The Folly of Fools

The Logic of Deceit and Self-Deception in Human Life

By: Robert Trivers

Narrated by: Chris Reilly

Whether it's in a cockpit at takeoff or the planning of an offensive war, a romantic relationship or a dispute at the office, there are many opportunities to lie and self-deceive - but deceit and self-deception carry the costs of being alienated from reality and can lead to disaster. So why does deception play such a prominent role in our everyday lives? In short, why do we deceive?

In his bold new work, prominent biological theorist Robert Trivers unflinchingly argues that self-deception evolved in the service of deceit - the better to fool others. We do it for biological reasons - in order to help us survive and procreate. From viruses mimicking host behavior to humans misremembering (sometimes intentionally) the details of a quarrel, science has proven that the deceptive one can always outwit the masses. But we undertake this deception at our own peril.

The Folly of Fools is an ambitious investigation into the evolutionary logic of lying and the costs of leaving it unchecked.

©2011 Robert Trivers (P)2022 Tantor

Interesting take

Outdated but still relevant. Would appreciate a updated version based on new studies and current information

Amazing!

I particularly like the chapter on molecular mimicry, and the concluding chapter. He offers a story of hope that because of human consciousness, we are not just slaves to our jeans and that we can choose our life honesty as opposed to our genetic heritage of deceit.

Okay...

The book is by now somewhat dated; it is neither as insightful or impressive as one might expect. Moreover, Trivers is sure to upset everyone with at least one of his chapters, whether people with pro-israel sentiments, economists, Republicans, etc. His chapter on religion is well-nigh unreadable, not because he's critical, but because what he writes is strikingly unoriginal - it's basically the conventional Boomer New Atheist polemic, and aside from its immature content, Trivers doesn't really do justice to the beneficial effects of religion, though he does acknowledge some of them.

The narrator also talks almost preternaturally slowly, so you'll have to increase speed at least to x1.35

Very disappointing

This book was rambling and hard to follow. Ideas were not strung together very well and the thesis of the book was only occasionally visible. There were some interesting scientific insights but it was mired with small political statements that distracted from the topic at hand.

Disappointing. Don't bother.

Trivers is a brilliant evolutionist, an amateur psychologist and a poor historian. It's too bad that his valid insights are often backed by factually invalid claims. His detailed historical account of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, for example, is nothing but a virulent Palestinian propaganda presented as the objective truth. It’s truly ironic that a world expert on deception can so easily fall prey to deception himself.