David Ricci has written two books on 'political stories,' providing the foundations for Post-Truth Democracy. Yet the present book is arguably the most important yet. The author writes that we need stories to make our way in the world. But many stories, say from identity politics, are necessarily false because they are simplifications of some larger reality. However, not all stories are equally false or equally harmful. Some lead to bad outcomes, and it is the responsibility of scholars to counter harmful stories with other stories leading to better outcomes. Therefore, stories are an especially potent form of political power, deserving of scholarly and journalistic attention.

‘David Ricci is a master teller of stories about stories. In a series of books, he has described the central role of narratives, myths, legends in shaping our common life. They are never entirely true, but they enable us to tell ourselves a story that makes sense of the world. But what happens to stories in a post-truth age, deluged with misinformation? How can we find sustaining stories? How can we deal with massive falsehood? That is Ricci’s new subject. It could not be more timely.’Michael Walzer, Professor (emeritus) Institute for Advanced Study