The 5 Best Books On Lying. Honestly.
Whether you’re interested in learning how to become more proficient in the art of truth contorting or you just want to peel back the curtain on deception — the following is a compilation of some of my favorite books on the subject.
#5 THE (HONEST) TRUTH ABOUT DISHONESTY— Dan Ariely
If you’re interested in the psychology of lying, why we do it, and how to spot it — I’d recommend starting your adventure here. I had the pleasure of chatting with Mr. Ariely during his “Truth Box” project at the Games for Change festival in NYC ( which my confession was featured in! ). Dan provides interesting anecdotes and comprehensive research on why it is we distort the truth.
#4 LYING — SAM HARRIS
Aside from being a Ben Stiller look-a-like — Mr. Harris is more commonly known as a prolific author and speaker on quite a few controversial subjects — Lying being one of them. This book is a short read that focuses more on the philosophy of lying. Mr. Harris discusses vulnerability, false encouragement and how lying affects your relationships. I highly recommend getting the e-book and spending an afternoon questioning the truth with Mr. Harris.
Other favorites include Waking Up, Free Will, The Moral Landscape.
#3 UNMASKING THE FACE — PAUL EKMAN
A huge part of understanding lying is understanding emotions. Paul Ekman has become known as a pioneer of understanding hidden human emotions through facial expressions (often referred to as micro expressions). Mr. Ekman was the inspiration for the popular show Lie to Me. And although this is not a cover to cover type read — this book provides a guide on the extensive research he’s done over the years. His FACS system (facial action coding system) has piqued the interest of companies like Apple, Google and even Pixar. Mr. Ekman also consults for the TSA and is called in to monitor high profile court cases in order to spot liars. If you’re interested in diving deeper down the rabbit hole — Paul Ekman’s books are a must.
#2 TRUST ME I’M LYING — Mr Ryan Holiday
“… It is a world of many hustlers and you are the mark.” One of the many quotable turns of phrase from this infamous author. Ryan is the master puppeteer behind the controversial American Apparel campaign (in which he speaks about in the book). Trust Me I’m Lying is more of a specific take on how the art of manipulating thoughts and behaviors applies to the media and consumerism. But his stories are chilling and violating. You’ll never look at the internet (among other things) the same way again. I’d also highly recommend reading Mr. Holiday’s blog — which you can check out here.
#1 ON THE DECAY OF THE ART OF LYING — MARK TWAIN
Hands down my favorite publication on the subject. This short essay by Mark Twain speaks about the necessity of lying. This was the first text for me that successfully romanticized the subject. He says:
“…lying is a sweet and loving art, and should be cultivated. The highest perfection of politeness is only a beautiful edifice, built, from the base to the dome, of graceful and gilded forms of charitable and unselfish lying”
It’s available for free on the iBooks store but I strongly recommend buying a copy here.
Originally published at www.vinnydeponto.com
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