A welcome corrective to the inflexible tribalism of modern political discourse, this thoughtful and entertaining volume from the broadcaster and author of How To Be Right pays tribute to the power of changing your mind.
'Simply Brilliant' THE SECRET BARRISTER
'Passionate and brilliantly argued' DAVID OLUSOGA
'An admirably personal guide' MARINA HYDE
'Smart, analytical, self-aware and important' ALASTAIR CAMPBELL
THE INTIMATE, REVEALING NEW BOOK FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE BESTSELLING, PRIZE-WINNING HOW TO BE RIGHT
There's no point having a mind if you're not willing to change it
James O'Brien has built well over a million loyal listeners to his radio show by dissecting the opinions of callers live on air, every day. But winning the argument doesn't necessarily mean you're right.
In this deeply personal book, James turns the mirror on himself to reveal what he has changed his mind about and why, and explores how examining and changing our own views is our new civic duty in a world of outrage, disagreement and echo chambers. He writes candidly about the stiff upper lip attitudes and toxic masculinity that coloured his childhood, and the therapy and personal growth that have led him question his assumptions and explore new perspectives. Laying open his personal views on everything from racial prejudice to emotional vulnerability, from fat-shaming to tattoos, he then delves into the real reasons -- often irrational or unconscious -- he holds them.
Unflinchingly honest, revealing and funny, How Not to Be Wrong is a tonic for a world more divided than ever and a personal manifesto for a better way of thinking and living.
Because after all, if we can't change our own minds we'll never really be able to change anyone else's.
Publisher: Ebury Publishing
ISBN: 9780753557709
Number of pages: 240
Dimensions: 222 x 144 x 25 mm
Weight: 361 g
Language: English
A model of lucidity, humour and humanity - we should be thankful that we have him - Times Literary Supplement
Simply brilliant ... Its calm but brutal honesty makes for compelling reading. This book is needed now more than ever - The Secret Barrister
James is more right than ever -- particularly in our entrenched, binary thinking culture -- about the importance of being able to admit to being wrong - David Baddiel
An admirably personal guide to the lost art of changing your mind. James showed me how often a change of mind is really a change of heart - Marina Hyde
The conscience of liberal Britain - New Statesman
Highly personal and confessional, yet also a passionate and brilliantly argued appeal against the dangerous tribalism of our times - David Olusoga
Classic James O'Brien - smart, analytical, self-aware and important to public debate at a time the toffs in power are taking it into the sewer - Alastair Campbell
I know few broadcasters as consistently, forensically, brilliant as James O'Brien - Emily Maitlis
Blending profound self-reflection with genuine warmth... the perfect book for a loud world that seems more divided than ever - John Amaechi OBE
Such verbal ability seems like a superpower - The Times
An exceptional broadcaster with a peerless ability to calmly point out the absurdity of certain viewpoints - Guardian
Disarmingly honest about where he has been wrong, this book is a refreshing reminder of our ability to change our minds - Susanna Reid
Far and away the best thing he has ever written -- indeed, a kind of deconstruction of everything he has written and said, or at least propounded. A series of reflections on various topical themes that doubles as a memoir, almost a mea culpa, about the psychological origin of his opinions, and of the force and certitude with which he used to wield them. - New Statesman Book of the Year
Far and away the best thing he has ever written - Leo Robson, New Statesman
A Room of One's Own
The Drama Of Being A Child
Everyday Sexism
Bad Feminist
The Second Sex (Vintage Feminism Short Edition)
Behind the Beautiful Forevers
Gender Trouble
The Social Animal
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
The Shock Doctrine
The Lucifer Effect
The Spirit Level
The Beauty Myth
Holding up a mirror to middle class views and how we have formed bias conscious and unconscious from our family, education and social setting. This is then fed into by the popular press and social media.
James makes...
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Holding up a mirror to middle class views and how we have formed bias conscious and unconscious from our family, education and social setting. This is then fed into by the popular press and social media.
James makes...
More
This book opens with the line that 'there is no point having a mind if you never change it'. In a world that is increasingly polarised and blind to anyone else's opinion, this is a much needed look at... More
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