Forbes.com’s Susan Adams Delves into ‘Spy the Lie’

In an Aug. 13 blog post titled “How To Tell When Someone Is Lying,” Susan Adams of Forbes.com provided an informative overview of our book, Spy the Lie. Here’s an excerpt:

In the book’s most entertaining chapter, the authors retrace the episode of Rep. Anthony Weiner, who in the spring of 2011, repeatedly denied having sent lewd photos of himself to a female college student on Twitter. The authors cite it as a textbook case of deceptive behaviors. From the first day the story broke, on May 27, Weiner repeatedly failed to answer questions in a straightforward way and instead made statements that were true but off point. Weiner also attacked his questioners and at other times bent over backward to be polite. He also tried to change the subject and talk about his impending vote on the debt limit. At one point, Weiner used what the authors call a “limiting” statement, when he replied to one of the queries, “I think I’ve been pretty responsive to you in the past,” limiting his answer with “I think” and “pretty.” Of course, when additional evidence came out, Weiner finally admitted his deception on June 6.

Though Weiner offers a textbook case, the authors emphasize that lie detection is far from an exact science. But if you read this book, which is packed with great anecdotes, you will feel closer to being able to flesh out a lie.

To read the full post, click here.