Voodoo Histories

If you're in the mood for some real craziness to put your holiday madness into perspective, check out David Aaronovitch's Voodoo Histories.  Moving more or less chronologically from the Protocols of the Elders of Zion (which claimed that Jewish people secretly ruled the world) to the "birthers" who claim Barack Obama is not American, Aaronovitch chronicles a century of "secret" histories that didn't exist.  He also explores the motivations behind creating conspiracy theories, and the importance of finding a baseline of truth about historical events.  It's easy to see how the various conspiracies flow together, creating an entirely alternate worldview.

A couple of the conspiracies may be a bit dull unless you're very interested in Soviet or British politics, but those are easily skipped, and it is entirely worth continuing on to learn that some people think that the US government disguised missiles with holograms to look like planes and aimed them at the World Trade Center.  The narration fits the tone of the audiobook well, and overall it's a fascinating listen.