jesse walker is the book's editor. university of michigan alone who wrote rebels on the air, an alternative history of radio in america back in 2001. you can follow him on twitter or on his block page. he resents ride up the way in baltimore with his wife and two daughters. i now present you jesse walker and his second book, "the united states of paranoia". [applause] >> what i'm going to do is read a bit from the book. i'm going to talk a bit about the book. then of going to read a little bit more from book, and then we will take your questions, as will the police. [laughter] on january 30 if -- can everyone here me in the back? and january 30th, 1855, as andrew jackson exited the congressman's funeral an assassin true weapon and pointed of the president's. the pistol misfired. the gunman pulled a second weapon. as though loaded, it, too, failed to fire. several bystanders subdued the would-be killer, an unemployed house painter. lawrence later informed interrogators that he was king richard the third checks to a kill

. >> and now, jesse walker talks about his new book, "the united states of paranoia" in which he discusses popularity of conspiracy theories in aeronautical and back to the founding of the country. this is about 45 minutes. >> politics & prose action, our author events are timeless. while today we present a book dealing with in american history of conspiracies, just three days ago the cia admitted that such a place known as area 51 does actually is. even though they disembowel all knowledge of any alien, so-called conspiracy theorists rejoice. [laughter] now, the best way to some of mr. walker's book is from page eight camorra he says diamonds tend to write of political paranoia as a feature of the french. they are brown. the fear of conspiracy to any potent force across the political spectrum from the colonial era to the present, and the establishment as well as at the extremes. so while 338 of jesse's readable pages lays out in clear, often funny and is often the pricing details how that is still the case. now one present day, but now won't conspiracy that i will talk with mr. walker abo

i now present you jesse walker and his second book, "the united states of paranoia: a conspiracy theory". [applause] >> what i am going to do is read a bit from the book and talk about the book and there will be a shooting and all we a little more from the book and we will take youestion as will the police. on january 30th coup. anyone here mean that? great. on january 30, 1835, as andrew jackson exited a congressman's funeral an assassin drew a weapon and pointed it at the president. the kissel miss 5. the gunman pulled a second weapon from his cloak. voted it too continues to fire. jackson and several bystanders subdued the would-be killer. an unemployed house painter named richard ryan. later informed interrogators he was king richard iii, jackson had killed his father and with jackson dead money would be more plenty. he was judged insane and committed to an asylum wary died three decades later. at least that was the official story. wasn't long before two witnesses filed affidavits claiming to have seen lawrence at the home of mississippi senator john poindexter shortly before the at

jesse walker is the author ian here is the cover. . .

jesse walker is the editor of "reason" magazine and is the author of the new book "the united states of paranoia." always good to see you. thank you for coming on. >> thanks for having me. >> first of all, how do scenarios like the one i just talked about in syria, how do these kinds of scenarios become so widespread so quickly? >> well, i argue in the book that even when a conspiracy theory says absolutely nothing true -- and there are real conspiracies out there. but even when it is absolutely nothing true, it says something about the anxieties and thto th people it appeals to. i can't speak about the conspiracy theories about the chemical attacks in syria. but i can say when you've had -- when people remember the absence of the weapons of mass destruction in iraq or if they have longer memories or paid attention in history class, they have the gulf of tonkin incident wasn't what it was presented as. family there's going to be more appeal for a story that says something similar about the road to another war. >> there were new revelations on the extent of the national security agenc

jesse walker is the author ian here is the cover. . . >> it's an honor and exciting to be with my old friend chris, talking about her beautiful book. i love it so much. i thought maybe start with what got you on to the book, which means let's start with the most difficult emotional. can you talk a little bit -- you do in the book. >> great! [laughter] >> talk about what got you thinking about foster care and what happens when childhood is disrupted? >> there are a couple of things, first of all, thank you for being here. thank you to the strand for having us. thank you everybody for coming. okay. difficult stuff. so -- >> make it funny. >> okay. funny, difficult stuff. [laughter] okay. i grew up in a crappy family. so that happened, and i wasn't removed, although i did -- i lived with a mom and i left her when i was fourteen and never saw her again. and i lived with that guilt and that pain for a long time. i -- there was no foster care intervention. then i moved with my father, and there was child welfare did contact -- did come in to our family, but i was never removed. i was always