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Authenticity: Reclaiming Reality in a Counterfeit Culture
A book for our times, The Authenticity Playbook offers insights and tactics for the pursuit of authenticity in our everyday lives.
We are increasingly searching for authenticity in a world that seems ever more inauthentic.
We live in an age where the pursuit of authenticity – be it living our ‘best life’ or eating artisan-produced food – matters more and more to us, but where the forces of inauthenticity – from internet scams and art forgeries to counterfeit pharmaceuticals and brands that offer impossible dreams of self-fulfillment – seem to be inexorably taking over.
Using a series of richly entertaining stories to make its serious point, this provocative and award-winning book explores what is driving the slide into ever more make-believe – how we have come to live in a world full of people and products that are not what they seem to be, where we no longer know whether we are talking to a person or to a machine – and sheds light on what we can do to fight back.
At the core of The Authenticity Playbook is the belief that although deceit is part of our biological and social wiring, driven by fundamental forces of evolution and economics and amplified by 21st century technology, we can come together to reclaim reality. In twelve rich and compelling stories, Alice introduces us to the world’s greatest imposter, who finally became what he pretended to be; Nature’s impeccable mimics; the wartime counterfeiter who fooled a nation into rewriting its history; the artist who encouraged people to forge his pictures; the ‘authentic’ brand that was anything but. But we also meet the people living unexpectedly real and rewarding lives in virtual worlds, and the foot soldiers in the ‘armies of truth’ who are taking down today’s conspiracies and cons.
A book for our times, The Authenticity Playbook offers insights and tactics for the pursuit of authenticity in our everyday lives.
We are increasingly searching for authenticity in a world that seems ever more inauthentic.
We live in an age where the pursuit of authenticity – be it living our ‘best life’ or eating artisan-produced food – matters more and more to us, but where the forces of inauthenticity – from internet scams and art forgeries to counterfeit pharmaceuticals and brands that offer impossible dreams of self-fulfillment – seem to be inexorably taking over.
Using a series of richly entertaining stories to make its serious point, this provocative and award-winning book explores what is driving the slide into ever more make-believe – how we have come to live in a world full of people and products that are not what they seem to be, where we no longer know whether we are talking to a person or to a machine – and sheds light on what we can do to fight back.
At the core of The Authenticity Playbook is the belief that although deceit is part of our biological and social wiring, driven by fundamental forces of evolution and economics and amplified by 21st century technology, we can come together to reclaim reality. In twelve rich and compelling stories, Alice introduces us to the world’s greatest imposter, who finally became what he pretended to be; Nature’s impeccable mimics; the wartime counterfeiter who fooled a nation into rewriting its history; the artist who encouraged people to forge his pictures; the ‘authentic’ brand that was anything but. But we also meet the people living unexpectedly real and rewarding lives in virtual worlds, and the foot soldiers in the ‘armies of truth’ who are taking down today’s conspiracies and cons.
A book for our times, The Authenticity Playbook offers insights and tactics for the pursuit of authenticity in our everyday lives.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published March 31, 2022
14 people are currently reading
290 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 24, 2022
One of the odd things about Authenticity - the book and the concept - is its slipperiness of definition. The concept initially tries to pin a degree of truth and reality on the world, an authentic coin rather than a counterfeit, authentic qualifications versus bogus. But it has also come to mean a kind of spiritual reality, people talking about being their authentic selves, musician being authentic having lived the blues and worked their way up, a drink being made the way grandma used to (or at least the founders did). Alice Sherwood's book is equally slippery, partially because she tries to deal with all these forms of authenticity in one go, and partially because she knows that she has no greater claim to be an expert than anyone else. Its clear in her attention grabbing, footnote baiting intro that she fears for her own authenticity as the definitive guide to authenticity.
The opening, with its rattling off of implausible facts which it begs us to check in the footnotes (including a fact about how many people will actually do that), starts with a bang and continues in that fashion. Each chapter takes on a different idea of authenticity, the earlier chapters are more interested int he old fashioned form of the word (so we get Newton and the Royal Mint, and a man who drifted through personalities like Zelig). The stories are refreshingly a mixture of things we may know - Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos is told at a clip here, and unknown - Sherwood had her own scammer in her life which she tells candidly. There is philosophy, true crime, and even rousing marketing stories (the Snapple story which manages to make two points that an authentic brand can survive without the authentic product). Its a hugely entertaining read.
But does Alice Sherwood succeed in defining and nailing down what authenticity is? She gives herself an out on this rather early on, and in many ways she hedges her bets a little too much. Whilst the book contains deeper, more philosophical notes, she shies away from trying to be definitive - not least because she has already noted quite how much the term has shifted in meaning.. The concept starts with objective truth but once we get to subjective and spiritual truths and lifestyle choices she knows we are in the woods. But she does do a good job at debunking the idea of off the shelf authenticity, whilst accepting that it might be the only way we piece together the stuff that defines us as individuals. Even within itself Authenticity is a book with a dual nature. It is a terrific read, but it knows it is not in a position to make any authentic long-lasting statement. Its not a book that closes the topic, its one that opens it out for this moment in time, and accepts it would be inauthentic to try to do anything else.
The opening, with its rattling off of implausible facts which it begs us to check in the footnotes (including a fact about how many people will actually do that), starts with a bang and continues in that fashion. Each chapter takes on a different idea of authenticity, the earlier chapters are more interested int he old fashioned form of the word (so we get Newton and the Royal Mint, and a man who drifted through personalities like Zelig). The stories are refreshingly a mixture of things we may know - Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos is told at a clip here, and unknown - Sherwood had her own scammer in her life which she tells candidly. There is philosophy, true crime, and even rousing marketing stories (the Snapple story which manages to make two points that an authentic brand can survive without the authentic product). Its a hugely entertaining read.
But does Alice Sherwood succeed in defining and nailing down what authenticity is? She gives herself an out on this rather early on, and in many ways she hedges her bets a little too much. Whilst the book contains deeper, more philosophical notes, she shies away from trying to be definitive - not least because she has already noted quite how much the term has shifted in meaning.. The concept starts with objective truth but once we get to subjective and spiritual truths and lifestyle choices she knows we are in the woods. But she does do a good job at debunking the idea of off the shelf authenticity, whilst accepting that it might be the only way we piece together the stuff that defines us as individuals. Even within itself Authenticity is a book with a dual nature. It is a terrific read, but it knows it is not in a position to make any authentic long-lasting statement. Its not a book that closes the topic, its one that opens it out for this moment in time, and accepts it would be inauthentic to try to do anything else.
May 9, 2022
I enjoyed this book. It is engaging and entertaining, informative and very current. Despite being so topical it is also timeless in the way it connects the con, the fake, the inauthentic throughout history showing that only the technologically-driven delivery mechanism has really changed in most cases. It is also very good at showing the surprising degree of complicity required from 'victims'. I like the way Alice Sherwood writes. There is more than sufficient substance to sustain the book to the end (in contrast I have to say some of the Malcolm Gladwell, Michael Lewis-type non-fiction books which after a couple of chapters are often revealed more as long-form essays 'over-stretched to make a book). At times I found the book a little over-structured, perhaps a little too "Masters Thesis" like, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and liked the author's easy writing style. Special thanks to NetGalley/HarperCollins UK for a no obligation advance review copy.
May 11, 2022
I did enjoy this to an extent. However with the amount of research that was greatly done in order for this book to exist I felt as if it could have been less research based as I did originally think this novel would be more so on the thoughts and learning more about the power of persuading and how to gain authenticity in this century. I enjoyed the novels reviews the most and I just wished we could have read more of her views instead of the research as she did have a lot of interesting views I would have loved to have expanded upon.
Thanks to the publishers for sending me this in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to the publishers for sending me this in exchange for an honest review.
November 3, 2023
Eine gute Sammlung von Anekdoten rund um das Thema aus Biologie, Kunstwelt und Trickbetrügerei, mit viel amüsantem Nebenkommentar garniert. Irgendwie steuern sie auch auf einen Punkt zu, den man aber nur erahnen kann. Er kommt dann im letzten Kapitel, und er ist wie erwartet ein bisschen naja, und nicht wie erwartet auch ein bisschen arg kitschig. Allgemein finde ich die Kapitel zu VR und Internet schwächer als den Rest des Buchs - und es ist selten ein gutes Zeichen, wenn die Kapitel zu den Themen, mit denen man sich auskennt nicht so gut wirken. Das könnte heißen, dass die anderen auch nicht so gut sind, und man es nur nicht merkt.
March 11, 2024
What is authenticity?
The answer seems to be growing ever more complex. However, ‘Authenticity’ does an excellent job of navigating the nuances of this notion in an engaging and often entertaining manner. The anecdotes add value to the narrative, rather than detracting from it, which can be a risk with some non-fiction reads.
I found the final section focused on technology to be particularly insightful and thought provoking. I work in cybersecurity, so deal with questions regarding authenticity on a daily basis. From a technology perspective with the rising popularity of AI, the concept of authenticity is becoming increasingly problematic. Sherwood navigates this challenging territory with a healthy dose of realism, but also with a much-needed sense of optimism.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would wholeheartedly recommend it for any Non-Fiction readers, but especially those with an interest in technology.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The answer seems to be growing ever more complex. However, ‘Authenticity’ does an excellent job of navigating the nuances of this notion in an engaging and often entertaining manner. The anecdotes add value to the narrative, rather than detracting from it, which can be a risk with some non-fiction reads.
I found the final section focused on technology to be particularly insightful and thought provoking. I work in cybersecurity, so deal with questions regarding authenticity on a daily basis. From a technology perspective with the rising popularity of AI, the concept of authenticity is becoming increasingly problematic. Sherwood navigates this challenging territory with a healthy dose of realism, but also with a much-needed sense of optimism.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would wholeheartedly recommend it for any Non-Fiction readers, but especially those with an interest in technology.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 26, 2024
If you're looking for a deeply philosophical treatise on the nature of authenticity and its seeming disappearance from a 21st-century world of dis- and mis-information, this may not be the book for you. However, if you want an eminently readable and highly entertaining exploration of the topic, Alice Sherwood's first book is perfect. From confidence men to The Origin of the Species to social media, she tackles the ways in which authenticity—and the lack thereof—has shaped our lives. Also, in featuring a rogue's gallery of tricksters from Joseph "Yellow Kid" Weil to the cuckoo bird, Sherwood shows incredible restraint in mentioning the 45th president of the USA only once, and in a footnote, no less. A great read!
Read
July 14, 2024That’s a day and a half of my life I will never get back. I never give up on a book so I finished it but it was absolutely awful. Who is this author to dictate what ‘authenticity’ is and what it isn’t? She even mentions paedophilia in relation to American elitists claiming it’s untrue, by this point I was close to vomiting. Her repeated mention of the pandemic was exhausting. This is not a book about authenticity, it’s about mainstream narrative lies.
November 4, 2023
I really enjoyed this book, it was incredibly well researched and easily accessible. I was worried there may be too much jargon however that wasn’t the case. Authenticity kept my full interest throughout the whole book and I truly hope the author writes about more topics as I loved learning about counterfeit culture in this format.
June 17, 2024
3.5 stars - entertaining and throughly researched, with some interesting parallels drawn between modern challenges and natural and historical ones - but doesn’t exactly land on a thesis.
August 14, 2023
Absolutely nothing about this book gives any true insight to authenticity more than reading any study of culture. If this was advertised as a compilation of cross-cultural observations I would have been satiated and probably given it 2 stars but this is not what this book is supposed to be, and therefore it receives one star. The writing wasn’t great either and felt very choppy at times, lacking a true aim at others.
Want to read
August 14, 2023This book does not look like my cup of tea, but after hearing the author on an episode of Cautionary Tales it seems this may be an insightful book.
October 7, 2022
An overview of what it means to be authentic, both in the terms of being truthful and being true to oneself as well as of art, in the sense of being created by its creator.
What counts as an original work is not obvious. Sherwood brings up the example of Andy Warhol's aide (accomplice?) Gerry Malanga (who made a lot of Warhols paintings). When he made some very Warhol-esque paintings, they were deemed authentic, even though Warhol never touched them. Some other paintings that were signed by Warhol were later deemed inauthentic. A lot of what Shakespeare wrote would today count as plagiarism, even though it is today seen as the literary canon, and the 'originals' have been all but forgotten.
The book is a nice mixture of anecdotes and analysis, written with a personal touch. There is also a chapter on a compulsive lier that the author met, and which caused her to look into the whole concept of authenticity.
What counts as an original work is not obvious. Sherwood brings up the example of Andy Warhol's aide (accomplice?) Gerry Malanga (who made a lot of Warhols paintings). When he made some very Warhol-esque paintings, they were deemed authentic, even though Warhol never touched them. Some other paintings that were signed by Warhol were later deemed inauthentic. A lot of what Shakespeare wrote would today count as plagiarism, even though it is today seen as the literary canon, and the 'originals' have been all but forgotten.
The book is a nice mixture of anecdotes and analysis, written with a personal touch. There is also a chapter on a compulsive lier that the author met, and which caused her to look into the whole concept of authenticity.
November 14, 2022
This was a really fascinating book and I read it twice and I was thinking about some of the stories, long after I closed the book. There are some incredible people in these pages and sometimes horrifying to think they are real. Or are they? Ms Sherwood’s thesis covers what is real and authentic and how do we protect ourselves against the inauthentic. And indeed can we?
From people pretending to be doctors, to fantasists with fantastic stories, to government collusion and widespread fraud, this book is bursting with them all. The author shares her own experiences and a horrible story about a friend and I found myself questioning my own reactions. I’m not sure how I would behave in some of the situations described but after reading this, I will strive to be more authentic. I think…
Recommended as a gift for a hard to please person who needs something to think about.
I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley
From people pretending to be doctors, to fantasists with fantastic stories, to government collusion and widespread fraud, this book is bursting with them all. The author shares her own experiences and a horrible story about a friend and I found myself questioning my own reactions. I’m not sure how I would behave in some of the situations described but after reading this, I will strive to be more authentic. I think…
Recommended as a gift for a hard to please person who needs something to think about.
I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley
July 6, 2023
A journey through the ages of the ingenious ways that people have found to counterfeit, and how those trying to claim authenticity or more recently factuality constantly have to race against them and find new technologies to protect authenticity.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews