First published in 1928, Edward Bernays' Propaganda (often subtitled in French as Comment manipuler l'opinion en démocratie ) remains a chillingly relevant manual for understanding modern influence. Bernays, the nephew of Sigmund Freud, is widely considered the "father of public relations" and this work serves as his unapologetic manifesto for the "engineering of consent". Core Arguments
: It demonstrates that the same techniques used to mobilize for war can—and should—be used by corporations to drive consumer demand. Critical Perspective
: The book provides the blueprint for everything from political campaigning to product placement in films. Famously, Bernays used these principles to market cigarettes to women as "Torches of Freedom".
