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The Truth About Lies: A Taxonomy of Deceit, Hoaxes and Cons
Decoding how we behave, Aja Raden's The Truth About Lies illuminates situations where we are better off lying—to ourselves and at times to others—and why it can be a healthy psychological mechanism…
308 pages, Paperback
First published May 11, 2021
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May 5, 2021
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Aja Raden, and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
Everyone lies! Let’s get that out of the way before we get any further. Aja Raden sets out to explore the world of lies that seems to have woven its way into our moral fabric, offering the reader some insight in to why we lie, how it has become commonplace, and what lies have become supposed truths over the centuries. While she attempts to divide the types of lies into three categories, she is able to show that some lies have turned to accepted truths, though many are oblivious to the fact that will is constantly being pulled over their eyes. With straightforward writing and insightful research, Raden provides the reader with a great exploration of how truth and lies are interconnected on so many levels.
Raden uses the first part of the book to explore the world of lies and swindles that some have used to tell others. Her example of a man travelling from Europe to ‘settle’ a territory in the Americas, only to sell tracts to unwitting people shows that some people will believe something because it is so far-fetched that it must have a grain of reality. Raden hashes out how and why people believe these types of large-scale cons, explaining that the extravagance is too large to trick people, so it must be true. Yet, people fall for the cons each and every time because they are hard-wired to trust in others. Shell games, where someone is to guess the location of a pea under a shell, are also prime examples of putting trust in others. The expectation is that one of the shells will hold the sought after pea, while in reality, a sleight of hand means that none of the shells possesses the item in the long run. Trust and deception are intertwined here, providing the con artist the greatest advantage throughout.
The book continues by exploring the large-scale world of deception of the masses through lies, deception, and guilt. Raden uses some wonderful examples, the greatest of which is the promotion of medications of all sorts. The reader learns of the origins of ‘snake oil salesman’ and how the masses are duped into trusting that their ailments can be cured with one item of another. Scientific studies show the effect of placebos to the individual, debunking the need for the miracle cure if the personal inherently trusts that what they are putting in their mouths (or elsewhere) is the cure all. This can be extrapolated to the world of televangelism, where the only path os the one used by the speaker on the television, whose needs to ‘save’ are wrapped in a pricy donation. People fall for this because they cannot see past the wonders of salvation or healing, however dubious or backwards it may look on the outside.
Raden’s final section tackles the topic of lies on the grandest scale, the con, where it is society who is the targeted victim of falsehoods. Using platforms of media and mass information distribution, Raden shows how there are certain soapboxes that have been used to push an idea to the masses, all in the hopes of spreading a falsehood that is so vast that it seems real. While many readers may have lived through the time where #fakenews was a daily cry, Raden explores what it means and how it works, amongst other areas of societal duping. She also offers the reader insight into how to create a great con by insisting that lies can be used, brick by brick, to create a false truth that everyone seems to follow. Fascinating throughout and definitely perplexing when put in those terms.
I do enjoy a mix in my reading, usually to keep me on my toes and my brain sharpened to some of the non-fiction topics of the day. Aja Raden did a masterful job presenting this piece as being one that is not only relevant, but also highly intriguing. The psychology, sociology, and plain history that emerges from the pages of this book are not over simplified, but used effectively to keep the reader learning at every page turn. With a strong narrative, peppered with some saltiness to lighten the mood, Raden offers a wonderfully relatable piece that will keep the rewards enthused and laughing in equal measure. Lies have a way of pulling people in, wanting to see where they were duped and how others fell for something so simplistic (in hindsight). Raden does this perfectly and kept me wanting to know more. Quite the book, sure to pique the interest of many. My only question...how much of it was true?!
Kudos, Madam Raden, for a great piece. You had me hooked from the opening pages and I learned more than I thought I could on one (vast) topic. I cannot wait to get my hands on your other book, which I hope is just as informative.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Everyone lies! Let’s get that out of the way before we get any further. Aja Raden sets out to explore the world of lies that seems to have woven its way into our moral fabric, offering the reader some insight in to why we lie, how it has become commonplace, and what lies have become supposed truths over the centuries. While she attempts to divide the types of lies into three categories, she is able to show that some lies have turned to accepted truths, though many are oblivious to the fact that will is constantly being pulled over their eyes. With straightforward writing and insightful research, Raden provides the reader with a great exploration of how truth and lies are interconnected on so many levels.
Raden uses the first part of the book to explore the world of lies and swindles that some have used to tell others. Her example of a man travelling from Europe to ‘settle’ a territory in the Americas, only to sell tracts to unwitting people shows that some people will believe something because it is so far-fetched that it must have a grain of reality. Raden hashes out how and why people believe these types of large-scale cons, explaining that the extravagance is too large to trick people, so it must be true. Yet, people fall for the cons each and every time because they are hard-wired to trust in others. Shell games, where someone is to guess the location of a pea under a shell, are also prime examples of putting trust in others. The expectation is that one of the shells will hold the sought after pea, while in reality, a sleight of hand means that none of the shells possesses the item in the long run. Trust and deception are intertwined here, providing the con artist the greatest advantage throughout.
The book continues by exploring the large-scale world of deception of the masses through lies, deception, and guilt. Raden uses some wonderful examples, the greatest of which is the promotion of medications of all sorts. The reader learns of the origins of ‘snake oil salesman’ and how the masses are duped into trusting that their ailments can be cured with one item of another. Scientific studies show the effect of placebos to the individual, debunking the need for the miracle cure if the personal inherently trusts that what they are putting in their mouths (or elsewhere) is the cure all. This can be extrapolated to the world of televangelism, where the only path os the one used by the speaker on the television, whose needs to ‘save’ are wrapped in a pricy donation. People fall for this because they cannot see past the wonders of salvation or healing, however dubious or backwards it may look on the outside.
Raden’s final section tackles the topic of lies on the grandest scale, the con, where it is society who is the targeted victim of falsehoods. Using platforms of media and mass information distribution, Raden shows how there are certain soapboxes that have been used to push an idea to the masses, all in the hopes of spreading a falsehood that is so vast that it seems real. While many readers may have lived through the time where #fakenews was a daily cry, Raden explores what it means and how it works, amongst other areas of societal duping. She also offers the reader insight into how to create a great con by insisting that lies can be used, brick by brick, to create a false truth that everyone seems to follow. Fascinating throughout and definitely perplexing when put in those terms.
I do enjoy a mix in my reading, usually to keep me on my toes and my brain sharpened to some of the non-fiction topics of the day. Aja Raden did a masterful job presenting this piece as being one that is not only relevant, but also highly intriguing. The psychology, sociology, and plain history that emerges from the pages of this book are not over simplified, but used effectively to keep the reader learning at every page turn. With a strong narrative, peppered with some saltiness to lighten the mood, Raden offers a wonderfully relatable piece that will keep the rewards enthused and laughing in equal measure. Lies have a way of pulling people in, wanting to see where they were duped and how others fell for something so simplistic (in hindsight). Raden does this perfectly and kept me wanting to know more. Quite the book, sure to pique the interest of many. My only question...how much of it was true?!
Kudos, Madam Raden, for a great piece. You had me hooked from the opening pages and I learned more than I thought I could on one (vast) topic. I cannot wait to get my hands on your other book, which I hope is just as informative.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
May 4, 2021
I, mean, thought it was pretty good.
October 28, 2022
The Truth About Lies: The Illusion of Honesty and the Evolution of Deceit by Aja Raden is one of the most interesting and eye opening books I've ever read, and honestly... It was barrels of fun!
Aja Raden is very obviously a researcher at heart. And to top it off, an educator. Aja is able to put together such insightful and interesting thoughts and facts about why we lie and how it became so common in our everyday lies. There is decades upon decades of information and different lies and tricks society has participated in, and it's all presented in an easy format.
Each section of this book highlights various types of lies and how we've experienced the various types of cons. From white lies, to the shell game, mass deception, and "fake news" - you've got an expansive list that covers almost every variation of deception and lack of honesty. From the tiniest lies, to the biggest, this book has you covered in all the best ways.
There's historical facts in this book and also incredible examples. Snake oil was once a true cure, but now is known for being a placebo/lie due to how the honest option was twisted and manipulated by greedy salesmen. This book truly was a gem and opened my eyes. The Truth About Lies was fun and easy to read, educational, and just down right interesting. I was binge reading this book and could hardly put it down.
I highly recommend this book if you like easy to read non-fiction, want to learn something new, or just enjoy a dip into the history of a specific topic.
Five out of five stars!
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
Aja Raden is very obviously a researcher at heart. And to top it off, an educator. Aja is able to put together such insightful and interesting thoughts and facts about why we lie and how it became so common in our everyday lies. There is decades upon decades of information and different lies and tricks society has participated in, and it's all presented in an easy format.
Each section of this book highlights various types of lies and how we've experienced the various types of cons. From white lies, to the shell game, mass deception, and "fake news" - you've got an expansive list that covers almost every variation of deception and lack of honesty. From the tiniest lies, to the biggest, this book has you covered in all the best ways.
There's historical facts in this book and also incredible examples. Snake oil was once a true cure, but now is known for being a placebo/lie due to how the honest option was twisted and manipulated by greedy salesmen. This book truly was a gem and opened my eyes. The Truth About Lies was fun and easy to read, educational, and just down right interesting. I was binge reading this book and could hardly put it down.
I highly recommend this book if you like easy to read non-fiction, want to learn something new, or just enjoy a dip into the history of a specific topic.
Five out of five stars!
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
April 2, 2021
Thank you to Sara at St. Martin’s Press for my copy of this book.
The Truth About Lies seeks to explain why we, as humans, fall for lies, hoaxes, and the like. The author uses historical examples of successful lies from small (the shell game) to huge (the housing bubble) to illustrate our vulnerability. She attempts to break down our responses to lies in psychological and sociological terms. You may think this book sounds too serious, but the author maintains a snarky sense of humor throughout the book.
The sense of humor used in the book WAS really funny. The use of footnotes to add humorous asides to stories really did amuse me. I’m just not sure I was able to take the author, or her subject, seriously. In addition, frequent use of “f***” as a verb, adverb, and adjective detracted from the credibility of the book. The inclusion of political perspective didn’t help.
An interesting topic and an easy, enjoyable writing style kept my interest. I was also surprised by several good points (such as the point about money). If you like social insight that isn’t dry and boring, you may want to give this book a look.
The Truth About Lies seeks to explain why we, as humans, fall for lies, hoaxes, and the like. The author uses historical examples of successful lies from small (the shell game) to huge (the housing bubble) to illustrate our vulnerability. She attempts to break down our responses to lies in psychological and sociological terms. You may think this book sounds too serious, but the author maintains a snarky sense of humor throughout the book.
The sense of humor used in the book WAS really funny. The use of footnotes to add humorous asides to stories really did amuse me. I’m just not sure I was able to take the author, or her subject, seriously. In addition, frequent use of “f***” as a verb, adverb, and adjective detracted from the credibility of the book. The inclusion of political perspective didn’t help.
An interesting topic and an easy, enjoyable writing style kept my interest. I was also surprised by several good points (such as the point about money). If you like social insight that isn’t dry and boring, you may want to give this book a look.
August 20, 2021
Once again, Aja Raden needs a 12 star rating system. Propelled by what she shared with us in Stoned: Jewelry, Obsession, and How Desire Shapes the World, she now takes a cliff dive into the world of hoaxes, schemes and charming scalliwags. And cons. Long cons, short cons, skinny cons, cons that climb on rocks.
You will be amazed to discover that the label Snake Oil salesman began with a guy who sold snake oil.
We are treated to a longer look at the diamond industry and those 2 women at NW Ayers who lied their butts off for DeBeers diamonds, creating rarity, need and big moolah out of thin air for decades. I still hope they got paid a bunch of money, but I still doubt it.
The truth is not necessarily true, and we all agree to that, because otherwise our monetary system would fall flat on its Long Con ass. We learn our brain is itself a con artist (it lies to you all the time), and needs to be, so we can walk around on the planet without going bonkers questioning everything we see, hear or touch.
You get the fact that your mother punished you for lying, but in fact - because she is human - she lied, too. (So you can stop winding yourself up trying to never lie.) Humans require lies to continue on the top of the food chain, and for society to function in whatever way society functions.
I now don't have to think of my siblings who got the day of John F. Kennedy's funeral all wrong as people who just were not paying attention. 5 people - 5 different rememberings. Because none of them used my brain for processing - each has their own version. Also true.
You will be amazed to discover that the label Snake Oil salesman began with a guy who sold snake oil.
We are treated to a longer look at the diamond industry and those 2 women at NW Ayers who lied their butts off for DeBeers diamonds, creating rarity, need and big moolah out of thin air for decades. I still hope they got paid a bunch of money, but I still doubt it.
The truth is not necessarily true, and we all agree to that, because otherwise our monetary system would fall flat on its Long Con ass. We learn our brain is itself a con artist (it lies to you all the time), and needs to be, so we can walk around on the planet without going bonkers questioning everything we see, hear or touch.
You get the fact that your mother punished you for lying, but in fact - because she is human - she lied, too. (So you can stop winding yourself up trying to never lie.) Humans require lies to continue on the top of the food chain, and for society to function in whatever way society functions.
I now don't have to think of my siblings who got the day of John F. Kennedy's funeral all wrong as people who just were not paying attention. 5 people - 5 different rememberings. Because none of them used my brain for processing - each has their own version. Also true.
May 27, 2021
Great. Googly. Moogly. What a book.
We are all hardwired to lie. Who knew? And apparently, we are all hardwired to believe a lie [or of a certain perception], no matter what it might be [think the "War of the Worlds" radio broadcast].
Filled with facts and told with often biting humor, the author tackles a difficult subject and breaks down just how all of this affects all of us. But don't take my word for it - go and read. And be in awe as I am of just how mind-blowing this subject is.
Thank you to NetGalley, Aja Raden, and St. Martin's Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
** SIDE NOTE: The author narrates this book, and I really think that helped this book come alive for me. To hear the snarky sarcasm and humor really put things into perspective and made this subject even easier to digest. I HIGHLY recommend listening to this book!!
We are all hardwired to lie. Who knew? And apparently, we are all hardwired to believe a lie [or of a certain perception], no matter what it might be [think the "War of the Worlds" radio broadcast].
Filled with facts and told with often biting humor, the author tackles a difficult subject and breaks down just how all of this affects all of us. But don't take my word for it - go and read. And be in awe as I am of just how mind-blowing this subject is.
Thank you to NetGalley, Aja Raden, and St. Martin's Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
** SIDE NOTE: The author narrates this book, and I really think that helped this book come alive for me. To hear the snarky sarcasm and humor really put things into perspective and made this subject even easier to digest. I HIGHLY recommend listening to this book!!
August 25, 2025
i want to rewatch all my favorite documentaries now with this book open on my lap so I can identify all the different lies, schemes, and scams
February 23, 2021
The Truth About Lies by Aja Raden
Aja Raden’s book is well-timed, with election conspiracy theories still echoing across the country. As frustrated partisans glare at each other across the divide, Raden steps in to explain how people can believe such different truths and refuse to budge despite the facts compiled to move them.
The truth is, Raden says, we can’t handle the truth. She combines history and behavioral science to delightful effect to show us that lying is simply part of the human condition. So is believing lies -- the bigger the lie, the better. Raden travels through time to show the patterns repeating: how Rasputin conned a desperate tsarina in the early 20th Century and how Bernie Madoff built a better Ponzi scheme a hundred years later. No matter how much more sophisticated we get, the cons keep coming.
“Whether they’re the lies we tell each other or the subtler and more complicated lies we tell ourselves, deceit and belief are two halves of one whole,” Raden says. “Society cannot function without both.”
Her study of “the evolution of deceit” covers politics, religion, business and medicine. Jaw-dropping examples lay out the Big Lie, the Long Con and more ways to exploit our healthy default of believing what people tell us. Yes, there will be snake oil. The results can be funny -- Orson Welles’ Martian hoax, for example -- until they’re not. Readers likely will think of the deadly assault on the Capitol built on false claims that the 2020 election was stolen. This book is too new to get into that, but Raden does make a reference to President Trump and his one-time “guru” Steve Bannon to show how the rich and powerful can figure in.
It’s serious stuff, but Raden’s humor makes even the bitterest pills palatable. Take Bitcoin, an example of a financial instrument as tempting as it is impossible to quantify. “Sure, you can use it to buy things, in certain venues,” she says, “though the same is true of live chickens.”
In Raden’s sure hands, the madness of the mortgage meltdown becomes more understandable, and art masterpieces less so. The takeaway is: There are facts, there are lies and they are not opposites. A lie can become your truth. And beware, beware the conventional wisdom.
In “The Truth About Lies,” Raden joins the ranks of gifted commentators such as Dan Ariely (“Predictably Irrational”), Malcolm Gladwell (“Talking to Strangers”) and Shankar Vedantum (“Hidden Brain”), who help us make sense of our senseless behavior. She lays out lots to ponder here, promising her book a long shelf life.
“When you fall for lies, as you have, as you will again, it doesn’t mean you’re stupid or there’s something wrong with you,” she reassures. “Quite the contrary, it means that everything is working exactly the way it’s designed to.”
Aja Raden’s book is well-timed, with election conspiracy theories still echoing across the country. As frustrated partisans glare at each other across the divide, Raden steps in to explain how people can believe such different truths and refuse to budge despite the facts compiled to move them.
The truth is, Raden says, we can’t handle the truth. She combines history and behavioral science to delightful effect to show us that lying is simply part of the human condition. So is believing lies -- the bigger the lie, the better. Raden travels through time to show the patterns repeating: how Rasputin conned a desperate tsarina in the early 20th Century and how Bernie Madoff built a better Ponzi scheme a hundred years later. No matter how much more sophisticated we get, the cons keep coming.
“Whether they’re the lies we tell each other or the subtler and more complicated lies we tell ourselves, deceit and belief are two halves of one whole,” Raden says. “Society cannot function without both.”
Her study of “the evolution of deceit” covers politics, religion, business and medicine. Jaw-dropping examples lay out the Big Lie, the Long Con and more ways to exploit our healthy default of believing what people tell us. Yes, there will be snake oil. The results can be funny -- Orson Welles’ Martian hoax, for example -- until they’re not. Readers likely will think of the deadly assault on the Capitol built on false claims that the 2020 election was stolen. This book is too new to get into that, but Raden does make a reference to President Trump and his one-time “guru” Steve Bannon to show how the rich and powerful can figure in.
It’s serious stuff, but Raden’s humor makes even the bitterest pills palatable. Take Bitcoin, an example of a financial instrument as tempting as it is impossible to quantify. “Sure, you can use it to buy things, in certain venues,” she says, “though the same is true of live chickens.”
In Raden’s sure hands, the madness of the mortgage meltdown becomes more understandable, and art masterpieces less so. The takeaway is: There are facts, there are lies and they are not opposites. A lie can become your truth. And beware, beware the conventional wisdom.
In “The Truth About Lies,” Raden joins the ranks of gifted commentators such as Dan Ariely (“Predictably Irrational”), Malcolm Gladwell (“Talking to Strangers”) and Shankar Vedantum (“Hidden Brain”), who help us make sense of our senseless behavior. She lays out lots to ponder here, promising her book a long shelf life.
“When you fall for lies, as you have, as you will again, it doesn’t mean you’re stupid or there’s something wrong with you,” she reassures. “Quite the contrary, it means that everything is working exactly the way it’s designed to.”
April 19, 2021
I wore out a highlighter on this one.
I read and listen to a ton of content covering critical thinking, skepticism, myths, and cons. So I was concerned this book would be a lot of stuff I've already come across. I was pleasantly surprised, repeatedly, by stories of cons and lies I had never heard of. The writing is clear, with a light irreverent tone. The book's structure, a chapter on each of the nine types of lies, is brilliant and makes for fun reading. My favorite moments are when the author philosophizes on the human condition. Why we need lies. Truth vs fact. How we construct reality. My only quibble would be the findings of some psychology experiments are given too much weight. I can now better discover and avoid the lies around me, and I also have a good idea for a new con if I ever have to go to the Dark Side.
This isn't just another science book. It is more. One I'd be happy to read again.
"Its one thing to make up a girlfriend who lives in Canada. But who makes up Canada?"
"Incompetence is a powerful motive to fear the future."
"You never know who is swimming naked until the tide goes out." - Warren Buffett
"The Truth about lies is that they're not only contagious-they're almost impossible to cure."
"Some lies become so necessary that we not only avoid confronting them but actively work to securitize them against exposure. The lie has become not merely too big but, in fact, too real to fail."
Things I learned: The mosquito coast is named after the Miskito Amerindians not the insect. Soapy Smith ran a telegraph to nowhere in Alaska profitably, for a year! The placebo effect doesn't work on Alzheimer's patients. Without the ability to remember the past or anticipate the future, priming doesn't work. Coca-Cola removed the cocaine from their soda because of a backlash when Black people were able to buy it. Michelangelo gained fame as a forger. Years before the "War of the World" radio program; England had a similar panic inducing fake broadcast about a revolution in London.
I read and listen to a ton of content covering critical thinking, skepticism, myths, and cons. So I was concerned this book would be a lot of stuff I've already come across. I was pleasantly surprised, repeatedly, by stories of cons and lies I had never heard of. The writing is clear, with a light irreverent tone. The book's structure, a chapter on each of the nine types of lies, is brilliant and makes for fun reading. My favorite moments are when the author philosophizes on the human condition. Why we need lies. Truth vs fact. How we construct reality. My only quibble would be the findings of some psychology experiments are given too much weight. I can now better discover and avoid the lies around me, and I also have a good idea for a new con if I ever have to go to the Dark Side.
This isn't just another science book. It is more. One I'd be happy to read again.
"Its one thing to make up a girlfriend who lives in Canada. But who makes up Canada?"
"Incompetence is a powerful motive to fear the future."
"You never know who is swimming naked until the tide goes out." - Warren Buffett
"The Truth about lies is that they're not only contagious-they're almost impossible to cure."
"Some lies become so necessary that we not only avoid confronting them but actively work to securitize them against exposure. The lie has become not merely too big but, in fact, too real to fail."
Things I learned: The mosquito coast is named after the Miskito Amerindians not the insect. Soapy Smith ran a telegraph to nowhere in Alaska profitably, for a year! The placebo effect doesn't work on Alzheimer's patients. Without the ability to remember the past or anticipate the future, priming doesn't work. Coca-Cola removed the cocaine from their soda because of a backlash when Black people were able to buy it. Michelangelo gained fame as a forger. Years before the "War of the World" radio program; England had a similar panic inducing fake broadcast about a revolution in London.
February 19, 2021
I was given a review copy by the publisher.
I will admit, I was hesitant to read this. After the last few years of being bombarded by "fake news" and social media propaganda, the constant daily list of lies from You-Know-Who, and the growing acceptance of the "post-truth society", I really didn't want to think about this topic. Can't we just try being honest with each other?
Well, as it turns out, no. We're hard-wired, almost literally from birth, to deceive each other. The only questions are how much we're going to do it and whether we're going to get caught. (Short answers, more than we like to admit, and, eventually, yes, but it it may not matter.)
Raden delves into the different types of deceit, from the Big Lie, the Shell Game, and the Bait and Switch to the Long Con. She goes from small-scale grifters to massive civilization-wide cons such as the value of diamonds or the mortgage market, and even religion. She doesn't just tell stories, though, she addresses philosophical questions like what it takes for a lie to be accepted as fact, or why we refuse to accept it when we're told we've been lied to. (And although Raden mostly stays away from contemporary politics, the implications for how we're going to rebuild our world are horrifying.)
What really hooked me was the easy-going and conversational writing style. It was fun to read, and I read most of the book in one sitting. (Though if you're offended by f-bombs, you should probably stay clear of this - personally, I like them, because they made the writing feel authentic.) It was a great mixture of stories, psychology and philosophy, combining humor and shock with fascinating information.
If you enjoy shows like Hustle or Lupin, you'll enjoy this book.
I will admit, I was hesitant to read this. After the last few years of being bombarded by "fake news" and social media propaganda, the constant daily list of lies from You-Know-Who, and the growing acceptance of the "post-truth society", I really didn't want to think about this topic. Can't we just try being honest with each other?
Well, as it turns out, no. We're hard-wired, almost literally from birth, to deceive each other. The only questions are how much we're going to do it and whether we're going to get caught. (Short answers, more than we like to admit, and, eventually, yes, but it it may not matter.)
Raden delves into the different types of deceit, from the Big Lie, the Shell Game, and the Bait and Switch to the Long Con. She goes from small-scale grifters to massive civilization-wide cons such as the value of diamonds or the mortgage market, and even religion. She doesn't just tell stories, though, she addresses philosophical questions like what it takes for a lie to be accepted as fact, or why we refuse to accept it when we're told we've been lied to. (And although Raden mostly stays away from contemporary politics, the implications for how we're going to rebuild our world are horrifying.)
What really hooked me was the easy-going and conversational writing style. It was fun to read, and I read most of the book in one sitting. (Though if you're offended by f-bombs, you should probably stay clear of this - personally, I like them, because they made the writing feel authentic.) It was a great mixture of stories, psychology and philosophy, combining humor and shock with fascinating information.
If you enjoy shows like Hustle or Lupin, you'll enjoy this book.
February 4, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of
The Truth About Lies.
This was a fascinating, informative (sometimes hilarious) read about dishonesty, deceit, and the illusion of honesty.
Lying is essential to the human species. We lie because we can. We lie to survive.
We lie to deceive. We lie to achieve. We lie to succeed.
But, why do we lie? How do people fall for it?
The author breaks it down for the readers, the psychological and behavioral and cognitive factors behind why we lie, how so many people are suckers and get suckered in, and why con games are an enduring part of capitalism.
The writing is great; straightforward, blunt, no fancy words, some cussing which adds levity with a hint of dark humor to the topic.
I highly recommend this book.
It might not make you smarter, but it might prevent you from falling for a business proposition that sounds just a tad bit too good to be true.
This was a fascinating, informative (sometimes hilarious) read about dishonesty, deceit, and the illusion of honesty.
Lying is essential to the human species. We lie because we can. We lie to survive.
We lie to deceive. We lie to achieve. We lie to succeed.
But, why do we lie? How do people fall for it?
The author breaks it down for the readers, the psychological and behavioral and cognitive factors behind why we lie, how so many people are suckers and get suckered in, and why con games are an enduring part of capitalism.
The writing is great; straightforward, blunt, no fancy words, some cussing which adds levity with a hint of dark humor to the topic.
I highly recommend this book.
It might not make you smarter, but it might prevent you from falling for a business proposition that sounds just a tad bit too good to be true.
September 14, 2021
Great non-fiction, a mix of psychology talking about truth-lie biases and stories on how humanity was deceived by those.
July 23, 2021
The truth is I would be lying if I said this book kept my interest.
The Truth About Lies had an interesting premise, however, I didn't much care for the author's execution. She would start off on a story that was genuinely interesting, and then have a few "squirrel" moments where she'd go off on a side tangent about a handful of other things, and then come back to the story she started with. That was a tad irksome. There were also quips and asides aplenty- some added value to the chapter, but many didn't, which was also annoying.
About halfway through the book I started to become bored. I found myself trying not to fall asleep on many occasions, and the last third of this book was an absolute slog to get through. I found that there started to be repetition, and that it wasn't keeping me engaged. Perhaps if there was less repetition, and fewer "squirrel" moments, I would have enjoyed this more. It's a shame, really. I was genuinely intrigued by the prospect of this book. It just failed to deliver for me (meanwhile my mum gave it a 5-star rating... to each her own).
On the list of subjects I did like in this book: the fake country, the fake mine, and the statement "who would lie about Canada?".
The Truth About Lies had an interesting premise, however, I didn't much care for the author's execution. She would start off on a story that was genuinely interesting, and then have a few "squirrel" moments where she'd go off on a side tangent about a handful of other things, and then come back to the story she started with. That was a tad irksome. There were also quips and asides aplenty- some added value to the chapter, but many didn't, which was also annoying.
About halfway through the book I started to become bored. I found myself trying not to fall asleep on many occasions, and the last third of this book was an absolute slog to get through. I found that there started to be repetition, and that it wasn't keeping me engaged. Perhaps if there was less repetition, and fewer "squirrel" moments, I would have enjoyed this more. It's a shame, really. I was genuinely intrigued by the prospect of this book. It just failed to deliver for me (meanwhile my mum gave it a 5-star rating... to each her own).
On the list of subjects I did like in this book: the fake country, the fake mine, and the statement "who would lie about Canada?".
May 1, 2023
I grabbed this because I absolutely LOVED Raden's first book, Stoned. And while I did enjoy what I read of this one, it just didn't grab me in the same way. I think most of that is due to the fact that I had already heard a lot of the stories Raden brings up in this one, and was aware of a lot of the content being presented. So while it's all definitely very interesting, it's just stuff I have already heard before. I do recommend it if you enjoy her writing and are curious about the history of cons, frauds, etc. and it's not something you've looked into before. It also presents the idea of "truth" as being just what we all accept as being reality and explains the theory much better than I ever could.
A worthwhile read and an interesting topic, just not something that caught my attention as strongly as her other work has.
A worthwhile read and an interesting topic, just not something that caught my attention as strongly as her other work has.
March 15, 2021
I felt some of this book was quite compelling. I liked how to the author divided the book and then broke down segment and went in depth with each. The author obviously cares about honesty and lies in the larger picture. However, I really did not learn anything new or mind blowing and there was not much of a bibliography. Seriously?! Like 70% of the book was your own original thoughts and observations? Plagiarism, anyone? Maybe that is part of "the lies."
Just ok for me and still recommended for other people into psychology and truth/lies.
Thanks to Netgalley, Aja Raden and St Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Available: 5/11/21
Just ok for me and still recommended for other people into psychology and truth/lies.
Thanks to Netgalley, Aja Raden and St Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Available: 5/11/21
October 27, 2021
It's been a while since I've read a pop psychology book, but I used to devour them. This book reminded me of those classics like Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely and Freakonomics by Stephen J. Dubner and Steven Levitt. The Truth About Lies explores some of the biggest cons in history and in our everyday lives, from MLM schemes to art forgeries.
Raden also shares sharp insights into the necessity of lies, given that our collective intelligence is founded on trust (or "honesty bias," where we tend to believe things we're told as being true). This gives us an evolutionary edge because we can pass down knowledge through generations without needing to spend time confirming facts ourselves. She notes that this is also why we're so easily deceived. Most of the time, we believe lies because they feed beliefs we desperately want to believe. Plus, the worth of anything, from Bitcoin to diamonds and money itself, is all based on unspoken social contracts.
Overall, I loved the variety of examples, and although the colloquial, conspiratorial writing style was a bit cheesy at times, it entertained me. Better to have a book that tries too hard to be "come hither" than one that is dry as an overbaked biscuit. I agreed with most of Raden's points, and I appreciated that she didn't hold any punches when it came to pointing out the deceit involved with religious or political beliefs.
One problem, though, with me being such an avid pop psychology reader and having a BA in psychology is that I've heard most of these stories and theories before. So, when the author describes ideas as if to someone who's never heard of them, it makes me feel like the audience for this book is people who have never read about psychology before. That's understandable, given an author would rather define all the terms for new readers than leave them confused, but it ultimately makes the book feel like a beginner's guide when I prefer to go beyond the basics I've heard a dozen times before in classes and other books.
However, the book opens with a perfect example, focusing on Gregor MacGregor and his scheme of inventing the fictional colony Poyais in the early nineteenth century. The whole story is wild and fascinating. I also particularly enjoyed the parts about Rasputin as well as Raden's takedown of the diamond industry. The one example I was skeptical of was the War of the Worlds radio drama that supposedly incited real violence. I had heard that story before, but I had later heard that it was debunked, with the panic being called a "myth" by both NPR and Slate. But as Raden says, there are always multiple versions of the truth. https://slate.com/culture/2013/10/ors...
The publisher offered me a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. A family member bought the audiobook, so I ended up listening to that instead, which was read by the author (probably one of the best author readings of their own book I've come across, and I've listened to a lot of them). Raden's voice and inflections were a great fit for the sensational tone of the book.
This is definitely a book I would recommend to readers who are new to the pop psychology genre and want a fun entry point.
Raden also shares sharp insights into the necessity of lies, given that our collective intelligence is founded on trust (or "honesty bias," where we tend to believe things we're told as being true). This gives us an evolutionary edge because we can pass down knowledge through generations without needing to spend time confirming facts ourselves. She notes that this is also why we're so easily deceived. Most of the time, we believe lies because they feed beliefs we desperately want to believe. Plus, the worth of anything, from Bitcoin to diamonds and money itself, is all based on unspoken social contracts.
Overall, I loved the variety of examples, and although the colloquial, conspiratorial writing style was a bit cheesy at times, it entertained me. Better to have a book that tries too hard to be "come hither" than one that is dry as an overbaked biscuit. I agreed with most of Raden's points, and I appreciated that she didn't hold any punches when it came to pointing out the deceit involved with religious or political beliefs.
One problem, though, with me being such an avid pop psychology reader and having a BA in psychology is that I've heard most of these stories and theories before. So, when the author describes ideas as if to someone who's never heard of them, it makes me feel like the audience for this book is people who have never read about psychology before. That's understandable, given an author would rather define all the terms for new readers than leave them confused, but it ultimately makes the book feel like a beginner's guide when I prefer to go beyond the basics I've heard a dozen times before in classes and other books.
However, the book opens with a perfect example, focusing on Gregor MacGregor and his scheme of inventing the fictional colony Poyais in the early nineteenth century. The whole story is wild and fascinating. I also particularly enjoyed the parts about Rasputin as well as Raden's takedown of the diamond industry. The one example I was skeptical of was the War of the Worlds radio drama that supposedly incited real violence. I had heard that story before, but I had later heard that it was debunked, with the panic being called a "myth" by both NPR and Slate. But as Raden says, there are always multiple versions of the truth. https://slate.com/culture/2013/10/ors...
The publisher offered me a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. A family member bought the audiobook, so I ended up listening to that instead, which was read by the author (probably one of the best author readings of their own book I've come across, and I've listened to a lot of them). Raden's voice and inflections were a great fit for the sensational tone of the book.
This is definitely a book I would recommend to readers who are new to the pop psychology genre and want a fun entry point.
May 15, 2021
It wasn’t that long back when I was reviewing ‘The Devil Wins: A History of Lying from the Garden of Eden to the Enlightenment’ by Dallas G. Denery. Upon the second reading of the tome, prior to effecting my review, I felt that this book was unique in its subject matter and presentation. I was wrong though.
The premise of Denery’s book was something like this: Is it ever good enough to lie?
This question plays an astonishingly imperative function in the story of Europe's transition from medieval to modern society. In keeping with numerous historians, Europe became modern when Europeans began to lie--that is, when they began to argue that it is sometimes acceptable to lie.
This popular account offers a clear trajectory of historical progression from a medieval world of faith, in which every lie is sinful, to a more worldly early modern society in which lying becomes a permissible strategy for self-defense and self-advancement.
Upon the second reading of the Denery’s tome, prior to effecting my review, I felt that this book was exclusive in its subject matter and presentation.
I was wrong though.
I had the contentment of reading the recently published tome ‘The Truth About Lies’ by Aja Raden. It is a wonderful wonderful book.
Raden’s hypothesis is just an overturn of Denery’s. As the blurb declares the book is ‘both an eye-opening primer on con-artistry—from pyramid schemes to shell games, forgery to hoaxes—and also a telescopic view of society through the mechanics of belief: why we lie, why we believe, and how, if at all, the acts differ.’
Organized in three parts: 1) Lies We Tell Each Other, 2) Lies We Tell Ourselves, and 3) Lies We All Agree to Believe, ‘The Truth About Lies’ scrutinizes the affiliation of truth to lie, conviction to trust, and dishonesty to misinformation using neurological, historical, sociological, and psychological insights and examples.
The book proposes that some of our most cherished institutions are fundamentally enormous versions of those self-same, very old cons and also complicate the vision we have of both the habitual liar and the classic “sucker.”
Why do people believe what they believe? Ask yourself: What are you sure of?
We can start simple; let’s just talk about basic facts. How many facts are you certain you know? Quite a few of them, probably. You know your ABCs, you know state capitals, you know water molecules are composed of two hydrogen atoms bonded to one oxygen atom.
You know that the earth is round, right?
Are you sure? How did you come by this certainty? Surely you didn’t do the calculations yourself.
The odds are, if you tried to right now, you wouldn’t be able to, because you don’t even know exactly which geometric calculations were used, thousands of years ago, to determine that fact in the first place. And even if you did know what they were, your math skills probably aren’t that strong.
Raden’s point is not to convince you that the earth is flat—of course it’s not. Her point is to show you how many truths you accept without ever considering why you believe them to be true. She doesn’t want you to question whether or not the earth is round; she just wants you to realize that you never really did.
We blindly rely upon certain facts: things we’re taught, things we can observe or reason. And once we “know” these things, we never really question them again.
But often we also deem things to be fact basically because we’re presented with them. Neurologists refer to this tendency as an ‘honesty bias’. It’s how we know almost everything that we know: someone else told us.
Or someone showed us, or we read it in a book. And though honesty bias may sound too stupid to be true, in a strange, roundabout way, it’s what makes us all—as a group—so compellingly intellectual.
This book looks at nine basic cons from several angles, among those: the swindlers who worked them, the lies they told, and the people who were taken in.
Each chapter tells the contemptible story of a classic con and illustrates the mechanism by which it works, using both current and historical examples.
From the story of a fake Martian invasion that started a very real riot, twice, to the modern madness of Twitter; from a Wild West diamond scam so vast it made fools (and in some cases criminals) of the well-heeled investors of 1872 (including Charles Tiffany) to the tale of that same bait-and-switch scam dressed up in a new investment opportunity called mortgage-backed securities, which nearly toppled the world banking system in 2008.
This book examines the Pyramid Schemes you’ve heard of, the ones you haven’t, and the ones we’ve all bought into without even realizing.
More important, each chapter examines mechanisms of faith and the unrelenting—and maybe primary—role that too-good-to-be-true and faith-based deals have played in human history. Is the twisted tale of selling Snake Oil, which started the craze for so-called patent medicines and led to America’s first Victorian opioid crisis and the subsequent crackdown by the newly formed FDA, really about gullibility, or does the strange science of placebos tell us more about the biology of belief than we realize?
Grab a copy as soon as possible. You’d love it almost certainly.
The premise of Denery’s book was something like this: Is it ever good enough to lie?
This question plays an astonishingly imperative function in the story of Europe's transition from medieval to modern society. In keeping with numerous historians, Europe became modern when Europeans began to lie--that is, when they began to argue that it is sometimes acceptable to lie.
This popular account offers a clear trajectory of historical progression from a medieval world of faith, in which every lie is sinful, to a more worldly early modern society in which lying becomes a permissible strategy for self-defense and self-advancement.
Upon the second reading of the Denery’s tome, prior to effecting my review, I felt that this book was exclusive in its subject matter and presentation.
I was wrong though.
I had the contentment of reading the recently published tome ‘The Truth About Lies’ by Aja Raden. It is a wonderful wonderful book.
Raden’s hypothesis is just an overturn of Denery’s. As the blurb declares the book is ‘both an eye-opening primer on con-artistry—from pyramid schemes to shell games, forgery to hoaxes—and also a telescopic view of society through the mechanics of belief: why we lie, why we believe, and how, if at all, the acts differ.’
Organized in three parts: 1) Lies We Tell Each Other, 2) Lies We Tell Ourselves, and 3) Lies We All Agree to Believe, ‘The Truth About Lies’ scrutinizes the affiliation of truth to lie, conviction to trust, and dishonesty to misinformation using neurological, historical, sociological, and psychological insights and examples.
The book proposes that some of our most cherished institutions are fundamentally enormous versions of those self-same, very old cons and also complicate the vision we have of both the habitual liar and the classic “sucker.”
Why do people believe what they believe? Ask yourself: What are you sure of?
We can start simple; let’s just talk about basic facts. How many facts are you certain you know? Quite a few of them, probably. You know your ABCs, you know state capitals, you know water molecules are composed of two hydrogen atoms bonded to one oxygen atom.
You know that the earth is round, right?
Are you sure? How did you come by this certainty? Surely you didn’t do the calculations yourself.
The odds are, if you tried to right now, you wouldn’t be able to, because you don’t even know exactly which geometric calculations were used, thousands of years ago, to determine that fact in the first place. And even if you did know what they were, your math skills probably aren’t that strong.
Raden’s point is not to convince you that the earth is flat—of course it’s not. Her point is to show you how many truths you accept without ever considering why you believe them to be true. She doesn’t want you to question whether or not the earth is round; she just wants you to realize that you never really did.
We blindly rely upon certain facts: things we’re taught, things we can observe or reason. And once we “know” these things, we never really question them again.
But often we also deem things to be fact basically because we’re presented with them. Neurologists refer to this tendency as an ‘honesty bias’. It’s how we know almost everything that we know: someone else told us.
Or someone showed us, or we read it in a book. And though honesty bias may sound too stupid to be true, in a strange, roundabout way, it’s what makes us all—as a group—so compellingly intellectual.
This book looks at nine basic cons from several angles, among those: the swindlers who worked them, the lies they told, and the people who were taken in.
Each chapter tells the contemptible story of a classic con and illustrates the mechanism by which it works, using both current and historical examples.
From the story of a fake Martian invasion that started a very real riot, twice, to the modern madness of Twitter; from a Wild West diamond scam so vast it made fools (and in some cases criminals) of the well-heeled investors of 1872 (including Charles Tiffany) to the tale of that same bait-and-switch scam dressed up in a new investment opportunity called mortgage-backed securities, which nearly toppled the world banking system in 2008.
This book examines the Pyramid Schemes you’ve heard of, the ones you haven’t, and the ones we’ve all bought into without even realizing.
More important, each chapter examines mechanisms of faith and the unrelenting—and maybe primary—role that too-good-to-be-true and faith-based deals have played in human history. Is the twisted tale of selling Snake Oil, which started the craze for so-called patent medicines and led to America’s first Victorian opioid crisis and the subsequent crackdown by the newly formed FDA, really about gullibility, or does the strange science of placebos tell us more about the biology of belief than we realize?
Grab a copy as soon as possible. You’d love it almost certainly.
August 1, 2021
Wild and entertaining truth about lies! My favorite is the long con that is the diamond engagement ring.
I'm an Aja Raden fan. I was so thrilled to discover she narrated the audiobook that I must listen to it immediately! I love her voice and how she adds color a drama to the storytelling with her reading. Love it loveit love it🥰
I'm an Aja Raden fan. I was so thrilled to discover she narrated the audiobook that I must listen to it immediately! I love her voice and how she adds color a drama to the storytelling with her reading. Love it loveit love it🥰
April 21, 2021
Extraordinarily provocative. Aja Raden writes with stunning clarity and command; the scope of her knowledge is breathtaking; she is convincing, captivating and ridiculously funny and refreshingly irreverent, and has thoroughly tapped into the zeitgeist. It's so brilliant and memorable that you'll want to highlight every paragraph. This is a must-read.
September 26, 2024
Fascinating, and unsettling.
May 2, 2024
Truth is an act of concensus.p254
This myth - that there is only truth, singular and immutable- is actually a lie about the truth.p250
It turns out it's actually easier to convince someone...to believe a lie than it is to convince that person that they've been lied to p124
There are no new lies, only new liars. P132
This is a remarkable book in many ways and I would be lying if I said that none of it was a surprise. Aja Radan starts with the premise that lying isn't just something that other people do, especially those devious, nasty, manipulative people that would take advantage of anyone credulous enough to believe them.
We all lie, all the time - including you. P7
It's tempting to think that we're doing something more complex or meaningful than an insect, but we are not. P51
AJ goes on to reassure us that it's not entirely our fault; a certain amount of our lying ways are due to the way we are hardwired for self- preservation. From cognitive biases and confirmation biases to the little white lie meant to smooth over awkward moments, which may be a good thing but in fact, lies are mostly intended to deceive and that is not so good for anybody.
There are so many ways to lie, and AJ covers most of them, from pyramid schemes, forgery and shell games oh my! to various hoaxes that in retrospect seem quite unbelievable.
it's all about the story you choose p26
...lies we agree to make real. P271
4/5 for GR
6/7
This myth - that there is only truth, singular and immutable- is actually a lie about the truth.p250
It turns out it's actually easier to convince someone...to believe a lie than it is to convince that person that they've been lied to p124
There are no new lies, only new liars. P132
This is a remarkable book in many ways and I would be lying if I said that none of it was a surprise. Aja Radan starts with the premise that lying isn't just something that other people do, especially those devious, nasty, manipulative people that would take advantage of anyone credulous enough to believe them.
We all lie, all the time - including you. P7
It's tempting to think that we're doing something more complex or meaningful than an insect, but we are not. P51
AJ goes on to reassure us that it's not entirely our fault; a certain amount of our lying ways are due to the way we are hardwired for self- preservation. From cognitive biases and confirmation biases to the little white lie meant to smooth over awkward moments, which may be a good thing but in fact, lies are mostly intended to deceive and that is not so good for anybody.
There are so many ways to lie, and AJ covers most of them, from pyramid schemes, forgery and shell games oh my! to various hoaxes that in retrospect seem quite unbelievable.
it's all about the story you choose p26
...lies we agree to make real. P271
4/5 for GR
6/7
February 24, 2021
(I received a digital ARC version of this book).
A fascinating and sometimes depressing look at lies. From biological imperatives (survival features like camouflage & mimicry) to ubiquitous pyramid schemes (like MLMs, the stock market & religion) to con jobs and forgeries, Raden looks at how we lie, why we lie, what it even means to lie and how it is an inherent element of our lives without which we would not survive, much less thrive. Multiple stories from history up to the present explore the nature of lies and truth. She looks at how we're taken in by things, and how our ability to be taken in is the very same ability that allows us to function and carry on civilization. She looks at how our brain works by fudging perception because it can't process everything all the time, so it just cheats, and how sleight of hand exploits that cheat. Interesting characters, scoundrels and entrepreneurs, hucksters and heroes populate the book, many of whom deserve their own book (many of whom have their own books).
There's lots of good stuff in here, and it will make you look at things a bit more critically. Will you still fall for lies? Yes. It's how we're built. But maybe you can avoid the most destructive...or try to extract yourself from the most toxic lies you're already wrapped in.
A fascinating and sometimes depressing look at lies. From biological imperatives (survival features like camouflage & mimicry) to ubiquitous pyramid schemes (like MLMs, the stock market & religion) to con jobs and forgeries, Raden looks at how we lie, why we lie, what it even means to lie and how it is an inherent element of our lives without which we would not survive, much less thrive. Multiple stories from history up to the present explore the nature of lies and truth. She looks at how we're taken in by things, and how our ability to be taken in is the very same ability that allows us to function and carry on civilization. She looks at how our brain works by fudging perception because it can't process everything all the time, so it just cheats, and how sleight of hand exploits that cheat. Interesting characters, scoundrels and entrepreneurs, hucksters and heroes populate the book, many of whom deserve their own book (many of whom have their own books).
There's lots of good stuff in here, and it will make you look at things a bit more critically. Will you still fall for lies? Yes. It's how we're built. But maybe you can avoid the most destructive...or try to extract yourself from the most toxic lies you're already wrapped in.
February 11, 2021
Humans love to be lied to. Well, we don’t like the consequences of lies, but that doesn’t seem to slow us down on stumbling into cons throughout the centuries. Raden takes us through a laugh out loud history of the con. And while the players may change, the outcomes stay exactly the same.
Structured into nine sections, Raden explores everything from the Big Lies, such as making up a country, pyramid schemes and the 2008 financial crisis, to illusions, shell games, and counterfeit masterpieces. (Fun fact of today, 20-30% of the art in every museum is actually counterfeit.)
What takes these lessons beyond the history books is Raden’s humor and psychological grounding. She explains how our trusting nature as humans allowed us to become the world dominating species we are today - due to collective intelligence. She discusses biases, the need for confirmation, and even lapses of memory - all which prime us to be conned.
I loved how she delved into what distinguishes a fact from truth, and how our perception isn’t as grounded as we’d want to believe. For anyone looking to understand lying, social psychology, and a slice of human nature - you can find no better guide.
Structured into nine sections, Raden explores everything from the Big Lies, such as making up a country, pyramid schemes and the 2008 financial crisis, to illusions, shell games, and counterfeit masterpieces. (Fun fact of today, 20-30% of the art in every museum is actually counterfeit.)
What takes these lessons beyond the history books is Raden’s humor and psychological grounding. She explains how our trusting nature as humans allowed us to become the world dominating species we are today - due to collective intelligence. She discusses biases, the need for confirmation, and even lapses of memory - all which prime us to be conned.
I loved how she delved into what distinguishes a fact from truth, and how our perception isn’t as grounded as we’d want to believe. For anyone looking to understand lying, social psychology, and a slice of human nature - you can find no better guide.
July 25, 2021
I was underwhelmed by this book. The concept is intriguing and there were a few nuggets of historical examples that were interesting. However, the style was distracting. I felt the manner (and expletives) of writing detracted from the underlying points of the stories. To be clear, I can be as foul-mouthed as they come, but the inclusion of such in this writing left me feeling like I was reading the ramblings of an "internet Karen", almost instantly removing any credibility the author may actually have.
October 4, 2024
*The Truth About Lies - A taxonomy of Deceit, hoaxes and cons*
*Author: Aja Raden, California* - An experienced jeweler, trained scientist, and well-read historian.
*Genre: Non fiction*
*Moods: Funny✓ Informative✓*
*Pace: Medium✓*
*We are born liars!* So let's get that out of the way before we get any further.
Fibbing, prevaricating, stretching the truth, white lies, of omission, of commission. Lying is so pervasive that we have countless words for it. But have you ever considered why you believed a lie you were told?
The Truth About Lies is buttressed by a winning mixture of history, psychology, and science. With simple prose and insightful research, Aja Raden take us on a ride of Epiphany to show how truth and lies are inextricably intertwined at many levels and how it has woven its way into our moral fabric.
The author segregate lies into three categories and attempts to show that some lies have turned to accepted truths, though many are oblivious to the fact.
1) *The Lies We Tell Each Other*
2) *The Lies We Tell Ourselves*
3) *The Lies We All Agree to Believe*
-Why anyone still plays a shell game and gambles when they know the house is stacked against them.
-Goldbricking and the misleading nature of "facts"
-Why faith and fraud are so closely connected
-Hoaxes, hysteria and the madness of crowds
-Why we're all probably part of a pyramid scheme
-How the truth can sometimes sound like a lie
-the origins of ‘snake oil salesman’ and how the masses are duped into trusting it due to the placebo effect of it on them.
-How and why people believe in large-scale cons, explaining that the extravagance is too large to trick people, so it must be true.
-The myth of Singular truths: the shroud of Turin and the painting of *Many Lisas* , oops Mona Lisa 😝!
-The truth about Diamonds and it's retroactive realities.
-It further extrapolates and hashes out on the cons of Televangelism.
-Raden shows how there are certain soapboxes that have been used to push an idea to the masses, all in the hopes of spreading a falsehood that is so vast that it seems real.
-She also offers insights into how to create a great con by stating that the lies can be used, brick by brick, to create a false truth that everyone seems to follow.
Quite an insightful read! Sure to pique interest of many.
*Cons* : On contrary to the popular opinion, I would be lying if I said this book kept my interest throughout!
The book had an interesting premise, however, I didn't care much for the author's execution even though it had a jocular undertone throughout to keep me from falling off the tracks.
There were repetitions and I found it quite circuitous at times. Perhaps if there were less repetitions and fewer "squirrel" moments, I would have enjoyed this much more.
*Quote of interest:* "Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn wrote that “everything you add to the truth subtracts from the truth,” but he may have seriously discounted the fact that everything that makes up the truth has already been added to the truth."
*Self rating:*
Writing style: *3.8/5*
Research and Information: *5/5*
Now my question to you - *How much of my review do you think is actually true ?* 😉
*Author: Aja Raden, California* - An experienced jeweler, trained scientist, and well-read historian.
*Genre: Non fiction*
*Moods: Funny✓ Informative✓*
*Pace: Medium✓*
*We are born liars!* So let's get that out of the way before we get any further.
Fibbing, prevaricating, stretching the truth, white lies, of omission, of commission. Lying is so pervasive that we have countless words for it. But have you ever considered why you believed a lie you were told?
The Truth About Lies is buttressed by a winning mixture of history, psychology, and science. With simple prose and insightful research, Aja Raden take us on a ride of Epiphany to show how truth and lies are inextricably intertwined at many levels and how it has woven its way into our moral fabric.
The author segregate lies into three categories and attempts to show that some lies have turned to accepted truths, though many are oblivious to the fact.
1) *The Lies We Tell Each Other*
2) *The Lies We Tell Ourselves*
3) *The Lies We All Agree to Believe*
-Why anyone still plays a shell game and gambles when they know the house is stacked against them.
-Goldbricking and the misleading nature of "facts"
-Why faith and fraud are so closely connected
-Hoaxes, hysteria and the madness of crowds
-Why we're all probably part of a pyramid scheme
-How the truth can sometimes sound like a lie
-the origins of ‘snake oil salesman’ and how the masses are duped into trusting it due to the placebo effect of it on them.
-How and why people believe in large-scale cons, explaining that the extravagance is too large to trick people, so it must be true.
-The myth of Singular truths: the shroud of Turin and the painting of *Many Lisas* , oops Mona Lisa 😝!
-The truth about Diamonds and it's retroactive realities.
-It further extrapolates and hashes out on the cons of Televangelism.
-Raden shows how there are certain soapboxes that have been used to push an idea to the masses, all in the hopes of spreading a falsehood that is so vast that it seems real.
-She also offers insights into how to create a great con by stating that the lies can be used, brick by brick, to create a false truth that everyone seems to follow.
Quite an insightful read! Sure to pique interest of many.
*Cons* : On contrary to the popular opinion, I would be lying if I said this book kept my interest throughout!
The book had an interesting premise, however, I didn't care much for the author's execution even though it had a jocular undertone throughout to keep me from falling off the tracks.
There were repetitions and I found it quite circuitous at times. Perhaps if there were less repetitions and fewer "squirrel" moments, I would have enjoyed this much more.
*Quote of interest:* "Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn wrote that “everything you add to the truth subtracts from the truth,” but he may have seriously discounted the fact that everything that makes up the truth has already been added to the truth."
*Self rating:*
Writing style: *3.8/5*
Research and Information: *5/5*
Now my question to you - *How much of my review do you think is actually true ?* 😉
July 5, 2021
Overall I enjoyed the book as it explores notions of truth and lies. She offers many interesting historical events to illustrate the many types of lies and deception humans engage in. She takes a very broad definition of lying - in evolution both predators and prey have developed sometimes elaborate means to deceive each other and so have many species in their mating games, so 'lying' is part of nature. Because of human intellect and use of language, humans have been able to create many new ways to deceive each other and she explores these in interesting ways. Our brains have evolved to process information quickly which has helped make humans quite successful in spreading across the planet. Our brains don't have to deal with everything by personal trial and error for we can learn lesson that we apply to many new and varied situations. We have culture which creates social memory which helps us negotiate our world and relationships even quicker. But it is this trait - the ability to understand the world and new situations which is also a certain weakness which is what liars and frauds take advantage of. Many common 'magic' tricks are really slight of hand which takes advantage of how our brains anticipate things so we miss what is in front of us because our brains are expecting something else. This is the basis of many types of crimes involving deception. But I think Raden at times creates her own con when she CONfuses the difference between lies and truth in social situations. She points out that money has no 'real' value and is really a social CONstruct. We socially agree that money has value and this speeds up many of our transactions (which is just humans using their brains). Counterfeiters create fake money, but Raden says as long as we continue to use their $100 bills as real money we are just following one 'lie' or another (for real money has no value except what we give it). So she concludes all money is a lie because it isn't based in things of actual value (like gold). But for me even gold only has the value we socially construct for it. Money is a social CONvienience and is not a lie. Counterfeit money is a lie because it isn't part of the social construct and social trust we need to function as a society. Counterfeit aims to deceive whereas real money does not. I think she broadens out the definition of a lie so much as to empty it of value and thus creates her own lie.
July 11, 2023
Full Disclosure: Goodreads Giveaway Winner
Really enjoyed this book that defines and gives detailed examples of the major types of lies and how they are used for cons, and social constructs that involve cons. By the middle, I was expecting that at the end the Epilogue would be to the effect that although most of the book was true, there were lies purposely embedded in it to show how easily we as humans fall for them.
I do have to wonder about some of the information provided though, even though it is properly referenced. From all the research I was able to do, the source of the phrase 'Let the cat out of the bag' is probably not either of the usual two theories (pigs/cats or cat-o-ninetails). Neither actually makes sense given the current meaning, but the one that Raden chooses, just doesn't seem plausible because cats don't oink and they aren't the same size/weight/shape as a piglet.
Then there's Avon. I admit, I don't know how it is done now, but the author's description does not reflect the way it was done in the 70s/80s, which based on the description she gave fits the time period referenced. Avon Reps were not allowed to 'just sell to their neighbors', they had territories and could be released if they sold to their neighbors if their territory was NOT their neighborhood. Poaching was not allowed. I totally understand that the business model has changed with tech and the world we live on, but the idea that no one could sell to their neighbor if everyone in the neighborhood was a Rep actually made me question the validity of other research referenced in the book.
Really enjoyed this book that defines and gives detailed examples of the major types of lies and how they are used for cons, and social constructs that involve cons. By the middle, I was expecting that at the end the Epilogue would be to the effect that although most of the book was true, there were lies purposely embedded in it to show how easily we as humans fall for them.
I do have to wonder about some of the information provided though, even though it is properly referenced. From all the research I was able to do, the source of the phrase 'Let the cat out of the bag' is probably not either of the usual two theories (pigs/cats or cat-o-ninetails). Neither actually makes sense given the current meaning, but the one that Raden chooses, just doesn't seem plausible because cats don't oink and they aren't the same size/weight/shape as a piglet.
Then there's Avon. I admit, I don't know how it is done now, but the author's description does not reflect the way it was done in the 70s/80s, which based on the description she gave fits the time period referenced. Avon Reps were not allowed to 'just sell to their neighbors', they had territories and could be released if they sold to their neighbors if their territory was NOT their neighborhood. Poaching was not allowed. I totally understand that the business model has changed with tech and the world we live on, but the idea that no one could sell to their neighbor if everyone in the neighborhood was a Rep actually made me question the validity of other research referenced in the book.
March 11, 2022
This book is one of a kind, about lies. The biggest, meanest and surprisingly, most believable lies.
The author got me thinking,"If you tell a lie about owning a yatch or an island, another person may or may not believe you, but If you tell him that you own a part of Mars and selling shares to it they are highly likely to believe you" and guess what history is replete with such facts, people selling the Brooklyn Bridge , the Eiffel Tower, multiple times to multiple people.
A conman, one of the many author talks about, said during his proceedings -
"I have never cheated an honest man, only rascals. They may have been respectable, but they were never any good. They wanted something for nothing, I gave them nothing for something"
Probably if I want to make money by owning the Eiffel tower, the conman has a point, doesn't he?
Author explains the psychology behind the top scams throughout the history and leaves you with the facts which startle you. For example, the diamond company deBeers, since 1888, first seeded the fact that Diamonds are rare and Valuable, then Romanticized them by being "forever" by clever advertising. Now a untrue fact repeated overtime appears true to the brain, so people now know that Diamonds are rare and Valuable and EXPENSIVE. If Diamonds are so rare how the hell do so many people have it, and despite NOT being rare why is it so expensive? It is all a lie that the humanity started believing in just like a Red light and green light and Currency notes and the latest one, the bitcoin.
The author got me thinking,"If you tell a lie about owning a yatch or an island, another person may or may not believe you, but If you tell him that you own a part of Mars and selling shares to it they are highly likely to believe you" and guess what history is replete with such facts, people selling the Brooklyn Bridge , the Eiffel Tower, multiple times to multiple people.
A conman, one of the many author talks about, said during his proceedings -
"I have never cheated an honest man, only rascals. They may have been respectable, but they were never any good. They wanted something for nothing, I gave them nothing for something"
Probably if I want to make money by owning the Eiffel tower, the conman has a point, doesn't he?
Author explains the psychology behind the top scams throughout the history and leaves you with the facts which startle you. For example, the diamond company deBeers, since 1888, first seeded the fact that Diamonds are rare and Valuable, then Romanticized them by being "forever" by clever advertising. Now a untrue fact repeated overtime appears true to the brain, so people now know that Diamonds are rare and Valuable and EXPENSIVE. If Diamonds are so rare how the hell do so many people have it, and despite NOT being rare why is it so expensive? It is all a lie that the humanity started believing in just like a Red light and green light and Currency notes and the latest one, the bitcoin.
May 14, 2021
This was an interesting and informative read and I would rate it at 4 1/2 stars. According to the author learning to lie is an early developmental milestone that children have to reach on the road to normal development. She goes on to describe the lie and the many ways we lie either by voice or by actions . It starts out with a quote from one of the evilest people in history Adolf Hitler when he said "The great mass of people will more easily fall victims to a big lie than to a small lie". There are many forms of lying, they can be a verbal lie, an action like three card monty or the shell game that you find on big city street corners. Do you realize the actions of an illusionist is a form of a lie or really a deception and it is interesting to learn how our minds aid the illusionist. There what the author calls Guru cons people that maybe a Guru, Politician, or a televangelists just to name just a few. There is detailed section that explains how Rasputin was able to pull his con on the Russian family. Did you know it is easier to convince someone to believe a lie than it is to convince that person that they have been lied to once they've come to believe the lie. This even covers what maybe the biggest con of all the diamond industry and the engagement ring. After seeing many of things taking place today this book should give you some insight on why some individuals think the way they do and how they or we can be manipulated.
May 28, 2021
The Truth about Lies: The Illusion of Honesty and the Evolution of Deceit
by Aja Raden
Imagine you’re sitting in a bar nursing an afternoon cocktail and a person takes the stool next to you. It’s a lady with raven-colored hair and an enigmatic smile. She begins telling you in colorful, bar-type language about many of the ways people have been deceived, lied to, and otherwise led to believe in a variety of dodges and gimmicks that never end in their favor.
In The Truth about Lies: The Illusion of Honesty and the Evolution of Deceit by Aja Raden I felt exactly like that. I was entertained, educated and often amused by Raden’s story of lies and the myriad ways that unethical people have taken advantage of the unsuspecting, the greedy, or merely foolish victims. Raden describes the various ploys, including the simple shell game, Ponzi schemes, forgeries, and the “long con” that people fall prey to and have for centuries. What was most illuminating was that the reason many of the deceptions were so successful was that they took advantage of the human brain and its receptors operating just as they should.
Raden has assembled an impressive source list and then presented it in an off-hand, fun, but comprehensive way. The sad thing is that after reading it, like Diogenes, you’ll be left looking for an honest man.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book for review.
by Aja Raden
Imagine you’re sitting in a bar nursing an afternoon cocktail and a person takes the stool next to you. It’s a lady with raven-colored hair and an enigmatic smile. She begins telling you in colorful, bar-type language about many of the ways people have been deceived, lied to, and otherwise led to believe in a variety of dodges and gimmicks that never end in their favor.
In The Truth about Lies: The Illusion of Honesty and the Evolution of Deceit by Aja Raden I felt exactly like that. I was entertained, educated and often amused by Raden’s story of lies and the myriad ways that unethical people have taken advantage of the unsuspecting, the greedy, or merely foolish victims. Raden describes the various ploys, including the simple shell game, Ponzi schemes, forgeries, and the “long con” that people fall prey to and have for centuries. What was most illuminating was that the reason many of the deceptions were so successful was that they took advantage of the human brain and its receptors operating just as they should.
Raden has assembled an impressive source list and then presented it in an off-hand, fun, but comprehensive way. The sad thing is that after reading it, like Diogenes, you’ll be left looking for an honest man.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book for review.
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