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Millions of working Americans talk, act, and vote as if their economic interests match those of the megawealthy, the multinational corporations, and the politicians who do their bidding. How did this happen? Bestselling author Thom Hartmann says it’s because the apologists of the Right have become masters of the subtle and largely subconscious aspects of political communication. It’s not an escalation in Iraq, it’s a surge; it’s not the inheritance tax, it’s the death tax; it’s not drilling for oil, it’s exploring for energy.

Conservatives didn’t intuit the path to persuasive messaging—they learned these techniques. There is no reason why progressives can’t learn them too. In Cracking the Code, Hartmann shows you how. Drawing on his background as a psychotherapist and advertising executive as well as a nationally syndicated Air America radio host, he breaks down the science and technology of effective communication so you can apply it to your own efforts to counter right-wing disinformation.

As Hartmann explains, political persuasion is as much about biology as ideology, about knowing how the brain processes information and how that influences the way people perceive messages, make decisions, and form a worldview. Throughout the book, he shows you precisely how to master this technology—how to crack the communications code—providing examples dating from the time of the Founding Fathers to the present day. 

As you read deeply in this book, you’ll see things you hadn’t realized were there—in everything from advertising to political rants. You’ll learn the three ways people absorb information and how to appeal to each to get your message across, the kinds of words to use when trying to sway people and the kinds to avoid, why politics is all about stories and how knowing what those stories are will help you understand and connect with your audience, and much more.

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