Spy the Lie

Former CIA Officers Teach You How to Detect Deception

By: Philip Houston, Michael Floyd, Susan Carnicero, Don Tennant

Narrated by: Fred Berman

Length: 4 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Nominee, Business and Educational, 2013

Three former CIA officers - among the world’s foremost authorities on recognizing deceptive behavior - share their proven techniques for uncovering a lie.

Imagine how different your life would be if you could tell whether someone was lying or telling you the truth. Be it hiring a new employee, investing in a financial interest, speaking with your child about drugs, confronting your significant other about suspected infidelity, or even dating someone new, having the ability to unmask a lie can have far-reaching and even life-altering consequences.

As former CIA officers, Philip Houston, Michael Floyd, and Susan Carnicero are among the world’s best at recognizing deceptive behavior. Spy the Lie chronicles the captivating story of how they used a methodology Houston developed to detect deception in the counterterrorism and criminal investigation realms, and shows how these techniques can be applied in our daily lives.

Through fascinating anecdotes from their intelligence careers, the authors teach listeners how to recognize deceptive behaviors, both verbal and nonverbal, that we all tend to display when we respond to questions untruthfully. For the first time, they share with the general public their methodology and their secrets to the art of asking questions that elicit the truth.

Spy the Lie is a game-changer. You may never experience another book that has a more dramatic impact on your career, your relationships, or your future.

©2012 Philip Houston, Susan Carnicero, Don Tennant, Michael Floyd (P)2012 Macmillan

Excellent, with one disappointment

Where does Spy the Lie rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Having listened to Joe Navarro's "What EveryBODY Is Saying", I felt this audiobook provided similar content, but with excellent suggestions for honing questions that an interviewer might ask of a potential hire, or an employer of an employee in an otherwise uncomfortable situation. My only misgiving is when the reading refers to "Figure 1" or "Figure 2", etc., and there was no companion download to include what might be important images. I'll never know how important they were to include unless they are available or unless I get the hard copy somewhere... please Audible, let the reader decide on their importance rather than make the decision on our behalf.

Excellent Listen

Would you listen to Spy the Lie again? Why?

I would listen to it again because there is so much helpful information contained in the book. As the author says, the only way to hone the ability to spot lies is to practice. To do that, you need to review. A very interesting book.

What about Fred Berman’s performance did you like?

His voice was exactly what you would expect for this kind of CIA/investigation narration. Almost amusing, but at the end of the day a smooth voice to listen to and appropriate to the material.

very interesting book

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Very well read with lots of details and examples. Great content. It's exactly what you hope it's going to be when you see the title.

Preview of the book, does not do it justice.

I had listened to the preview and was sort of 'meh' about it. But I gambled and got it anyway.

So very glad I did. It was a very entertaining read, that gives you knowledge on how one can spot liars easily, whether it is during interviews, business talks, spouses or when your children lie about silly things.

They clearly outline what techniques are employed where, and how and when they should be.

They show us interviews of OJ Simpson and Sandusky, and dissect them to show us how they knew they were guilty even before their convictions just based on the interviews the CIA agents had listened to.

Overall, an amazing book if you want to have a introductory/intermediate book for deception detection.

Excellent and import info and tips

Would you consider the audio edition of Spy the Lie to be better than the print version?

I havent read the book but the audio edition is excellent

What other book might you compare Spy the Lie to and why?

In some how you can compare it with Daniel Coleman's Social Intelligence in some if his chapters where you can abstract usual behaviors in social interaction.
Or even with Paul Ekman, even though the authors recite Ekman

What about Fred Berman’s performance did you like?

Fred's perfomance just fit with this book, it engaged me!!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

All in one setting and several times

Any additional comments?

Excellent information and tips that everybody should know and have present in social interactions

Everything is a lie

According to this book, everything you will hear is a lie. I would be very cautious with this book, because assuming someone is lying is a self poisonous prophecy. Eventually you will convince your self that it is true because of what you heard here. The book lacks sufficient examples.

a good read for the naive.

If you've ever met a liar, had to deal with liars because you work/worked in sales, or had the unfortunate luck of growing up around, and being the victim of liars, this book will give you strength (e.g. knowledge). Strength to protect yourself against those who take liberties with your kindness. this book won't teach you everything you need to know in order to protect yourself. However, it is definitely worth the read, and you will walk away with valuable information. There are a couple caveats, the first being, if you want to learn anything from this book you will need a mechanical pencil, pad of paper, and a willingness to pause/rewind/and lookup the terms and phrases the narrator uses. However, if you don't do this then you will learn 10% out of 110% of what you would have learned had you been actively listening while taking notes.

Very Interesting, Specific, And Useful

Where does Spy the Lie rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is one of the best audiobooks I have listened to thus far.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I did not have one favorite character per se, but there were many interesting one's throughout the book.

Have you listened to any of Fred Berman’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No this is the first performance I have listened to of his. He gave an good performance. My only problem was that his voice would sometimes fluctuate a little low and quiet. This was only a problem when I was in the car. Other than that is was great.

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

The section outlining some of the interviews with prominent liars of the last few years troubled me greatly. This is because by the time the authors layed out the interviews with these liars, they had spent the entire book outlining all the various indicators of deception. After doing so, most of the lying was just so blatant, easy to see,...and truly troubling.

Any additional comments?

Excellent book for your work, relationships, and day to day interactions. I highly, highly recommend it, and will reread it.

Fantastic Book

A very informative read, full of insight and supportive information. A very well demonstrated illustration of the techniques and nuances discussed throughout. I wish they had done more.

Fascinating subject matter

What made the experience of listening to Spy the Lie the most enjoyable?

Fred Berman did a great job narrating. This book might have been a fact heavy product but was written in a way that made it very interesting the whole way through. Fred Berman added a life to the book with his reading and matched the story well to make it a really good experience.

What other book might you compare Spy the Lie to and why?

I have never read another similar book, it is very unique.

Have you listened to any of Fred Berman’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is the first of Fred Berman's performances I have listened to but would definitely listen to him again.