296 of 319 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
You won't get much out of this one, July 21, 2005
This review is from: Never Be Lied to Again: How to Get the Truth In 5 Minutes Or Less In Any Conversation Or Situation (Paperback)
I've never given one star, but this was the closest I have come in a long time.
After reading "Never Be Lied to Again" I was shocked to see people had rated it so high. I am a fifth year grad student studying psychology and law. While detecting deceit is not my primary area of research, I have read a decent amount of the literature. The information in this book seems to conflict with some of the most widely accepted findings in the research community. For example, Dr. Lieberman claims that when someone is lying they do not give details because "the event never happened." However, empirical research shows that people tend to give "too many" details, because they are trying to convince you. There are several discrepancies of this nature.
Dr. Lieberman says this book was a result of his own research. Out of curiosity, I entered his name in a PsycINFO word search. PsycINFO is a database of over 2000 psychological journals, most of them peer reviewed (and, therefore, accepted by others who study the topic). Dr. Lieberman's name did not produce any results. Books are troublesome in that regard. You can write anything you want and pass it off as fact. He also proudly displays those three all-important-letters behind his name, but he never says where he earned his Ph.D. I am not suggesting he got his degree on-line, but it would be nice if he added that information to the biography section.
To be fair, I am guess I'm not the target audience for this book. It's really more of a pop-culture book. The kind of thing advertised on the Today Show. But it troubles me that some of the information is wrong. Two good things about this book:
1. It is definitely a quick read that you could finish in a day or two. But that is because all the wasted space between chapters and sections. There are over 200 pages in the book but without the wasted space it would have been closer to about 125. Of course, nobody would buy it then.
2. I guess it would look good on your shelf, if you are into that kind of thing. As long as others haven't read it you could probably convince them that you learned a lot in the book and can tell when they are lying.
Ironically, one of the sections is entitled "A White Lab Coat Doesn't Make Anyone an Expert." Having a Ph.D. doesn't either. Bottom line, I am kicking myself for paying full price for this book. If you can get one for 5 or 6 bucks (or if money is no object), and you interested by the mixed reviews, why not give it a try? But don't get your hopes up. I personally won't be buying anymore of his books.
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68 of 72 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
It only works for the "Guilty Liar", December 8, 1999
By A Customer
The book is allright. It helps if the person who's lying to you feels guilty about it. Or perhaps if they are telling a white lie, and you want to get the truth. But, if the guy doesn't care that he's lying, this book won't help. It's all based on anxiety leaking through body language. Therefore, it also will identify a shy or self conscious person as a liar. Another problem: if the person is lying to himself AND you, it doesn't help either. Because the person REALLY BELIEVES what he is saying is true, even if it's not. This book identified an old girlfriend of mine as being sincere, even though she was lying, because she had fooled herself into believing what she was saying. Not altogether too useful for sorting through mixed / contradictory messages.
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31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Good Investment, May 1, 2000
This work has numerous techniques for any person to use in getting to the truth. Some of these techniques are obvious and others need further study. If you are expecting to read the book and immediately use the techniques effectively, you will be disappointed. As with most jackets on books, boastful promises and claims on this work are similar to the late night info commercials seen on cable TV. I have been studying NLP, nonverbal communication, and personality styles for 34 years and found the author's approach at times confusing and scattered. It takes practice and patience to learn these methods. There is no "5 minutes to the truth" in the real world. However, Dr. Lieberman does have numerous practical examples and scenarios to guide the reader in the life long process of understanding yourself and others. Read the book; it is a good investment!
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