“Lying is a cooperative act,” says professional lie detector Pamela Meyer (TED Talk: How to spot a liar). “Think about it, a lie has no power whatsoever by its mere utterance. Its power emerges when someone else agrees to believe the lie.” Meyer works to help people see the sheer ubiquity of the falsehoods we tell and hear — and gives advice on how we might start to combat deception. Dive into her 17 favorite books about truth, dishonesty, and all the gray areas in between.
1. the post-truth era ralph keyes st. martin press, 2004
You are reading: Books on detecting lies
“keyes, who coined the term ‘post-truth era,’ argues that our modern society is awash in a kind of lying that is neither truth nor fiction, but more akin to ‘casual dishonesty.’ It’s still relevant today and it was way ahead of its time.”
2. why leaders lie john j. mearsheimer oxford university press, 2013
“lying and diplomacy: a perfect match.”
3. spying on lies philip houston et al. st. martin griffin, 2013
“excellent real-world tips for uncovering lies from three deception experts who worked on counterterrorism and criminal intelligence cases.”
4. the liar of your life robert feldman twelve books, 2010
“a great book from a university of massachusetts psychology professor on how and why deception is eroding our culture. This deception expert was the author of the famous study that found that strangers lie to each other about three times in the first ten minutes of meeting.”
5. tangled webs james b. stewart’s penguin, 2012
“An investigative journalist delves into America’s most prominent lies and liars. stewart focuses on many of the ‘greats,’ including martha stewart, barry bonds, and bernie madoff.”
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6. detecting lies and deception aldert vrij wiley, 2008
“a reliable handbook for any aspiring student of deception. This comprehensive book by the Swedish researcher reviews numerous studies and much of the fundamental research on lie detection.”
7. telling lies paul ekman w. w. norton & company, 2009
“a fantastic book from the father of emotion research. Ekman describes common motives for lying, the science of using facial expressions (“microexpressions”) to detect deception, and the concept of “leakage.”
8. the expression of emotions in man and animals independent publishing platform charles darwin createspace, 2012
“charles darwin believed that facial expressions were biologically determined and identical across cultures. In this 1872 book, he explores such themes as ‘the gradation from loud laughter to soft smile’ and ‘the shame of breaking moral laws and conventional rules.'”
9. the mechanism of human facial expression g.-b. Duchenne of Bologne and R. Andrew Cuthbertson (Translator) Cambridge University Press, 2006
“French physician Guillaume Duchenne identified the physical difference between a false or ‘social’ smile (one made consciously, using only the muscles of the mouth) and a genuine, spontaneous smile made involuntarily, using the muscles of the eyes and mouth. . In his honor, genuine smiles are now called “Duchenne smiles.”
10. the plain truth about dishonesty dan ariely harper perennial, 2013
“a fun research-based look at the cheating and dishonesty of this well-known behavioral economist. the book addresses everything from why creative people lie better to why wearing fake fashion accessories will make you more dishonest.”
11. from mendacius (about lying) [latin] st. agustin nabu press, 2012
“a classic. st. Augustine believed that a lie occurs when we ‘keep one thing in our hearts and say another’.”
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12. why we lie david livingstone smith st. martin griffin, 2007
“an important story of lies and deceit.”
13. the truth about trust david desteno hudson street press, 2014
“This fascinating book by this well-known psychologist touches on the latest science in the field of deception and trust. delves into topics like the importance of reading body language and the biological foundations of trust. Interestingly, he argues that integrity, even among the most trusted, is an unstable trait that can falter when faced with personal gain.”
14. mindwise nicholas epley knopf, 2014
“This psychologist from the University of Chicago illustrates the importance of using the sixth sense to build and maintain honest relationships.”
15. honest signs alex pentland the mit press, 2010
“pentland’s fascinating research on ‘honest signals,’ nonverbal forms of communication between individuals that, when observed, can predict outcomes in a wide variety of situations, including speed dating, salary negotiations, and job interviews” .
16. blind spots max bazerman and ann tenbrunsel princeton university press, 2012
“A look at how and why people end up making dishonest and deceptive decisions, by two renowned business ethicists.”
17. reality check guy kawasaki portfolio trading, 2011
“If you want to know the biggest lies being told by entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, lawyers, and CEOs, Kawasaki is your man.”
See Also: 15 Must-Read Empathy Books for Cultivating Kindness
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