---
authors: Edward Bernays
isbn: "9780970312594"
pages: "168"
rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
date_started: 2019-03-01
date_finished: 2019-11-02
locations: San Francisco
date: 2019-11-02
---

# Propaganda

Year ago I watched amazing documentary by Adam Curtis called [The Century of Self](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Century_of_the_Self). Nephew of Sigmund Freud - Edward Bernays - was a villain in that documentary. I've got chills when I saw him talking about propaganda and marketing.

This year I decided to read Bernays' book and I must say that I was very surprised. After reading his own words - he doesn't seem to be this evil person who "made women smoke."

He seemed smart, ahead of his time, had concerns about misuse of propaganda/PR/marketing.  But he said that there is no guarantee against misuse. And it makes sense to me as technologist. It is exactly the same with technology - can be used for good or for bad.