Not at all the dry stats book if may seem! Edmans presents an easy-to-follow guide for how to decipher whether the information being thrown at us on a daily basis is data, if that data is evidence, and if that evidence can be considered "proof." All of those words have definitions that are easily thrown out the window for marketing purposes and if you aren't aware that you can (and should) question the information presented, you may be misled.
As a scientist, this was a good reminder to not throw words around all willy-nilly and make sure that I'm not extrapolating too far.

As a researcher, I found this book delightful. It is well explained and used great examples. (Love the soccer/futbol example on loses/moods/stock market.)

I love talking to people about the differences between what correlation and causation is. That just because two things occur, doesn’t mean that one causes the other. That they can happen simultaneously but not be connected. A professor of mine used the example “crime increases when ice cream sales go up”. Not one causes the other, just that they both have warm weather in common.

I find it so enjoyable to look at things and try to figure out the common denominator. I think this book is great at explaining all the ways to take caution when reading stats due to the fact that researchers can skew their numbers to explain the story they want to explain.

I love that the narrator is the author of the book. I feel like it’s always enjoyable to hear from the author as they have a better way of getting across their story. It was perfect for this book. Easy to understand and great speed.

Thank you NetGalley, Alex Edmans, and Kalorama for the audiobook.

First and foremost, thank you NetGAlley for the audiobook. I anticipated this book to be a "tough" audiobook as I figured the content would make listening to it unbearable. However, I was wrong. The format and writing lends itself nicely to being an audiobook. Beyond that, the content was really intriguing. It did remind me of a lot of similar books though and I am unsure if it really added anything to my understanding of misinformation.

As much as I absolutely loved this book, I have to admit the difference between reading it and not is the definition of "ignorance is bliss". It's almost like the book backfired, because now I don't even know if IT is one that I can trust.

The gist -for me at least- was that you should rethink everything you think you know, vet your sources, then vet the vetting, then stay openminded enough to keep on truckin' - all without losing your mind. Sounds like the dream. Unfortunately, that's the absolute farthest thing from attainable for me/my life. So as for the "what you can do about it" part of the title... Yeah, I'll get right on it! Just as soon as I have hours upon hours of time and mental bandwidth to spend going down rabbit holes for every story, stat, or study I come across. Can you tell I'm really bothered by learning how ignorant we all are while simultaneously accepting that getting to the bottom of everything is just not feasible??? *deep breath*

Assuming Alex Edmans is correct in his findings though, I really enjoyed the insights and context he brought to ideas commonly discussed/experienced in society and the media.

I feel like this review sounds so negative for a book I gave 4/5 stars, but that may have been Alex Edman's point? I don't think you could convince me that the unease felt since finishing this book wasn't part of the author's intent. It's one of those books that hides in the back of your mind and continuously pesters the voice in your head, (hopefully) eventually changing the way you perceive things altogether.

{Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for Audiobook ARC!}

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC (in audiobook format).

“May Contain Lies” by Alex Edmans, narrated by the author, is a cerebral journey through the labyrinth of our own biases and the misinformation that exploits them. Edmans, with his compelling voice, guides us through the murky waters of stories, statistics, and studies that often lead us astray.

The audiobook is slightly over 8 hours, during which Edmans doesn’t just state facts; he paints scenarios. From the wellness guru with a heart-wrenching but fictitious tale to the diet craze that led to its creator’s demise, Edmans uses vivid examples to illustrate how easily we can be misled. His narration adds a layer of intimacy to these stories, making the lessons they impart all the more resonant.

What sets this audiobook apart is its practicality. Edmans doesn’t leave us in the dark after exposing our vulnerabilities. Instead, he arms us with a toolkit to dismantle the mechanisms of misinformation. He delves into the science of cause and effect, urging us to think critically and not just consume information passively.

The book’s strength lies in its ability to be both informative and transformative. As we listen to Edmans’ voice, we’re not just learning about biases; we’re learning how to overcome them. This is a book that doesn’t just want to be heard; it demands to be applied. It’s a call to action for every listener to become a more discerning consumer of information.

In a world where “fake news” is a common cry and data is often twisted to fit narratives, “May Contain Lies” is a beacon of hope. It’s a reminder that with the right tools and a bit of skepticism, we can navigate the information age without falling prey to the lies that may contain us.

For those who appreciate a deep dive into the psychology of decision-making and the pitfalls of our cognitive biases, this audiobook is a treasure trove of insights. And for the dedicated IT professional, particularly in the healthcare sector where data integrity is paramount, Edmans’ lessons are not just interesting; they are essential.

“May Contain Lies” is more than an audiobook; it’s an intellectual adventure that equips us to face the truth with our eyes wide open. Edmans’ narration is not just a voice in our ears; it’s the mentor we need in an era of endless information. This audiobook is a must-listen for anyone who seeks to understand the world more clearly and make decisions more wisely.

The book is clearly organized, with chapters divided in a way that makes learning more continuous and regular. This is different from Calling Bullshit: The Art of Skepticism in a Data-Driven World, which I loved but found a bit all over the place in terms of format. The advice in this book is solid and easy to understand. However, I'm not entirely sold on the format of giving an example first and then discussing the theory. the opposite approach might have made readers more active participants.
I’m also not convinced by the author's stance on moderated centrism, which seems to favour maintaining the status quo. Additionally, the focus on cognitive diversity over demographic diversity for better industry and policy performance seems impractical. Demographic diversity is inherently cognitively diverse, so this argument doesn’t make much sense in the real job market.
The author’s criticism of one political spectrum while ignoring the other, despite claiming a moderate position, feels a lot like Jonathan Haidt’s vibe, which I find questionable.

Overall, it’s a useful book, especially the appendix with a handy checklist for simplifying the critical thinking process. I’d rate it 3.5/5.

Audiobook Narration Review: The narrator did a decent job, though not brilliant.

Thanks to Kalorama/RBmedia and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Great book summarising the many many biases. However, I felt like other books have already covered this, so what's the point of one additional book? But otherwise it's pretty accessible and readable to even a lay audience!

Okay, I confess. I expected to hate this. As an artsy fartsy gal I did enter this reading experience expecting to roll my eyes at some business man babbling about data for 8+ hours (arc was on audio). This book wasn't what I expected in the best way. It ended up being a whole ass media literacy course.

Edmans guides the reader through explanations and examples of confirmation bias, misinformation, and statistical analysis. He posits that the only way to combat misinformation is to educate the masses on how to sift through it and properly identify truth from bullocks.

The audiobook reads like the research methods 101 I wish I had in undergrad. “Just because there’s a footnote at the end of the sentence, doesn’t mean it’s true.” Edmans returns to this refrain, to please not take information at face value to be true and correct.

I think all in all, this book is extremely useful and should probably be required reading for every Bob in product marketing.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6537304379

May Contain Lies outlines how data is often misrepresented, misused, and misreported with concrete examples and solutions for avoiding the pitfalls of the increased use of statistics and research to back up headlines. For those who love data, statistics, and math, this book is fascinating! There is even an appendix for quick reference on common mistakes and how to watch out for them.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy in return for an honest review. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. This book is very informative but in some parts it was kind of dry. But overall it was a useful and helpful book!

I was interested in this book as it is in conversation with Amanda Montell's "The Age of Magical Overthinking." Both books dive into what drives the human mind to accept certain ideas as truths, then double down on those ideas when questioned. While Montell was willing to acknowledge every time her own biases appeared, Edmans is not ready to go there, choosing instead to stick to statistics. The information is compelling and the subject interesting, but Edmans would have had a more compelling read if he humanized himself a bit.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC

To start I want to say I probably should have thought about this before I started reading this book, but I actually have a lot of experience with statistics, so a good amount of the stuff presented here felt obvious to me, but I imagine if you don’t have that background you’ll get a lot more out of it than I did. I did learn some things I didn’t know before, like specific terminology for ways in which things can be something other than black and white.

The primary issue I have with this book is I get the impression that the author thinks that because he understands the prevalence and a lot of pitfalls of bias, he thinks he is immune to it. It is my belief that you can and should do your best to minimize bias’ impact on your analysis, but that it is not possible to rid yourself of it completely. We are shaped by our experiences and that will inevitably impact our perception of the world around us, what questions we ask and what we take for granted.

There were multiple times reading this book where I got the impression that the author was rightly critical of assumptions others will make, but then replace them with a different set of assumptions he doesn’t back up or analyze but just takes to be fact. I say this because this book is not an impersonal look at the misinformation which doesn’t advocate for a perspective: rather, it seems to advocate for a specific position of moderated centrism. Climate change is important, but we should still invest in oil companies. Diversity is valuable but should not be pursued without encouraging an environment which welcomes diversity of thought. We can and should address poverty without reducing the pay of executives.

I don’t have a problem with all of the stances taken in the book, but it seems to me that the goal is to get you to question your beliefs enough to get you there without thinking about what assumptions still need to be examined. It’s the type of analysis of the world which very much favors maintaining the status quo.

May Contain Lies is a fabulous educational tool for anyone looking to improve their critical thinking skills. I struggle with what information to believe and share. This book gives the reader concrete steps to take weed out the false information we are inundated with every day.

Thank you Alex Edmans, Kalorama, and NetGalley for my advanced review audio copy! My opinions are my own.

#NonFiction #MayContainLies #AlexEdmans #Kalorama #NetGalley

This was great! I was already familiar with some of the concepts and ideas behind the subject of biases, but this really took all that random information and brought it together quite nicely.

The author does a fantastic job with his examples and explanations throughout. The title itself tells you exactly what to expect from the book, and the author presents a clear roadmap for each section and chapter. The information was easy to digest, and I think the book overall provides a great starting point for more thoroughly examining the data, facts, evidence, etc., that we encounter.

On a side note, I listened to the audio version of this, and the author does a great job narrating. Sometimes with non-fiction, the narrator can make a big difference in terms of understanding the material, and I thought this one was well done. If you are like me and that matters, I wanted to mention it.

This is a timely and important book about how people fall victim to misinformation. It's natural and comfortable to seek out confirmation of our own beliefs, but too often that means believing things that aren't really true.
In order to fend off misinformation, it's necessary to be honest and look at sources. This book gives examples and explains how to fight misinformation. The narrator has a British accent and a calm, kind manner, which is great for a topic that can feel stressful.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me listen to this audiobook

This audiobook was made available for me to listen to and review by Alex Edmans, RB Media, and NetGalley.

This is narrated by Alex Edmands. He has a posh intelligent sounding British accent. His voice is rich with texture and helps to keep the reader interested in and focused on the narrative.

This is an important and timely subject. It feels like our society is beset on all sides with misinformation. Confirmation bias causes so many problems and misunderstandings. The author gives multiple examples of how this impacts real life, from medical to prison to business. We can see the impact of this on our real lives and society at large.

After thoroughly explaining what confirmation bias is and the deleterious impact this has on ourselves as individuals as well as our society, we then get a solution. The author walks the reader through how to get around confirmation bias, and the appendix even includes a 'checklist for smarter thinking'. The author successfully is able to prove his point and offer strategies to not be lost to confirmation bias. This book is a useful tool in the fight against disinformation.

I don't think this will lessen confirmation bias in our society, though. I disagree with the author that confirmation bias is a human trait. I think it's a trait of Western Society and will be with us until we are prepared to look at ourselves and history realistically instead of to support a patriotic fictional narrative.

Thank you to Alex Edmans, RB Media, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.

First, thank you to NetGalley for the audio ARC of this book. May Contain Lies is an interesting read that dives into the issues that surround biases that make their way into studies and data, as well as people’s likelihood to use only that which contributes to their preconceived opinions.

I was really interested in this book because I often find myself looking deeper into claims and data, looking for proof as someone with an analytical mind. It was interesting to hear the many ways data and published studies may be full of bias and incomplete analysis. It also led me to confront the idea that even the way I seek out data may be biased, as I am looking for confirmation and not necessarily contradictory data…

I felt the book was a little longer than necessary and I started to lose interest in the last quarter of the book. However, it was enlightening and reinforced the importance of looking at the big picture, not just a small segment.