The Truth About Lies

The Illusion of Honesty and the Evolution of Deceit

By: Aja Raden

Narrated by: Aja Raden

2022 Audie Award Finalist for Best Narration by the Author(s)

Why do you believe what you believe?

You’ve been lied to. Probably a lot. We’re always stunned when we realize we’ve been deceived. We can’t believe we were fooled: What was I thinking? How could I have believed that?

We always wonder why we believed the lie. But have you ever wondered why you believe the truth? People tell you the truth all the time, and you believe them; and if, at some later point, you’re confronted with evidence that the story you believed was indeed true, you never wonder why you believed it in the first place. In this incisive and insightful taxonomy of lies and liars, New York Times bestselling author Aja Raden makes the surprising claim that maybe you should.

Buttressed by history, psychology, and science, The Truth About Lies 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. Through wild tales of cons and marks, Raden examines not only how lies actually work, but also why they work, from the evolutionary function of deception to what it reveals about our own.

In her previous book, Stoned, Raden asked, “What makes a thing valuable?” In The Truth About Lies, she asks “What makes a thing real?” With cutting wit and a deft touch, Raden untangles the relationship of truth to lie, belief to faith, and deception to propaganda.

The Truth About Lies will change everything you thought you knew about what you know, and whether you ever really know it.

©2021 by Aja Raden. (P)2021 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Both disgusting and comforting

Good history and data on how we social primates are generally full of sh*t and never know what we're talking about.

how much do you remember?

After reading this maybe you will finally admit it's almost nothing. I was feeling left out since my siblings remembered much more than I did. Now I'm pretty sure they are just better storytellers. that's fine by me. I love hearing them.

Engaging Albeit Rattling!

What a overview of all that is or isn’t about truism. I couldn’t stop listening.

The truth is out there

Mind boggling. This material should be taught, in age appropriate form, from elementary school thru post graduate studies.

Best book of 2021 for me!

This book sparked great conversations. A must-read for everyone! I listened to it twice. I was excellent.