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Ian Leslie is 37 years old and lives in London. He combines careers in advertising and writing. He regularly appears as an analyst of American politics on Sky and the BBC. He has written about politics, culture, marketing, and psychology for Prospect, the Guardian, the Times and the BBC. He also blogs about all these things at Marbury, named one of the fifty "Most Powerful" blogs in the world by the Observer.
'Everybody lies. Every day; every hour; awake; asleep; in his dreams; in his joy; in his mourning.'
Mark Twain, On The Decaying Art of Lying
• How did human beings get so good at deception?
• How and when do children learn to deceive – and how do they learn not to?
• Why do liars tend to be cleverer and more popular than other people?
• Why is it more difficult than you think to tell when someone is lying?
• Will we ever invent a reliable lie detector?
BORN LIARS will investigate these questions and more with the help of psychologists, scientists, historians, philosophers and artists. Born Liars is not a theoretical tract, however. Lies make for good stories, and this book is full of tales of deceit from the past and the present, from murder cases to frauds, false messiahs to rigged elections, love stories, gambling, game shows and conjurors. Ian Leslie uses examples from literature and the arts as diverse as Sartre, The Godfather and the world's most popular game show. His key players range from Saddam Hussein to Bill Clinton to Bernard Madoff, with contributions from criminologists, psychologists and the world's greatest lying experts. Moving effortlessly from proper scientific research to discussions on Wonder Woman's 'lasso of truth', BORN LIARS presents humanity's 'dirty little secret' as one of the most pivotal aspects of human behaviour and gives it a uniquely populist treatment.
Quercus, UK & Commonwealth
Kinneret, Israel
Azoth Books, Taiwan
Business Contact, NL
Texto Editores, Portugal
House of Anansi Canada
Quest for the White House 2008
An American presidential contest is a multi-layered drama played out on a vast scale. It contains all the great themes: power and money, race and religion, dreams and fears. It is a story that unfolds over many long months. Characters rise and fall, expectations are raised and reversed. Hundreds of millions of people are involved, and at the end of it, one man – or woman – stands victorious. But although every presidential election forms a compelling story, 2008 was exceptional. Indeed, it was perhaps the most dramatic election contest ever held. This book tells its story.
Three conditions in particular made for an extraordinary year. First, a country that yearned for change, and not just of president. 80% of Americans believed the country to be headed in the wrong direction, the highest number since pollsters started asking that question. At home and abroad, the nation faced a series of turning points. How should America conduct its foreign wars? How should it respond to the global challenges of environment and energy? What did it need to do to get through a painful economic downturn? More generally, people were fed up with their rulers. This year they favoured the unusual and the unpredictable – and that is what they got. Second, the openness of the race. For the first time since 1928, no incumbent president or vice-president was standing. There was no sure bet front-runner on either side. As the first primaries came into view in late 2007, a credible case could be made that any one of eight individuals had a shot at winning the White House in November 2008. Third, the cast of characters who proposed to the nation that they should be the most powerful person in the land was more colourful than in any election of the modern era. All of them were fascinating individuals with unlikely life stories. Three of them stood to make history by winning: a woman, an African-American, and the oldest man ever to stand.
This book captures the excitement of the twelve months leading up to November 2008, and brilliantly recalls the unforgettable human drama they contained.
‘Ian Leslie’s blog was one of the daily must-reads of the presidential election. His book is a marvellous first draft of the history of the most extraordinary White House contest of our lifetimes. Deft, clear-eyed, witty, judicious and fair, this is a fine overview of the dramatic two-year campaign that ushered in the era of President Barack Obama.’ Toby Harnden, Telegraph US editor
‘Ian Leslie brilliantly captures the drama and emotion of Barack Obama's successful run for the White House. In lucid, measured prose he reveals every twist and turn of the 2008 Presidential contest, producing the most comprehensive account yet of this historic election.’ Adam Boulton, Sky News
Politicos/Methuen UK
Serialised in Granta online