May Contain Lies

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What to expect

Brought to you by Penguin.

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

Critics Review

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!
Editor-at-Large, Financial Times
Alex Edmans is such a crisp, sharp salutary voice - and a great guide to the bullsh*t of the modern world
Rory Stewart
A masterpiece! A must-read book that is both a delight to consume and sure to improve the quality of your thinking'
Professor, The Wharton School, author of How to Change
Mass disinformation and poor understanding of basic statistics are the hallmarks of our 'information age'. Alex Edmans' book is the much-needed antidote
Author of How the World Really Works and Numbers Don't Lie
Brilliantly researched and written [and] immensely practical in helping guide us through this thicket of (mis)information ... I am already drawing on its insights in my everyday decision-making
former Chief Economist at the Bank of England
A passionate and dispassionate call to truth - and how to achieve it - in a world of growing disinformation in which truth and common ground are the casualties
President of the Academy of Social Sciences, author of The State Weu2019re In
A fascinating account of how to navigate through lies and misleading statistics to arrive at a reasonable approximation of the truth. A valuable aid to make sense of our confusing world
Professor at the University of Chicago, former governor of the Reserve Bank of India and Chief Economist of the International Monetary Fund
A hard-hitting book with some great stories
Professor of Statistics and Political Science, Columbia University
A clear-headed guide to the exaggerations, sloppy research and the occasional downright lies peddled by companies, universities, authors and Ted Talk gurus. ... It's a timely book and, despite the nerdy statistical theories, is often quite funny
The Times
A road map for how to separate myths from the real thing and come to a better understanding of the world, drawing on the approaches of academic research. [Edmans] is well placed to share what professional thinkers can teach us about examining our subjectivity to think more clearly about topics from income disparity to cancer cures
Financial Times

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