Useful Delusions
The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain
by Shankar Vedantam, Bill Mesler
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Pub Date Mar 02 2021 | Archive Date Feb 28 2021
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Description
From the New York Times best-selling author and host of Hidden Brain comes a counterintuitive, thought-provoking exploration of deception’s role in human success.
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 coworkers. 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 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.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Hardcover |
| ISBN | 9780393652208 |
| PRICE | $27.95 (USD) |
| PAGES | 256 |
Featured Reviews
Heather J, Educator
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free digital galley of this book in exchange for feedback.
"Useful Delusions" reads like an extra-long episode of "Hidden Brain" - Shankar Vendantam's voice is more distinctive than I had realized, I think. It makes a case that a certain amount of self-deception is helpful, even necessary, to living a happy life, with stories of people who've found contentment and health in their faith in demonstrable falsehoods. At the center of the book is the story of the "Church of Love," which tricked thousands of men into thinking they were writing to, and sending gifts to, a real woman who needed their help and support.
This was well worth reading.
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