Book description
It's a fact: we all lie. And we lie a lot - two to three times in a
ten-minute conversation is the average, as Robert S Feldman, one of
the world's leading authorities on deception, shows in this
groundbreaking book.
From the 'white lies' of social niceties ('It's so nice to see you')
to lies told with intent ('I promise to give you 20% of the total
funds transferred to your vital bank account'), deception and
dishonesty play a huge - and crucial - role in our society at every
level, from the school yard ('I didn't do it!') to the halls of
government ('Iraq could launch weapons of mass destruction in 45
minutes'). Feldman draws on numerous examples from real life as well
as research into deception to reveal why.
You'll discover the truth about lying - why we all do it, what it
costs us, how children learn to lie, who it benefits, why we're so
often ready to accept the lies we're told, and how it can both succeed
in helping us and fail with catastrophic results. You'll also learn to
recognise the lies you yourself tell, and in doing so how you can
embrace a more honest approach to life.
It's an intriguing look at a major force in our lives - the everyday
deception in which we all participate. Because anyone who says they
always tell the truth is a liar.
Robert S Feldman, PhD, is a fellow of the American Psychological
Association and the Association for Psychological Science. He is an
Associate Dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and
Professor of Psychology at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He
has written over one hundred books, book chapters and scientific
articles, and his psychology textbooks have sold over one million copies
and have been translated into numerous languages.
