Why We Fall for Bullsh*t: A History of Humanity’s Worst Ideas (and Why We’ll Do It Again Tomorrow)

We like to think we've evolved past nonsense. Then we buy detox teas, follow "chosen" leaders into disasters, and repost cosmic horoscopes like they're peer-reviewed. Why We Fall for Bullsh*t is a fast, funny, brutally clear tour through humanity's greatest hits of gullibility-from bone-rattling cave shamans to modern megachurch swagger, from medieval relic hustlers to ring-light wellness empires.
The tools change; the con doesn't. Dustin Gross traces the repeating pattern: fear and hope create a market; confident storytellers package meaning; crowds pay-often with money, sometimes with blood. You'll walk through the carnival of astrology, alchemy, relics and indulgences, witch hunts, messiah movements, MLMs, fandom frenzies, influencer cults, and "biohacked" immortality schemes. It's history with teeth: irreverent, deeply researched, and allergic to magical thinking.
This isn't a lecture; it's a survival guide. You'll learn why placebo theater is seductive, why fear markets never run out of customers, and why charisma outmuscles data. More importantly, you'll pick up bullsh*t-detection tools you can actually use: pattern suspicion, incentive audits, vagueness alarms, and the confidence calibration that separates expertise from performance. No, humanity isn't getting smarter.
But with a sharper eye, you can avoid becoming someone else's revenue stream-or body count. Laugh first, learn fast, and keep your wallet (and conscience) intact.