Annals of gullibility; why we get duped and how to avoid it.

9780313362163

Annals of gullibility; why we get duped and how to avoid it.

Greenspan, Stephen.

Praeger

2009

199 pages

$44.95

Hardcover

BF637

Greenspan (developmental and educational psychology, U. of Colorado; psychiatry, U. of Connecticut) analyzes why humans are so gullible in this book, which sets a historical context for deception within the fields of religion, politics, science and medicine. The author uses famous examples such as the Trojan Horse and the Pied Piper of Hamlin to suggest that being "duped" isn't a matter of low intelligence but of trust, impulsiveness, self-deception and even low energy levels. This book, aimed at general audiences, also provides tips for becoming less gullible such as knowing one's limitations, cultivating skepticism and developing "disengagement tactics."

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