What do you think?
Rate this book
Lie Detecting 101: A Comprehensive Course in Spotting Lies and Detecting Deceit
Lying is a normal part of human communication and is sometimes necessary to protect someone’s feelings, but there are also malicious lies meant to deceive, cheat, and defraud. You can’t always rely on what comes out of someone’s mouth. It doesn’t take mind reading superpowers to be able to tell when someone is lying—but it does take special skills and a little practice.
In Lie Detecting 101 , international expert in undercover operations Dr. David Craig provides readers with an easy-to-follow guide on applying lie-detection skills to your everyday life. From the simple skills of bargaining, making a purchase, or dealing with children, to the more serious business of negotiating a contract or identifying infidelity, Craig delivers simple but effective tips and techniques we can all use to see behind the façade and get to the truth.
Lie Detecting 101 is the culmination of over twenty years of practical criminology and hundreds of hours of academic research. Split into three parts, the book looks at understanding lies and how to detect lies, and includes an easy reference section that summarizes all the main points. With full-color photographs and practical examples, Lie Detecting 101 provides anyone with the tools to be a human lie detector. The mystery of what a person is really thinking is finally unlocked in this fascinating and informative book.
In Lie Detecting 101 , international expert in undercover operations Dr. David Craig provides readers with an easy-to-follow guide on applying lie-detection skills to your everyday life. From the simple skills of bargaining, making a purchase, or dealing with children, to the more serious business of negotiating a contract or identifying infidelity, Craig delivers simple but effective tips and techniques we can all use to see behind the façade and get to the truth.
Lie Detecting 101 is the culmination of over twenty years of practical criminology and hundreds of hours of academic research. Split into three parts, the book looks at understanding lies and how to detect lies, and includes an easy reference section that summarizes all the main points. With full-color photographs and practical examples, Lie Detecting 101 provides anyone with the tools to be a human lie detector. The mystery of what a person is really thinking is finally unlocked in this fascinating and informative book.
160 pages, Paperback
First published December 25, 2014
209 people are currently reading
358 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 5, 2018
I really liked it a lot. I always wanted to be able to tell when someone lies to me. I have always been very nieve and wanted to believe what people tell me. Then I of course find I’ve been lied to. NO MORE. This book is awesome.
November 29, 2015
Basically, this very short book details the methods of various lie detecting methods that totally (mostly)work, except for when said behavior means something some people do that is totally normal. *sigh* Not really recommended. You're more likely to piss off your family, friends, and coworkers and confuse yourself with all your new skillz. I'm sure some of the information in here is valid. However, I think one would need more actual research in order to put it in it's proper place and be effective. This book is less comprehensive and more glossed over.
July 20, 2017
Interesting topic but a very difficult book to get through. Felt like the author beat a dead horse in lots of parts of the book.
September 29, 2020
TL;DR: Pass on this one. Read Spy The Lie instead.
At this point I’ve read a few books about how to detect lies and read people’s body language. Malcolm Gladwell, in his latest book Talking to Strangers, has a pretty good takedown of lie detecting in general and Paul Ekman’s work on facial microexpressions in particular. The gist is: they don’t work. Not enough to consistently predict lying, anyway.
Which makes the timing of running across this book tough. I bought it mostly out of a sense of completion: now that I’ve read some books on the subject, I might as well keep going to “maintain my expertise”, as it were. But after having read Spy the Lie (which has really good advice and feels solid to me despite what Gladwell says) and What Every Body Is Saying (focused more on reading people’s emotional state, which is safer territory), it would take a really good book to add more to what I’ve learned. I still use a few techniques I remember from Spy The Lie when I listen to people or watch them on TV!
And this book, unfortunately, mostly isn’t worth it. Its claims are not completely out to lunch in that it admits that lie detecting is a very inexact art and that it’s tough for us lay people to get better without a lot of practice. But it also thinks that lie-detecting is a lot more reliable than Gladwell and I think it is. I haven’t seen studies that really show reliable lie detecting. I *have* seen studies that reliably show lie detectors not to work much more than chance. And some of those studies tested people who should be trained (law enforcement, government).
At this point I’ve read a few books about how to detect lies and read people’s body language. Malcolm Gladwell, in his latest book Talking to Strangers, has a pretty good takedown of lie detecting in general and Paul Ekman’s work on facial microexpressions in particular. The gist is: they don’t work. Not enough to consistently predict lying, anyway.
Which makes the timing of running across this book tough. I bought it mostly out of a sense of completion: now that I’ve read some books on the subject, I might as well keep going to “maintain my expertise”, as it were. But after having read Spy the Lie (which has really good advice and feels solid to me despite what Gladwell says) and What Every Body Is Saying (focused more on reading people’s emotional state, which is safer territory), it would take a really good book to add more to what I’ve learned. I still use a few techniques I remember from Spy The Lie when I listen to people or watch them on TV!
And this book, unfortunately, mostly isn’t worth it. Its claims are not completely out to lunch in that it admits that lie detecting is a very inexact art and that it’s tough for us lay people to get better without a lot of practice. But it also thinks that lie-detecting is a lot more reliable than Gladwell and I think it is. I haven’t seen studies that really show reliable lie detecting. I *have* seen studies that reliably show lie detectors not to work much more than chance. And some of those studies tested people who should be trained (law enforcement, government).
March 11, 2019
What a useless book.
First of all, he contradicts much of what he says, tells you something and then says, but maybe not. Like scratches no your nose means your lyrics no, unless you’re nose is itchy, or you’re nervous, or ...
Secondly, all of his data regarding left and right eye movements hav already been disproven.
Thirdly, watch people toes, wiggling them means you’re lying..or maybe not
Ugghhhhh!
First of all, he contradicts much of what he says, tells you something and then says, but maybe not. Like scratches no your nose means your lyrics no, unless you’re nose is itchy, or you’re nervous, or ...
Secondly, all of his data regarding left and right eye movements hav already been disproven.
Thirdly, watch people toes, wiggling them means you’re lying..or maybe not
Ugghhhhh!
October 22, 2021
This book gave a clear and concise description of what you need to do to get better at detecting lies. While some of the information sounded implausible ("X is true regardless of culture and background"), the basic theme of "ask control questions and compare behavior when you ask questions where a person may lie" seems like a good one.
April 23, 2018
Interesting
An interesting subject. I can see that lie defection takes a lot of practice. Understandably repetitive. Sometimes more than I need to know.
An interesting subject. I can see that lie defection takes a lot of practice. Understandably repetitive. Sometimes more than I need to know.
July 15, 2021
There is a lot of repetition in the book, but that repetition helps a reader to remember what the author is telling us about lie detecting. It is especially helpful to a reader who is not trying out her skills on family members as the author suggests.
The photos with clear facial expressions and various positioning of the body are also helpful. I remember seeing many photos of a former leader of this country with his arms crossed over his chest while seating at a long conference table with other political leaders.
What does the author say about that positioning of the arms? Read the book to learn about such things.
The photos with clear facial expressions and various positioning of the body are also helpful. I remember seeing many photos of a former leader of this country with his arms crossed over his chest while seating at a long conference table with other political leaders.
What does the author say about that positioning of the arms? Read the book to learn about such things.
March 1, 2016
Simple. Fun. A fast read packed with no-nonsense and no filler. The author jumps right in and doesn't bog you down with excess that you wouldn't remember anyway. All of his tips and tricks are easy to remember and are even summarized at the very end. The book is short and to the point. I can't recommend it more.
July 8, 2022
Very handy book to have on hand in how to figure out lies and deceit. Take away: no one is 100% accurate but you could detect lies correctly up to 80% of the time if you turn on your "liedar".
Very easy read and written by an expert. This is a very handy skill to have.
Very easy read and written by an expert. This is a very handy skill to have.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews