The liars of nature and the nature of liars Cheating and deception in the living world

Review by Choice Review

This book features many morphological, physiological, behavioral, and psychological tactics employed by numerous animals and plants (but also used by much simpler and incomplete life forms like genes, viruses, bacteria, and fungi) to "cheat" in the natural world, and how these tactics translate into human social life. Grounded in a selectionist, Darwinian view of living organisms, which emphasizes honest signaling and handicaps, and employs a solid comparative approach, the text takes us on a fascinating journey into the mechanisms and evolution of cheating (including deceiving and lying). These are simply defined as acting to favor oneself at the expense of others, particularly when general expectations are placed on cooperative interactions. Through various enlightening and entertaining examples involving mimicry, thanatosis, other types of bluffing, distraction or diversionary displays, false-alarm calling, concealed ovulation, sneaky mating, brood parasitism, and free-riding, Sun (Central Washington Univ.) educates readers about the biological underpinnings of deceiving--by exploiting cognitive loopholes--and lying--by altering truthful information in communication--for which demonstrating the cheater's intention is neither easy nor necessary in nonhuman species. The second half of the book is entirely dedicated to cheating in humans, as supported by language, Machiavellian intelligence, and complex societies, leading to description of Freudian slips, self-deception, Ponzi schemes, conspiracy theories, corruption, and gerrymandering. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers. --Jean-Baptiste Leca, University of Lethbridge

Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.

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Review by Booklist Review

Although lying and cheating are considered despicable, these practices are prevalent in both the natural world and among humans. What drives decent people to fib? How do deceitful animals thrive? In this intriguing introduction to the domain of dishonesty, biologist Lixing Sun focuses on "the behavior, evolution, and natural history of cheating." For humans, cheating generally includes intent. For other creatures, cheating seems favored by natural selection as a means to grant organisms advantages and improve their evolutionary fitness. Fascinating impostors and swindlers are exposed: the female cuckoo bird's egg-switching fraud, lying crows, even trickster orchids. Animal strategies include bluffing, distraction displays, free riding, sneaking, and mimicry. Big questions loom. Is cheating morally justifiable under some circumstances? What is the cost of honesty? Lixing Sun concludes with an unsettling assertion that cheating "is actually essential in our economic activities and social lives, and it is a critical part of our education and cognitive development." It turns out, perhaps paradoxically, that there is an essential role for duplicity in both the biological realm and human society.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

This perceptive study by Sun (The Fairness Instinct), a biology professor at Central Washington University, examines the "behavior, evolution, and natural history of cheating" in the animal kingdom. He catalogs the ways in which animals, including humans, use deception to their evolutionary advantage and notes that in many species of monkeys, females will hide their sexual liaisons with "low-ranking" males from dominant males so as to increase their number of partners and chances to produce genetically diverse progeny. In the reptile world, male garter snakes facing fierce competition for a mate will mimic the behaviors and odor of females to confuse competitors. Sun also tackles human cheating, detailing the exploits of con man Frank Abagnale Jr. (of Catch Me If You Can fame) to suggest that human deception is more intricate and novel than that of other animals because of humans' high intelligence, complex social structures, and ability to use language. The author highlights the effects of human self-deception and posits that, while it may boost self-esteem, the self-confidence is often misplaced. The accessible prose offers an eye-opening take on lying in the natural world and how evolutionary pressures to deceive impact human behavior. The smart parallels between humans and animals make for an insightful outing. (Apr.)

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