Twentieth century was thinking man's golden age (same as 21st one seems to be the age of over-sensitive, highly-emotional man). This was also the period where he made weapons to be used for its own suicide. And by this I do not mean military technology advances, ever deadlier, ever more powerful but subtle techniques of mass control and ultimately mind-messing techniques.

This is where we come at propaganda. Edward L. Bernays is considered father of the propaganda and it is visible from this book that he is a very proud of his achievements. Using his sharp mind he comes to the truly ingenious ways of manipulating masses (and I have to say that approach he used is so simple but so effective it is incredible... hat down by all means). And this is where we come to the catch.

As much as he tries to hide it, author thinks of him as above the plebs and even cut above the people he is helping achieving their goals. This is unavoidable - person just cannot hold same perspective when it has power of life and death over masses. So while main focus is how propaganda can help society, from education to every day life) it becomes more than obvious that propaganda is tool where goals are set by those using it - be it individuals, corporate entities or governments. and these goals do not need to align with goals that will benefit everyone. In every chapter author mentions puppeteers in the background of every event taking place but he stays to his conviction that people are doing right things and not abusing their power (heh, right).

Take for example author's role in tobacco industry propaganda - he did make a change and stopped supporting it but not after ensuring tobacco industry to become what it is today.

And this brings us to another point - propagandist (or PR person as author calls it) is a mercenary that works for money that is payed by interested parties. While it is expected for this person to avoid suspicious contracts, lets be honest, when we are talking about millions who exactly is paying attention to moralities. And this is where author goes into sphere of wishful thinking (and to be honest he shows he is aware of it, for a very clever man he is not that subtle, and one has to wonder how come).

All in all book is very contemporary and all examples and approaches are valid today (even more so with the rise of media and social networks in recent decades). What worries is how author remains OK with the aspect of the ever changing propaganda ideas - as long it goes with the client's plans all is good. Just take above mentioned tobacco industry, exalted at the beginning, during 1940's onward it was looked upon first with suspicion and then vilified. So propaganda info changed with time - but do we ever look back to devastation that came first? And does not this remind you of last and current year - what was laughed at, ridiculed, with new information was started to be treated as regular news ("We all knew it from the start!" Ha!) and people were left confused (to say the least).

This book is excellent read because after reading it (and if you payed attention) you will become aware of news and media patterns - approach did not change at all, only thing that changed is the level of mind-numbing-bombardment, number of vectors used rose hundred fold (previously only pamphlets and public speeches, then newspapers and radio, followed by TV and now practically inescapable Internet and social networks).

Recommended book to everyone. ( )

The master of the modern science of public relations narrates his principles in this important work. While the title is appropriate it is also unfortunate given the popular image of "propaganda." ( )

Propaganda is a brief thesis on "the invisible hand (provided by the elite) that guides the masses towards order from chaos". Bernays, also known as the father of public relations, puts forth his ideas on how propaganda should be implemented in everything from business and politics (both the longest chapters in the book), as well as education, women's role in society, social work, and art and science.

Although written in 1928, it's still relevant today. From a historical standpoint, it's interesting to hear about the current personalities and events mentioned from this period. From the authors point of view on the subject, it's interesting to see his justifications for the use of propaganda and to compare and contrast it to today's use. ( )

A work of Propaganda regarding the author but suprisingly up-to-date for it was published the first time in 1928. Highly recoomended ( )

Surprisingly still perfectly relevant. Substitute radio for Internet and you're there. ( )

NON È SOLO PROPAGANDA
Nipote di Freud, Edward Louis Bernays (1891-1996) è una figura poco nota al pubblico italiano, eppure viene unanimemente considerato, insieme a Ivy Lee, colui che ha fondato negli Stati Uniti la scienza delle Pubbliche Relazioni. Nasce a Vienna, la sua famiglia vanta stretti legami di sangue con Sigmund Freud, la madre, Anna, ne è la sorella. “Propaganda”, pubblicato a New York dall’editore Horace Liveright nel 1928, alla vigilia della Grande Crisi, è considerato il libro più importante di Bernays perché nelle sue pagine si trova espressa la filosofia cui si è ispirato in tutta la sua lunga attività. Nel 1945 il Dipartimento delle Relazioni del Consiglio federale delle chiese di Cristo in America crea il premio The Edward L. Bernays per la leadership nella promozione dei rapporti interrazziali, un omaggio al suo lungo impegno antisegregazionista, iniziato nel lontano 1920. ( )

This is the clear link between propaganda (of the WWI and WWII varieties) and marketing/public relations. They are the same thing, but for propaganda's sake, they thought calling it PR would sound less shady.

The book is more of a historical document, and less of a manual. It's actually the author's pitch to get more corporations to hire him.
( )

After reading about this book's sizeable reputation, I expected a brutally leftist cultural revolution instruction manual along the lines of Saul Alinsky's Rules For Radicals. I feel it's actually a rather ho-hum pamphlet (yes, it's short) about subtle marketing techniques. But perhaps THAT is the greatest and most subversive achievement of this book: To put forth rather creepy tactics in an apparently bland way. And imagine my surprise to see a leftist introduction, by someone named Mark Crispin Miller, trashing Bernays as a right-wing ideologue (in other words, the kind of person who is mislabeled as a "fascist" by most modern-day liberals)! See the United Fruit Company's partnership with the CIA to overthrow Guatemala's government. To observe true leftist propaganda, check out many of the original programs, particularly Orange Is The New Black, aired on the company called Netflix, which was co-founded by one of Bernays' savvy descendants.

An amazingly prescient and relevant book for the world in 2016. Conscious effort to manipulate habits and opinions of the masses. We are governed by men we have never heard of. Our invisible governors are even unaware of one another. They manipulate news and inflate personalities by use of ballyhoo by all of which is brought to the consciousness of the herd.There is a need for an invisible government because of the complexity of our civilization. When millions are subject to the same stimuli they all receive identical imprints.

Large scale messages - propaganda - are used to desseminate information and ideas to the masses. A group of citizens talks in favor of a certain course of action thinking they are doing what is best - is not propaganda, but if someone asserts the opposite viewpoint he is engaged in propaganda. Even well informed people are surprised by the extent to which progaganda shapes the progress of affairs. Progaganda is an enduring effort to create or shape events to influence the relations of the public to an enterprise, or idea, or to certain people. Only through the active energy of the intelligent few can the public at large can become aware of and act upon new ideas

The names of presidential candidates are decided upon by only a few men sitting around a table in a hotel room. There are invisible rulers who control the destiny of millions. We do not realize the extent to which the words and actions of our most influential public men are dictated by shrewd persons sitting behind the scenes. Enter the public relations man.

The systematic study of mass psychology revealed the potential to the invisible government of the motives which actuate man in the group. Groups have mental characteristics distinct from those of the individual and are motivated by impulses and emotions which differ from those of the individual Mass psychology. The group mind. Public psychology. The group mind does not think. In place of thoughts it has impulses, habits, and emotions.To make up its mind the herd often turns to a "trusted leader". Men are largely actuated by motives they keep hidden from themselves and so do the masses.

The invisible government dictates our thoughts, directs are feelings, and controls our actions. No one believes that the people have any divine or wise and lofty ideas. The mind of the group is made up by a group of leaders who understand the manipulation of public opinion. The secret leaders know that personality rules A charming candidate is the alchemist's secret that can transmute a prosaic platform into the gold of votes. Today's politician needs to know not how to please the public but how to sway the public.The public actions of our President are stage managed by the hidden power.

Women have legal equality but their interests remain separate and different from men as do their pursuits and vocational interests.The public is not cognizant of the real value of education and does not realize that education as a social force is not receiving the kind of attention it has a right to expect in a democracy. Education does not attract the active interest of the herd.

The media by which the special pleaders transmit their messages to the public through progaganda include all means by which people today [1927] transmit their ideas to one another. There is no means of human communication which may not also be a means of deliberate propaganda because propaganda ismerely establishing reciprocal understanding between an individual and a group.

THEY KEEP YOU DOPED WITH RELIGION, SPORTS, SEX, AND TV - - AND YOU THINK YOU'RE SO CLEVER AND CLASSLESS AND FREE - BUT YOU ARE STILL FUCKING PEASANTS AS FAR AS I CAN SEE. (JL). ( )

Eighty four years after its initial publication, Bernay's 'Propaganda' continues to illuminate some of the most important aspects of the modern societies we live in. His examples are certainly out-of-date, yet, the principles he keeps of referring to are more relevant than ever. It can be considered in the category of 'The Prince' by Machiavelli; you are going to admire the crystallization of the expression, and you are going to abhor the results at the same time, the results that are brought upon us by the people who understand the principles of 'Propaganda' and apply them to our daily lives ruthlessly.

The new introduction by Mark Crispin Miller does not fail to add value and more insight, too. His criticism of Bernays, properly put in historical context, sheds light on some obscure points of the book. Combined with the book, this gives you an astonishing overview of 'manufacturing consent' and the 'illusion of democracy'. ( )

After seeing Adam Curtis' Century of the Self, in which Edward Bernays plays a central role, my expectation was higher. In essence it's a propaganda book on propaganda, sometimes too obvious, and not divulging too many interesting techniques. ( )