Book: Thinker, Faker, Spinner, Spy: Corporate PR and the Assault on Democracy

William Dinan and David Miller are the editors of "Thinker, Faker, Spinner, Spy: Corporate PR and the Assault on Democracy", published in 2007 by Pluto Press in association with the UK organization Spinwatch.

From the publisher's description: "This book unmasks the covert and undemocratic world of corporate spin – [...] The public relations industry is not just about celebrity gossip. This book shows how, whenever big business is threatened, spin doctors, lobbyists, think tanks and front groups are on hand to push the corporate interest, often at the public's expense. Written by leading activists and writers, this book reveals the secrets of the PR trade including deception, [...], spying and dirty tricks. The impact can be devastating – when the public is denied access to the truth, the results are rising inequality and environmental catastrophe. The authors expose the misdeeds of famous companies including Coca Cola, British Aerospace, Exxon and Monsanto. They also reveal startling new information about the covert funding of various apparently independent thinks tanks and institutes."

www.plutobooks.com/display.asp?K=9780745324449

Includes chapters and sections like "Public Relations and the Subversion of Democracy", "How Corporations Use Spin to Undermine Democracy", and "Globalising Politics: Spinning US 'Democracy Assistance' Programmes".

Excerpt: "David Miller and William Dinan begin by setting out the case for the prosecution, arguing that the PR industry is anti-democratic in intent and effect."

Endorsement: "Corporate Spin is one of the great toxins of democracy and a free society. This is a foundational book to educate us about this sleazy realm and equip us to do battle with it." (Robert W. McChesney, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)

David Miller is now Professor of Sociology and William Dinan is Lecturer in Sociology, both at the University of Strathclyde.