Hype
How Scammers, Grifters, and Con Artists Are Taking Over the Internet—and Why We're Following
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Hype
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Narrated by:
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Eileen Stevens
About this listen
From former Vice journalist and executive producer of hit Netflix documentary Fyre comes an eye-opening look at the con artists, grifters, and snake-oil salesmen of the digital age - and why we can’t stop falling for them.
We live in an age where scams are the new normal. A charismatic entrepreneur sells thousands of tickets to a festival that never happened. Respected investors pour millions into a start-up centered around fake blood tests. Reviewers and celebrities flock to London’s top-rated restaurant that’s little more than a backyard shed. These unsettling stories of today’s viral grifters have risen to fame and hit the front-page headlines, yet the curious conundrum remains: Why do these scams happen?
Drawing from scientific research, marketing campaigns, and exclusive documents and interviews, former Vice reporter Gabrielle Bluestone delves into the irresistible hype that fuels our social-media ecosystem, whether it’s from the trusted influencers who peddled Fyre or the consumer reviews that sold Juicero. A cultural examination that is as revelatory as it is relevant, Hype pulls back the curtain on the manipulation game behind the never-ending scam season - and how we as consumers can stop getting played.
©2021 Gabrielle Bluestone (P)2021 Harlequin Enterprises, LimitedListeners also enjoyed...
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Get this book ASAP
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4 out of 5 stars
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A good historical “textbook.”
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This inside story of WeWork and its CEO tells the remarkable saga of one of the most audacious, and improbable, rises and falls in American business history. Veteran journalist Reeves Weideman dives deep into WeWork and its CEO's astronomical rise, from the marijuana and tequila-filled board rooms to cult-like company summer camps and consciousness-raising with Anthony Kiedis. Billion Dollar Loser is a character-driven business narrative that captures, through the fascinating psyche of a billionaire founder and his wife and co-founder, the slippery state of global capitalism. \
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5 out of 5 stars
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Engrossing and we’ll researches but narration is annoying
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Cults Inside Out: How People Get In and Can Get Out
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 65
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 52
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 52
You’ve seen them in movies and on TV, but cults are more prevalent than you think - and they’re armed with strategies that can brainwash and persuade even the most unlikely of candidates. But how do individuals get involved with cults in the first place, and what steps can be taken to “deprogram” and heal those who have been drawn into these damaging groups? These questions and more are addressed in Cults Inside Out, written by leading cult expert Rick Alan Ross.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Informative and interesting read!
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Four-time New York Times best-selling author Gary Vaynerchuk offers new lessons and inspiration drawn from the experiences of dozens of influencers and entrepreneurs who rejected the predictable corporate path in favor of pursuing their dreams by building thriving businesses and extraordinary personal brands. In this lively, practical, and inspiring audiobook, Gary dissects every current major social media platform so that anyone, from a plumber to a professional ice skater, will know exactly how to amplify his or her personal brand on each.
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3 out of 5 stars
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85% fluff and 15% value.
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In 2016, the fate of Paramount Global’s entertainment empire hung precariously in the balance. Its founder and head, ninety-three-year-old Sumner M. Redstone, was facing a very public lawsuit brought by a former romantic companion, Manuela Herzer, which placed Sumner’s deteriorating health and questionable judgment under a harsh light.
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3 out of 5 stars
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I could t wait for it to end
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By: James B. Stewart, and others
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- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,665
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,426
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Story5 out of 5 stars 1,421
Great ideas often come from a simple spark: A soccer player on the New Zealand national team notices all the unused wool his country produces and figures out a way to turn them into shoes (Allbirds). A former Buddhist monk decides the very best way to spread his mindfulness teachings is by launching an app (Headspace). A sandwich cart vendor finds a way to reuse leftover pita bread and turns it into a multimillion-dollar business (Stacy’s Pita Chips).
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5 out of 5 stars
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GET THIS BOOK!
- By Mattye LaSuer on 01-16-21
By: Guy Raz
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Slonim Woods 9
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- Narrated by: Jay Myers
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In September 2010, at the beginning of the academic year at Sarah Lawrence College, a sophomore named Talia Ray asked her roommates if her father could stay with them for a while. No one objected. Her father, Larry Ray, was just released from prison, having spent three years behind bars after a conviction during a bitter custody dispute.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Harrowing
- By Joshua on 09-19-21
What listeners say about Hype
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Marjorie
- 08-10-23
Will Listen to again!
Great read/listen! Enough that I thought of getting the actual book :) I can’t wait to listen again and learn about human psychology!! Humans will humans, that’s for sure!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Matthew J. McMahon
- 10-25-22
So important
This book should be required reading for anyone with a wifi connection. It’s wild How much the line has blurred between fraudster and business mogul.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- JPatrick
- 08-31-21
Wildly Entertaining and Informative
In a culture of followers, likes and vanity metrics - it can be confusing to determine what is real versus postured. This book unwraps the attractive foil off of those looking to foil us.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Erica Seigneur
- 05-07-21
Boring and pointless
The narrator does a good job, but the book is boring and pointless and a lot of the “cons” the author discusses are petty and uninteresting.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Christy P.
- 11-16-21
Facts…?
This text repeatedly (not to mention the redundancy of this book) talks about the disappearance of facts in the current social climate. Unfortunately, the author also makes claims (denoting them as facts) and never provides verifiable support for her own “facts”. This could be a very interesting topic if the “story” showed extensive research into these cons. Good topic idea poorly executed.
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1 person found this helpful