news, and the architecture of online information systems. During her appearances, she frequently engages with literature that explores historical media landscapes and the psychological frameworks of persuasion and strategy. DiResta discussed Upton Sinclair's non-fiction expose 'The Brass Check, a Study of American Journalism', noting how it investigates early twentieth-century media dynamics and describes journalism during that era as a low profession that lacked formal ethical structures and institutional safeguards. She also connected Sinclair's systemic critiques to his earlier fictional masterpiece, 'The Jungle'. In conversations about modern political organizing and communication, DiResta highlighted Saul Alinsky's 'Rules for Radicals', observing that the book's tactical principles constantly occupied her thoughts. Additionally, while examining how authorities should properly convey uncertainty and navigate public discourse, she referenced Annie Duke's decision-making guide 'Thinking in Bets'. Through these discussions, DiResta uses historical and analytical texts to contextualize contemporary digital misinformation, political polarization, and the evolving responsibilities of modern media institutions.
Books recommended by Renee DiResta
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Rules for Radicals
Rules for Radicals by Saul Alinsky is a controversial political handbook written to guide community organizers and activists on how to effect social change and build power within political systems.
Discussed“I saw you wrote a lot about um about Alinsky and Rules for Radicals also which is a thing that I think about constantly like that book is always in my head”
Where to get it
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The Brass Check, a Study of American Journalism
The Brass Check, a Study of American Journalism by Upton Sinclair is a heavily critical investigative work examining the systemic biases, corruption, and institutional flaws inherent in the early twentieth-century American media landscape.
Discussed“And then I read this book—did you read Upton Sinclair’s book, The Brass Check?”
Where to get it
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The Daily Stoic
The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman is a popular modern guide providing daily meditations, historical insights, and ancient philosophies for cultivating resilience and self-control.
Discussed“What I was struck by and thinking about when I was reading your book is like what I got wrong or what I was talking about this sort of corruption of sort of money and attention flooding into journalism, but what’s interesting to me about where we are now is that in many cases, I guess I was overestimating the”
Where to get it
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The Jungle
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair is a classic muckraking novel exposing the brutal working conditions, exploitation of laborers, and unsanitary practices within the early twentieth-century American meatpacking industry.
Discussed“So after he wrote The Jungle, he wrote this like similar book; it’s non-fiction instead of fiction, I guess, but he basically writes an expose of early 20th Century media.”
Where to get it
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Thinking in Bets
Thinking in Bets is a popular non-fiction book by former professional poker player Annie Duke that teaches readers how to make better decisions under conditions of uncertainty by recognizing cognitive biases like resulting.
Discussed“um in yeah you know in authority and media almost like thinking in bets right Have you ever read that book or heard of your book yeah yeah”
Where to get it
Books Renee DiResta wrote
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| The New Age of Media Manipulation | Renée DiResta | The Daily Stoic | 2024-08-31 | 6 |
| How Does FAKE NEWS Spread? | Renee DiResta Full Interview | The Jordan Harbinger Show Ep. 420 | The Jordan Harbinger Show | 2020-11-01 | 1 |
Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
“There was that term like slacktivism, and I feel like that was around the time that you were writing your book, actually it was; I don’t think you hear it mentioned quite so much anymore.”