Lies We Live by: The Art of Self-Deception - Hardcover

In this radical and illuminating book, eloquent historian of ideas Eduardo Giannetti uncovers the truth about lies.

The most intimate and treacherous relationship a person has is with him or herself. Inclined to lie to ourselves-to believe our powers greater and impulses purer than they are- we are masters of our own self-deception. Giannetti looks to clues in the natural world and into our cultural and natural histories, offering a brilliantly engaging and provocative analysis of our favorite subject-ourselves. By answering these four basic questions, he unlocks the mystery of who we are and how we live:

What is self-deception and how is it different from deceiving others?
Why is self-knowledge such a challenge for human beings?
How is it possible for one to deceive oneself?
What is the place of self-deception in our day-to-day lives?

Lies We Live By is an impossible book to resist and promises to have a profound effect the next time the reader looks in the mirror.

Eduardo Giannetti has a BA in economics and social science from the University of Sao Paulo, and a pH from Cambridge University. He teaches at the Faculty of Economics, at the University of Sao Paulo. He is the author of Beliefs in Action (Cambridge, 1991) and Private Vices, Public Benefits? (Sao Paulo, 1993).