The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty by Dan Ariely - Non Fiction - Paperback

Details. Condition: New. Format: Paperback. ISBN: 9780007477333. Publisher: HarperCollins. Age Range: Adult. Overview. The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty is Dan Ariely's provocative deep-dive into why ordinary, decent people cheat and lie every day. Drawing on years of behavioural economics research, Ariely reveals the surprising psychology behind small deceptions, self-justification and the fudge factor that lets us cheat just enough to feel we're still honest. Witty, rigorous and endlessly readable, this paperback follows Predictably Irrational and The Upside of Irrationality as another essential entry in Ariely's exploration of why we behave the way we do.. About the Book. Why do we lie? Not just the big, headline-grabbing frauds, but the small, everyday deceptions: fudging an expense report, exaggerating a story, downloading music we haven't paid for. In The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty, behavioural economist Dan Ariely sets out to understand exactly how and why we cheat, using a series of ingenious experiments conducted with students, executives, and everyday people across the world. What he finds overturns the conventional wisdom that dishonesty is a simple cost-benefit calculation weighing potential gain against the risk of getting caught. Instead, Ariely shows that most of us cheat just a little, just enough to profit while still being able to view ourselves as fundamentally honest people. He calls this the "fudge factor" — the psychological wiggle room we allow ourselves before we start to feel guilty. Along the way, Ariely examines the surprising factors that increase or decrease dishonesty: creativity, fatigue, conflicts of interest, the presence of a single "bad apple" in a group, and even how wearing counterfeit goods can make us more likely to lie. Blending sharp science with Ariely's characteristic warmth and humour, this is a book that will change how you view your own behaviour — and everyone else's, from politicians and bankers to friends and f