Customer Reviews

Telling Lies: Clues to Deceit in the Marketplace, Politics, and Marriage, Third Edition

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As I've said in my other reviews, I am not Susan Gill, I'm her son.

Dr. Ekman's work on lie detection has been getting a lot of attention lately, due to the fact his science is regularly practiced on Fox's new show Lie to me. The producers even asked him to be their scientific consultant and have put on a quite impressive display of how effective Ekman's study really is.
Alright, first off, the problems. Dr. Ekman has a notorious habit in the entire book for stating that his science is, "inconclusive" and "still has a lot of faults" and that he`s not sure about this, or that. In other words, he tries to come off like there is no real way of knowing if his science works or not, and if it`s a real practical way of catching deciet. This is mostly because he focuses on "deception clues" instead of "deception leakage" which are two entirely different things to look for in a person when looking for deceit (don't worry he describes both in detail, although deception clues in more detail). But the truth is, it does work, and it works very effectively when used correctly. The reason he keeps saying it's inconclusive is because he wrote well over half of this book in `85, way back when he didn't have funds for research on his study. However, if you get the updated version to `01 or even better `08, then he begins to write that his work is much more conclusive than before, and that using facial reading with body language, you are well over 90 % accurate in your lie detection (and concealed emotions reading) ability.
One more complaint that I have is that it seems he shouldn't have written the book himself. It can be a very tough read at points, sometimes having so many technical terms it's hard to keep up, so if you're looking for really easy reading, this book isn't for you. Also, he seems to neglect certain findings that he makes and doesn't give them as much detail as he should sometimes (i.e. mouth shrugs and one sided shoulder shrugs). Another thing he doesn't give enough attention to is (oddly enough) his main point of research, the face. He gives great detail on the body, voice, and words for lying, but when it came to the face, he didn't give hardly any detail on the seven universal emotions. Instead, he gives greater detail to different smiles a person can make, and what each of them could mean (valuable, of course, but that won't tell you if they're lying). For the most part, though, he gives great detail on most of the important things.

Now, for the positive aspects.

If the hard reading doesn't bother you, and you're as committed as I was when it comes to lie detection, then this book is completely worth your time. Dr. Ekman may have a hard time writing out what he means, but you always seem to understand the important things when he does write about them. He includes many things that are not in the show Lie to Me like the difference between "manipulators" and "illustrators". He also gives the three reasons why people can fail in their lies, and even has an entire (long) chapter on the use of the polygraph and his science. This chapter can be useful, because it gives you ideas on where to start with your questions for the liars. Using the "Guilty Knowledge Test" is an example of something you can use to your advantage when questioning a liar. These questions may be meant for use with the polygraph, but as Ekman's science proposes, a person using his techniques (I believe) are much more accurate at lie detection than the polygraph.
One thing I should mention is the fact that Ekman states in his book that people look in the wrong places for lie detection, and that those places are the face and words. Although words are obviously the wrong place to look for deception leakage, the face however, is not. A person's face may be able to lie about certain things (and I realize that certain people get the wrong clues from the face), but he tells you the signs to look for in the face that reveals a false expression, and later goes on to state that looking for micro-expressions alone for lie detection is 70 % accurate on it's own, so the face is actually the first place you should look (hence why he reprinted this book so many times).
Ekman also gives the right impression by saying "there is no actual sign of lying itself". The truth is, there isn't. You may wonder how his science works then, but really all you're looking for is signs of emotion that are out of place, or contradictions between the face and body that don't match the words. Most of the time, you need to investigate certain emotions a person gives, because, if you don't, you could commit the "Othello Error" or even the "Brokaw Hazard" (which are in detail in his book).
All in all, this book is very good at describing his lie detection science. As long as you pick out what is conclusive from his books, then you should have no problem figuring out his lie detection techniques. Watching Lie to Me is a great way at spotting his more conclusive stuff, and figuring out what's what in his book. Not only that, but it's a great excuse for watching the show. My only advice is to get two other books if you're interested in lie detection. Ekman's other book Emotions Revealed is totally focused on the face, and even has an extra chapter on lying that can be quite useful. The third book is actually a book totally devoted to body language called The Definitive Book on Body Language by Allan and Barbara Pease. It gives you some bases for negative body language and also has a chapter on body language and lying, but it's mostly a bunch of different manipulators. However, the book is good, nevertheless, because the information on those manipulators is valuable to most lie detecting, and that's something Ekman never really focused on. Of course, it gives much more information than that, and all of it is useful.
So if you're interested in being thorough for lie detection, buy this book, and the two other books I listed. You can't go wrong between these three amazing books. Just make sure you get the most updated version of this book (And to be sure and watch Lie to Me for better distinguishing Ekman's conclusive work! you can watch episodes on [...]

***EDITED NOTES***

Just so you all know, I have a new reccomended Body language book for you all. If you've been looking into this I'm sure you've heard of it. "What Every Body Says", is written by an ex FBI agent.. while I was shyed away from the book because of that reason, this guy REALLY knows his stuff! I was shocked at how much and how deep his knowledge of body language went! I HIGHLY reccomend this book! In fact I'd be so bold as to get it instead of "The Definitive Book on Body Language" ! While that book is still excellent, I'd have to say that "What Every Body Says" is a bit better.. happy hunting!

Paul Ekman's classic book on how to tell when someone is lying has been issued in a third edition which includes his more recent research. Made popular by the Fox TV show "Lie to Me," this book documents the line of research used, not only by the show, but by Secret Service, police, jealous spouses and a host of others who want to be better at detecting lies. New material includes how to identify the facial expressions indicating that someone is likely to become violent.

Ekman points out that we often look for the wrong things when trying to detect deception. Even much of the information he has reviewed in training materials for job interviewers, jury selection, and other deception detection professionals is just plain wrong. The hard part about lying effectively is not concealing information, it is concealing the emotions the liar feels while lying. Guilt, fear and even the "duping delight" a clever liar feels when getting away with a falsehood can provide clues obvious to a trained observer. While Ekman acknowledges the value of verbal slips and body language cues, his research reveals the greater value of focusing on facial expressions, particularly "microexpressions" that are displayed and quickly concealed. He teaches readers to identify and interpret them.

Some of the interesting points the book makes as it teaches us to catch liars in the act:

- We should avoid the "Brokaw Hazard" of assuming someone is lying because their speech seems evasive or convoluted. Some people just speak this way, lying or not.
- We should also avoid the "Othello Error" of branding someone a liar because of fidgety behavior, such as repeatedly touching themselves or adjusting their clothing. They may be uncomfortable, but are not necessarily lying.
- Emotions such as anger, fear, sadness, disgust, distress, happiness, contentment, excitement, surprise and contempt are conveyed by distinct facial expressions, common across all cultures.
- Deception detection is most effective by someone who is familiar with a possible liar's usual behavior and can notice deviations from it.

Paul Ekman's book is recommended for anyone interested in detecting lying. It is a rough read in some places for a popular book, but is far more readable that the journal articles we would need to read without it. Forgive the author his writing style and learn some valuable lessons about his area of expertise.

Being a big fan of the Fox TV show "Lie to Me" I had high hopes for this book. While the book does tell some interesting stories and information about deception, it fails to provide key information, such as good photos of the seven universal expressions. The book has a very few, small, poor quality photos with no baseline (expression-free) photos. This is especially disappointing given how the book reveals that some subtle expressions can only be detected by measuring slight changes in certain facial muscles.

I was also troubled by the way earlier chapters did not appear to have been edited at all - all subsequent versions offered were additional chapters. For example, there was a reference "as I write these words, the [Reagan] White House has revised its proposal about the use of polygraph and Congress will begin hearings on it next week." No further information was provided of what came of it, or subsequent polygraph usage guidelines or laws.

In summary, the book offers some interesting background on the science, but not much to help one detect lies.

Dr. Ekman's books, including this definitive text, have no doubt become more popular recently due to the success of the TV show "Lie To Me." Having been a fan of his work for years, I was very pleased when I heard a show would be made about this field. I now try to watch the show every week as a way of continuing my education on non-verbal communication (accompanied, of course, by Dr. Ekman's blog on the Fox website, where he describes the real science behind each episode).

It's interesting to read the many reviews here that describe the writing in "Telling Lies" as boring or repetitive. I wouldn't be surprised if many of those people bought this book thinking they were going to read a popular science text, something with the fictional character Cal Lightman's wit, or that would at least reference the TV series.

In fact, this book was written before "Lie To Me" was conceived, and wasn't originally written to be a popular science book, so it's a bit unfair to expect that from it. From what I understand, this book was originally written in the 1980s and was intended for government departments and employees (Secret Service, CIA, FBI, etc.).

And when you're writing to branches of big brother, certain stereotypes apply. The now-cliched mantra, "tell them what you're going to say, say it, then tell them what you said," is diligently adhered to on small and large scales in this book. Each chapter in the book follows the rule, and each paragraph within each chapter also follows the rule. The same examples are repeatedly referred to throughout the book to provide continuity, and easily referenced talking points are created via the use of simple phrases like "Brokaw hazard" and "Othello error." Jargon is a part of science, and that most popular science books only use it rarely merely speaks to the fact that they're trying to make the science more accessible to a public with a short attention span. In this case, Ekman wrote a book for a not-so-public group of non-scientists who stereotypically need to have something repeated many times in many different ways in order to be convinced of its veracity.

It's good to be aware of this before buying the book -- if Ekman had written these chapters as academic papers, he could have said the same thing in a quarter of the page count, though each page would have taken longer to read -- but it's not a reason not to buy the book. Dr. Ekman is still one of the leading scientists, if not the leading scientist, in the field of detection deception, and this book is essentially a reference manual. It even has helpful charts and tables in the appendices, and the chapters have been appended as new versions have come out. (Like a true scientist, Ekman typically adds to his text, leaving the old text and then describing changes in the field, instead of making it look like it was originally written with all the answers.)

One thing that is maddening from a layperson's perspective, but refreshing from a scientist's perspective, is the way that Dr. Ekman equivocates when describing the strength of his scientific findings. It may be more comforting to hear that someone has a definitive answer, even when they don't, but you shouldn't expect that from this book. As a scientist who studies the truth for a living, it would be hypocritical for Dr. Ekman to exaggerate his conclusions. After you finish this book, you will know exactly the extent to which you can trust a polygraph, as well as the ways you can't. You'll know how likely you are to make an error in your attempts as a "human lie detector" (a phrase Ekman would not approve of), and you'll know each of the possible errors you can make, along with their consequences.

Sure, you may not have a lot of laugh-out-loud moments along the way, and this book may never become a talking point for the general public the way that Stephen Hawking's books have, but by reading this book you will learn a large amount of extremely valuable and verified information. That, simply, is why I gave this book five stars.

Incidentally, I agree with the other reviewer who recommended Navarro's book "What Every Body Is Saying," and I think that book is complementary to "Telling Lies." Navarro's book is much more pop-science-like, whereas this book is more truly scientific, and they also discuss different things. My advice? Buy both, and since this book *came* first, read it first.

We live in a world of emotions, and as much as we'd love to understand them all, Telling Lies: Clues to Deceit in the Marketplace, Politics, and Marriage by Paul Ekman tells us that it's never fully possible to know, but gives us just what the title promises. The only way this book will be the magic answer to telling lies from truth is properly applying thorough science to the facts presented within it.

I honestly looked into this book due to my appreciation of the television show based on Paul Ekman's findings, but the methods for reading body language and looking for micro-expressions are just as sound in text as they are in hour-long episodes. Anyone can learn the clues to deception leakage, the difference between falsifying and concealment, and what a flash of a scowl means before a smile. What the book preaches more than the basics of the science is how to apply it carefully, and that is the most important lesson it teaches. In a way, Dr. Lightman from the television series is an extreme example of the applied methods, going big with himself to get a real reaction instead of letting natural situations over a long period of time bring about the same results.

There are very few to no situations where, from a single glance, a person can assess the situation as a whole from one shoulder shrug or micro-expression. Everything is a clue, and only piecing together the clues with logical analysis and further investigation reveal the truth behind the situation. Most of the time, one will never apply this science to daily interactions with the people in one's life, and that thought's encouraged within the book. Becoming a human lie detector and attacking all signs of deceit is not part of good investigation. The most important aspect I took from the book is knowing the science in case there's a need for it in your life, such as a major business deal or buying a used car. Don't scrutinize every aspect of life, because there's a reason lies exist.

This is the second book of his that I have read. I really enjoy his work. There is plenty of actual science to back up his claims. The writing isn't too dense nor does he go on and on about which muscle does what. The book gives you the information you need to actually begin working in this area. Plus, it gives you all the links for all of the background information if you want to explore more on your own. All in all, well done. I enjoyed it and I will be reading more of his writings in the future.

P.S.It is much better than the tv show.

Telling Lies: Clues to Deceit in the Marketplace, Politics, and Marriage, Third Edition
Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

Telling lies is a book that everyone can read: expert and layman alike. There is no sophisticated vocabulary, scientific terminology, or eloquent theoretical discourses. If you are looking for a specific formula, exact template, or reliable protocol that can be used to investigate or detect liars, this book will serve little purpose because there is no such system. However, if you are looking for a catalog of the wide variety of cues that liars manifest (e.g., words, voice, facial cues, or body), and the results of numerous scientific studies on lying, and examples from politics, sales/business, government, and everyday life that reveal the various cues, this is a delightful, well-written book.

The narrative form that Ekman uses is interesting and engaging. What led me to this book in the first place was some recent research on lying. As reported by Benedict Carey, "Judging Honesty By Words, Not Fidgets," in The New York Times (May 12, 2009, p. D1), he writes, "In part, the work grows out of a frustration with other methods. Liars do not avert their eyes in an interview on average any more than people telling the truth do, researchers report; they do not fidget, sweat or slump in a chair any more often. They may produce distinct, fleeting changes in expression, experts say, but it is not clear yet how useful it is to analyze those." The study, according to Carey, draws "on work by Dr. Vrij and Dr. Marcia K. Johnson of Yale, among others," and was conducted by "Dr. Colwell and Dr. Cheryl Hiscock-Arisman of National University in La Jolla, California. [They] have developed an interview technique that appears to help distinguish a tall tale from a true one." The actual interview technique is not as important as the conclusion: "People telling the truth tend to add 20 to 30 percent more external detail than do those who are lying." When liars concoct their prepared deceitful script, it is tight and lacking in detail, whereas those without a deceitful, previously prepared script, recall more extraneous detail and may even make mistakes. "They are sloppier," say the researchers. The researchers point out that their interview, content-based approach does not apply to individual facts, may be poorly suited for those who have been traumatized and not interested in talking, and it is not likely to flag someone who changes one small but crucial detail in a story.

The point is that in the interview, content-based approach, those who seek to detect lies are not looking for specific nonverbal or verbal clues; they are looking more holistically at content. This "new" science is evolving fast says Carey.

I find it hard to fathom all the 5 star reviews of this book, regrettably I'm forced to give it 2 stars. Firstly I will acknowledge that the book does contain a lot of useful information, but having said that the book does have a number of serious flaws
- The writing style is quite dull and academic and takes forever to make a point
- Most of the book was written in the early 80s, only a couple of more recent chapters have been tacked on to the end. There would have obviously been a substantial amount of research done since the 80s either confirming or refuting some of his conclusions. If I read an academic text whose references were mostly from the 80s or earlier I wouldn't give it any credence. There is no reason this book should be judged any differently.
- The author uses the same tedious examples over and over, namely Hitler deceiving Neville Chamberlain, the suicidal patient Mary deceiving her Doctors (don't worry she doesn't die), Ruth's telephone conversation with her lover from the Novel 'Marry Me' etc. After reading a few chapters I got so sick of them. I started to pray that he would introduce some better anecdotes. The most annoying thing is that many of his examples about deception are actually from works of fiction !?
- The author makes up terms for things like 'Brokaw Hazard' that I just found irritating

You probably don't need to read the book, it's main ideas can be summarized something like 'Some people are bad liars, but many people are good liars. Some people are good at detecting lies, but the vast majority aren't. While there may be some clues when people are telling lies, these clues are not reliable indications of deception, in practice most people are very poor at detecting lies. Even learning all the material in this book, you probably won't get much of an edge in lie detection. The idea that you can become a skilled detector of deception is false'

I haven't read any other books in this area, but I would be very wary of any book that promised to turn you into some kind of 'human lie detector'.

[This review pertains to the 1985 edition.]

Ekman's "Telling Lies" is an intellectual landmark. Anyone writing about deceit and emotions must address Ekman's observations, just as a writer on gravity must mention Galileo.

The book recounts facts. Ekman ventures on theory no more than absolutely necessary. In this sense, "Telling Lies" endures. New information and new theories could debunk Ekman only by finding his experiments irreproducible or by finding contradictions in their implications.

The downside is that some parts of the book are truly dull reading. The chapters begin with interest, but several of them steer into a sea of detail I wearied of navigating. In three chapters, I skipped over large portions to the last few paragraphs and then on to the next chapter. I found the historical examples in international diplomacy quite interesting. For me the best chapter in the book was the Epilogue.

People with acute interest in distinguishing truth from falsehood will get some use from "Telling Lies".

If you ever watched the show "Lie to Me " with Tim Roth and you loved it , then you will love this book written by the real "Dr. Lightman" Dr. Paul Eckman. You too can learn to be a human lie detector and tell when your spouse,children,Boss or anybody else is try to decieve you or lie to you by watching their facial expressions and body language.These are great skills to have and I think it gives you a better advantage in all situations to be able to see what people are really telling you with their faces and posture. Read the whole series and even try some fo the online course work available on his website.