"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. 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. Focusing on the many kinds of lies we see-The Lies We Tell Each Other, The Lies We Tell Ourselves, and The Lies We All Agree to Believe-Raden explores everything from swindles to cons to the long game to the big lie, including: - Why anyone still plays a shellgame 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 A penetrating, funny, and informed history that adds fresh detail even to well-known stories, Raden's book is an eye-opening primer that decodes how we behave and function, and reveals how lying shapesour experience of the world around us"-- Provided by publisher.