Conspiracy theories have always been with us, but in the age of the Internet, twenty-four-hour news programs of varying reliability, and ever-more incendiary talk radio, the crop of rumors, bombshells, and shadowy secrets seems more extensive and potent than ever. How to Escape from the Diabolic Triangle? dives into those collective delusions to show what they mean to us as individuals and what role they play in society. Looking closely at nine cases of collective delusion, Jan Berting shows how they can help society articulate widespread fears, but that at the same time they can be wildly misleading, even dangerous.

Jan Berting is professor emeritus of sociology and social policy at the Erasmus University Rotterdam.