The Unknowers

Why have so few companies or people been held responsible for the catastrophic effects of the global financial crisis? Why do major controversies over the safety of some of the world's bestselling pharmaceuticals repeatedly take place? Conventional thinking suggests that better knowledge can help prevent financial and health crises in the future. The truth is somewhat different. Shedding light on a range of examples - from the scandals surrounding News International to the 2016 US presidential elections - Linsey McGoey reveals how financial and political elites have become increasingly adept at harnessing strategic ignorance for their own ends. In a supposed 'post-truth' era of historical amnesia, it is often the average citizen who is derided for knowing too little. In reality, it is the rich and powerful who benefit most, exploiting gaps in knowledge to ensure they will never be caught out.