The New York Post Reviews ‘Spy the Lie’

The New York Post carried a review of Spy the Lie on July 28, written by Susannah Calahan. Here’s an exceprt:

In other words, lie detection isn’t ingrained; it’s learned. And a new book, called “Spy the Lie,” written by three former CIA officers, maintains that by following their advice, which is based off years of interrogating terrorists and double agents, anyone can improve their odds at getting to the truth. …

We’re so conditioned not to lie that sometimes our inner turmoil will show in our hands. When we say something false, our hands will cover our mouths or eyes in a non-verbal admission of guilt.

“There is a natural tendency to want to cover over a lie, so if a person’s hand goes in front of her mouth while she’s responding to a question, that’s significant,” the book says.

Liars will often bite and lick their lips, or pull or on their ears. There’s a neurological basis for this tell. When lying, anxiety rises causing the fight-or-fight response to kick into gear. Blood circulation is re-routed from the face, ears and extremities to the muscles and organs.

“When the blood rushes away from those regions, it irritates the capillaries, which can create a sensation of cold or itchiness,” the book says. Thus the lip biting.

To read the full review, click here.