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New York Times and Globe and Mail Bestsellers List. I can see why! This was one book that I could not put down. I think what made it such a good read was the use of misunderstanding and betrayal as a learning experience, which is something not often talked about objectively, but that we can all relate to.

I had a few breakthrough learning moments while I was reading this book. This first came in Part Two, with the revelation of the Truth Default Theory, first referenced on page 56. The Levine experiment, along with the previous stories about Neville Chamberlain and the CIA, demonstrate that humans are terrible at picking out a lie from the truth, but then again, most people tend to tell the truth which is why we assume that they are telling us the truth. It is not until there is a “trigger� (pg. 57), when our doubts and misgivings get to a point where they can no longer be explained away, that we can come out of truth-default mode.

Not that I’ve ever had to negotiate a peace treaty or try to foil a military counterintelligence plot, but I see where my own truth assumptions have at times landed me in some less than desirable situations where I wish I could have seen what was really happening. For myself, the biggest take from this first lesson is to simply be more aware of my truth-default.

Here is a link of Dr. Levine talking about his Truth-Default Theory:

I agree! I listened to this audiobook and loved it. There are so many great examples of how humans err in their knee-jerk reaction to default to truth and the different ways that reaction comes about.

Malcolm Gladwell is such a great narrator - if you have the chance to listen to the book, I strongly recommend it!