Everyone agrees that lies and self-deception can do terrible harm to our lives, to our communities and to the planet. But in Useful Delusions, host of Hidden Brain Shankar Vedantam argues that, paradoxically, deceiving ourselves and others can also play a vital role in human success and well-being.

The lies we tell each other and the lies that we tell ourselves sustain our daily interactions with friends, lovers and co-workers. They explain why some people live longer than others, why some couples remain in love and others don't, why some nations and tribes hold together while others splinter. Filled with powerful personal stories and drawing on new insights in psychology, neuroscience and philosophy, Useful Delusions offers a fascinating tour of an upside-down world.

About the Author
Shankar Vedantam is host of the Hidden Brain podcast and public radio show and the author of The Hidden Brain, a New York Times national bestseller. He lives in Washington, DC. Bill Mesler is the coauthor of A Brief History of Creation. He lives in Washington, DC.

Reviews
"A lively and digestible book... Perhaps the book's most important point advises how to combat destructive delusions." -- The Wall Street Journal
"In this scientifically informed, provocative and stylish study of self-deception, written with journalist Bill Mesler, [Shankar Vedantam] explores the risks and benefits of the lies we tell ourselves to preserve self-worth, relationships and social structures." -- Andrew Robinson, Five of the Week's Best Science Picks - Nature
"Powerful... [Vedantam] explains the phenomenon of deceit in general, and self-deception in particular, with the same plain language and gentle authority that his listeners have come to rely on." -- Katie Hafner - The Washington Post
"Vedantam and Mesler pepper hard data with compelling stories to make their case. Vedantam's empathy and intuitive understanding of human nature, which shine on his popular "Hidden Brain" podcast, come through in 'Useful Delusions'." -- The New York Times Book Review



Book Information
ISBN 9780393652208
Author Shankar Vedantam
Format Hardback
Page Count 264
Imprint WW Norton & Co
Publisher WW Norton & Co
Weight(grams) 452g
Dimensions(mm) 239mm * 160mm * 25mm