The Honest Truth About Dishonesty

How We Lie to Everyone - Especially Ourselves

By: Dan Ariely

Narrated by: Simon Jones

Length: 8 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

This program is enhanced with 14 never-before-heard episodes of Dan Ariely's "Arming the Donkeys" podcast, available exclusively on this audiobook!

The New York Times bestselling author of Predictably Irrational and The Upside of Irrationality returns with thought-provoking work to challenge our preconceptions about dishonesty and urge us to take an "honest" look at ourselves.

Does the chance of getting caught affect how likely we are to cheat? How do companies pave the way for dishonesty? Does collaboration make us more honest or less so? Does religion improve our honesty?

Most of us think of ourselves as honest, but, in fact, we all cheat. From Washington to Wall Street, the classroom to the workplace, unethical behavior is everywhere. None of us is immune, whether it's the white lie to head off trouble or padding our expense reports. In The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty, award-winning, bestselling author Dan Ariely turns his unique insight and innovative research to the question of dishonesty.

Generally, we assume that cheating, like most other decisions, is based on a rational cost-benefit analysis. But Ariely argues, and then demonstrates, that it's actually the irrational forces that we don't take into account that often determine whether we behave ethically or not. For every Enron or political bribe, there are countless hidden commissions, and knockoff purses.

In The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty, Ariely shows why some things are easier to lie about; how getting caught matters less than we think; and how business practices pave the way for unethical behavior, both intentionally and unintentionally. Ariely explores how unethical behavior works in the personal, professional, and political worlds, and how it affects all of us, even as we think of ourselves as having high moral standards.

But all is not lost. Ariely also identifies what keeps us honest, pointing the way for achieving higher ethics in our everyday lives. With compelling personal and academic findings, The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty will change the way we see ourselves, our actions, and others.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2012 Dan Ariely (P)2012 HarperCollins Publishers

Fascinating

Fascinating insight into how people work and how they deceive others and themselves. I learned a lot.

Very enlightening. Well written

Weaves stories masterfully into solid description of research. Great book whether you engage in social science research or not.

Food for thought!

I have enjoyed all of Dan Ariely's books and this one was no exception. It was interesting to read how we are all a little dishonest at some point or another. I found it fun spouting the research in this book to family and friends who insist they never lie or cheat. You will definitely learn more about how society behaves but I think, more importantly, you'll get a better understanding how you sometimes behave.

I know others don't like the English narrator but I think he is perfect for the job and narrates with a wonderful sense of irony.

An interesting book

Another really interesting book by Dan Ariely. One of the things I like about his books, including this one, is that he goes into great detail explaining how the experiments backing up his claims were conducted; thus allowing the reader/listener some basis for evaluating those claims.

I also really enjoy Simon Jones' posh British accent.

Excellent Book -- Makes You Think

Would you listen to The Honest Truth About Dishonesty again? Why?

Very engaging, with "wow" moments time and again. Would definitely read again - I may even buy a hard copy just so can flip to for reference in the future. Highly recommend.

This Is OK

Perhaps I'm reading too much? I didn't find a lot of new material in this book.

I enjoy reading about the experiments that Dan and his students conduct but the results of those experiments aren't surprising. Much of this material has been covered in "ground-breaking" studies by others and documented in their books.

Yes, you'll get some insight into what levels of dishonesty we accept in ourselves and should anticipate in others, so, on that front, the book is a buy. The presentation is a bit dull and from to time you'll want to scream---"get on with it!"

But go ahead. If you have a credit to burn and like this sort of stuff, you'll enjoy this.

Narrator voice

Narrator voice at some time pitched too high. One gets accustomed to it after a few hours so not too bad overall.

The real honest truth about lying

Loved the book, it really allows you to step back and look onto the ways we all lie to each other and most of all to ourselves.

Another Wonderful Dan Ariely Book

First I would like to say that the reader is great. Whenever a English accented reader is needed he should be the first one chosen because he has the flavor needed without the difficulty to understand.

Anyway I love all Dan Ariely's books. In many ways they are similar to "Freakenomics" but I tend to like them a bit better because they seem to me to be scientific in their conclusions... although both are great.

This book about honesty is something we all need to think about and it makes me wonder if humans can ever really be honest.

The one shortcoming in the book is basicallly talking about lying to ourselves he never goes into religion. For example Christians claim to follow Jesus yet he primarily preached sharing all we have with others... particularly the poor... which is something few do. Modern Christians today mainly attack abortion and gays which is something Jesus never preached against yet the main thing he did preach is largely ignored. Not trying to pick on Christians because the same contradictions (lies) are found in all religions.

Can we control our lying?

Where does The Honest Truth About Dishonesty rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book is incredibly thought- provoking! I love books that developer or change the way I see the world or my life. This book achieves that in a way that kept my attention. Because of that I see as a must listen to book. It is my favourite book at this moment. I now hove lots of books I think are the best I've listened to so it's hard to say its my favourite as it may be a lie.

I'm glad I bought it.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

The narrator keeps the story moving. At the end of the book there are interviews conducted by the author. The author has a different accent.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

This book makes you consider the subtleties of being truthful and honest and the many unconscious, reasons for dishonesty. The book shows how mass deception can be acceptable in organizations such as Enron and in our governments.

The author does many social experiments and many of the outcomes are counter-intuitive. Those findings were the most provocative part of the book.

I also enjoyed the end of the book where the author let us listen to interviews with others he collaborated with in the formulation of his findings expressed in the book.