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

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.