Second That Emotion

Why do more than 30% of Americans believe that President Obama is a Muslim? Why is Yoko Ono still held responsible for the breakup of the Beatles? Second That Emotion answers these and other random, yet related questions by tracing the fascinating process whereby a passion for an idea, celebrity, or brand gives rise to a set of illogical beliefs that become the basis for a powerful movement. Conventional wisdom has it that spin doctors and marketing gurus are responsible for manipulating our thoughts, causing us to endorse ideas or products we would otherwise reject. This volume shows that while advertising and propaganda can provide a spark and social media the kindling, individuals create trends based, more often than not, on thinking they know to be flawed logically.