Books and Coffee discussion led by CUAA Professor Emeritus Michael Kalmes. are surrounded by conspiracy theories—the US government hides the proof of alien life in a place called “Area 51”—and hoaxes—the film Alien Autopsy exploits such hopes or fears. In Bunk, his exploration of hoaxes, conspiracies, and other deceptions in the American past and present, Kevin Young argues that the current tenuous relationship to truth is neither new nor un-American. Focusing primarily on social-cultural examples, he not only finds several themes interwoven in them, he suggests a way, neither certain nor easy, to unravel what he terms our “Age of Euphemism” and enhance our ability to distinguish truth from “truthiness.” In this book talk, we’ll discuss the themes Young has found and how they are integral to U.S. culture. We’ll also have a chance to ask questions about both his analysis and his suggestions for dealing with deception.