A Field Guide to Lies: Critical Thinking in the Information Age

A Field Guide  to Lies: Critical Thinking in the Information Age, published by Allen Lane Canada (Penguin Random House Canada). 

In a world of “fake news” and the strategic use of misinformation, A  Field Guide to Lies looks at how we can distinguish misinformation and outright lies from reliable information. According to acclaimed neuroscientist, Daniel Levitin, we are bombarded with more information each day than the mind can process. Facts and figures are at our fingertips, but are too often biased and distorted. With examples and practical takeaways Levitin shows us how we can differentiate  misinformation from facts by applying critical thinking.

In his view, critical thinking trains us to take a step back, to evaluate facts and form evidence-based conclusions. Ultimately, A Field Guide to Lies helps us better understand statistics, become more savvy media consumers and shows us how science is the bedrock of critical thinking.

“The proliferation of “fake news” and the strategic use of  misinformation has recently become very newsworthy. A Field Guide to  Lies provides practical insights on applying critical thinking to help  us spot inaccuracies, question conclusions and make informed decisions,”  says Tahir Ayub, Managing Partner, Markets and Industries at PwC Canada.

Daniel J. Levitin PhD, is the James McGill Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at McGill University. He is also a faculty member at the Centre for Executive Education in the Haas School of Business at UC  Berkley. A neuroscientist and musician, he is also the author of international bestsellers This Is Your Brain on Music, The World in Six Songs, and The Organized Mind. He divides his time between Montreal and California.

The 2017 finalists included:

Charles Bronfman with Howard Green, Distilled: A Memoir of Family,  Seagram, Baseball, and Philanthropy, published by HarperCollins  Publishers Ltd.
Don Tapscott & Alex Tapscott, Blockchain Revolution: How the  Technology Behind Bitcoin is Changing Money, Business and the World,  published by Portfolio Canada.
Annette Verschuren with Eleanor Beaton, Bet On Me: Leading and  Succeeding in Business and in Life, published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.