What The Fact is about how to get correct and accurate information in the modern world and stay safe from fake news. The first part of the book goes into interesting, fact-filled detail about the different kinds of false information on the internet, how to recognize it, and how to prevent yourself from falling prey to it. The second section, in my opinion, is the most interesting part of the book. It talks about the bias and how your brain works when hearing stories vs. facts. This part also talks about how your brain and biases can fall prey to false information. The third part was a bit repetitive, and it talked too much about politics, which I as an eleven-year-old found boring. It talks about the history of American news and how news is created. The fourth section talks about social media and its effects on you. The fifth and last section talks about different types of reasoning and how to persuade someone.
I think the book is a very important one to read and can help you protect yourself from predatory information. It explains the problem of fake news in great detail and it can help you spot fake news on the internet. After reading, it also helps you figure out where you can be biased and what biases you may have. It is very helpful in the modern world and it could really come in handy many times in life. The book makes you more aware of yourself and surroundings. However, it can get a bit boring because it is mostly just a compilation of facts on facts. It also isn’t helpful if you want a concise text for the topics it discusses or if you just want to just dive a little bit into a subject. The examples given in the book are helpful to understanding it, but in my opinion, the author put in too many examples in some places which felt unnecessary.
A memorable part of the book is when they talked about biases. It is very interesting to learn the biases you can have when you check news or are in a debate with a friend. It also can give a glimpse into human psychology.
Reviewed by Eshaan, Twin Hickory Area Library