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May Contain Lies

byAlex Edmans, Alex Edmans (Read by)

How Stories, Statistics and Studies Exploit Our Biases - And What We Can Do About It

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A ground-breaking book that reveals why our human biases affect the way we receive and interpret information, with practical suggestions for how to think more critically

Our lives are minefields of misinformation. Stories, statistics and studies are everywhere, allowing people to find evidence to support whatever position they want. Many of these sources are flawed, yet by playing on our emotions and preying on our biases, they can gain widespread acceptance and warp our views.

In this eye-opening book, economist and professor Alex Edmans teaches us how to separate fact from fiction. Using colourful examples – from a wellness guru’s tragic but fabricated backstory, to the blunders that led to the Deepwater Horizon disaster – Edmans highlights the biases that cause us to mistake statements for facts, facts for data, data for evidence, and evidence for proof.

May Contain Lies is an essential read for anyone who wants to make better sense of the world and take clear-eyed decisions.


'Alex Edmans is such a crisp, sharp salutary voice – and a great guide to the bullsh*t of the modern world' Rory Stewart
'A powerful and punchy explanation of why misinformation is a problem that affects us all' Gillian Tett, Financial Times
'A passionate and dispassionate call to truth – and how to achieve it’ Will Hutton, Guardian
'A timely book and, despite the nerdy statistical theories, is often quite funny' Harry Wallop, The Times

©2024 Alex Edmans (P)2024 Penguin Audio

A powerful and punchy explanation of why misinformation is a problem that affects us all - be that in finance, politics, media, business or anywhere else. Edmans offers clear ideas about how to counter this, not just in our own lives but also across society as a whole. Timely and very provocative!

Gillian Tett, Editor-at-Large, Financial Times

About Alex Edmans

Alex Edmans is Professor of Finance at London Business School and a widely recognised global expert on behavioural finance, responsible business and misinformation. He has spoken at Davos, testified in the UK House of Commons and has reached millions through his hugely popular TED talks and his contributions to outlets such as the BBC, CNBC, the Guardian and the Independent.


He is the author of May Contain Lies, which was an Amazon #1 bestseller and received huge acclaim from the Times, The Guardian, Wall Street Journal, and The Financial Times. His first book Grow the Pie was a Financial Times Book of the Year for 2020.
Details
  • Imprint: Penguin Business
  • ISBN: 9780241680056
  • Length: 514 minutes
  • Price: £14.00
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