Book Review: Calling bullsh*t: The art of scepticism in a data-driven world
| Published date | 01 September 2023 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/1035719X231156457 |
| Author | Scott Bayley |
| Date | 01 September 2023 |
| Subject Matter | Book Review |
Book Review
Evaluation Journal of Australasia
2023, Vol. 23(3) 167–169
© The Author(s) 2023
Article reuse guidelines:
sagepub.com/journals-permissions
DOI: 10.1177/1035719X231156457
journals.sagepub.com/home/evj
Calling bullsh*t: The art of
scepticism in a data-driven
world
Bergstrom, C. T. and West, J. D. (2020). Calling bullsh*t: The art of scepticism in a data-driven world.
Allen Lane. ISBN: ISBN: 978-0-241-43810-7.
Reviewed by: Scott Bayley, Director, Scott Bayley Evaluation Services, Canberra ACT, Australia
This is a book about bullsh*t. It is a book about how we are often inundated with it,
about how we can learn to see through it, and about how we can fight back.
The world is awash with bullsh*t, and we are drowning in it. Politicians appear to be
unconstrained by facts. Science is conducted by press release. Advertisers invite us to
join them in accepting half-truths. Bullsh*t corrupts our world by misleading people
about specific issues, it undermines our ability to trust information in general and it
harms our democratic processes. The aim of this book is to help readers face the
onslaught and separate fact from fiction.
Description
The book’s 318 pages are organised into 11 chapters.
In Chapter 1, the authors set the scene by helping readers to understand that bullsh*t
is. Bullsh*t is not a modern invention. In one of his dialogues, Plato complains that the
philosophers known as Sophists are indifferent to the truth and are only interested in
winning arguments. Full-on bullsh*t is intended to distract, confuse, or mislead. A
classic genre of bullsh*t is weasel wording which uses the gap between the literal
meaning of words and implied meaning to avoid taking responsibility or to mislead.
The political phrase ‘mistakes were made’is a common example.
Chapter 2 titled ‘Medium, Message, and Misinformation’argues that the improved
access to information provided by technology has not eliminated ourb ullsh*t problem, it has
made it worse. The internet has certainly changed the way in which we do research and how
learn about current affairs. But it has also triggered a bullsh*t pandemic of unprecedented
proportions. Successful headlines no longer convey facts, they promise an emotional ex-
perience. Sensationalism is better than the truth when seeking to gain more readers or
followers of your blog. Participating in social media is less about sharing new information
than it is about maintaining and reinforcing our self-image and social bonds.
Chapter 3 goes into more detail on ‘The Nature of Bullsh*t’. A key aspect is that
bullsh*t bears no allegiance to conveying the truth, and that the bullsh*tter attempts to
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