Name: Scott Wilson's review of Lying by Sam Harris
Item: Lying
Rating: 2
Author: Scott Wilson

Sam Harris

As it was in Anna Karenina, Madame Bovary, and Othello, so it is in life. Most forms of private vice and public evil are kindled and sustained by lies. Acts of adultery and other personal betrayals, financial fraud, government corruption—even murder and genocide—generally require an additional moral defect: a willingness to lie. In Lying, best-selling author and neuroscientist Sam Harris argues that we can radically simplify our lives and improve society by merely telling the truth in situations where others often lie. He focuses on "white" lies—those lies we tell for the purpose of sparing people discomfort—for these are the lies that most often tempt us. And they tend to be the only lies that good people tell while imagining that they are being good in the process.

Lying

Ritik Sahni

Scott Wilson

It wasn't as deep as I thought it would have been.

As others have said, this e-book is very short and easily read in an hour.

Excellent points, just thought there would have been more meat on the bones, so to speak... 

Hey I'm just being honest. ;)

Identifies how the human willingness to lie is behind most acts of betrayal, fraud, and corruption, arguing that radical societal improvements can be enabled by merely telling the truth where others often lie.

Alexandra Sergeychik

there is personal beliefs and friend cases of author. almost no science or philosophy links. I was kinda disappointed - that is true.

Cams Campbell

Read this after a recommendation from Kevin Rose on episode 21 of the Kevin Rose Show podcast. I found it rather dull to be quite honest, although it has made me consider my own honesty policy in a new way, so it wasn't a *total* waste of time.

Later...

I've found myself thinking of this book I don't know how many times since I read it. The message has stayed with me and I have to revise my rating to 3 and possibly even 4 stars.

Bryan Maniotakis

While Lying is a quick read, it does raise some pretty thought-provoking points, and at the least has made me rethink the seemingly harmless white lie. There a few points in the book where I feel like Harris takes it a bit too far (extremes, and surprises), where he comes off more robot than human.

Angel Herrera

This is a book everyone should read at an early age. Teaches the logical reasons for not lying, rather than just teaching people that "lying is bad." Instead, the author argues that whenever you lie, you create a new thread in your brain to remember your lie and keep your story straight. But, as these pile up, it only adds stress to your life and makes your thinking more difficult. A better solution is to be as honest as can be, and never have to remember multiple threads.

Ritik Sahni &
Lying by Sam Harris

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Ritik Sahni &Lying by Sam Harris

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Ritik Sahni &
Lying by Sam Harris