Liars and Outliers: Enabling the Trust that Society Needs to Thrive

How does society function when you can′t trust everyone?

When we think about trust – we naturally think about personal relationships or bank accounts.  But that is much too narrow; trust is broader, and far more important.  Nothing in society works without trust. It is the foundation of communities, commerce, democracy, and world stability. 

In this insightful and entertaining book, Schneier weaves together ideas from across the social and biological sciences to explore how societies induce and encourage trust and what happens when it fails in our personal lives, our businesses, communities, and the world.

In today s hyper–connected society, understanding the mechanisms of trust is as important as understanding electricity was a century ago.  Issues of trust and security are critical to solving problems as diverse as corporate responsibility, global warming, and stagnant political systems.  After reading Liars and Outliers, you ll think about social problems, large and small, with a new perspective.

"Schneier makes an original and powerful argument for rethinking society. . . . His message is full of insight into how we function, or don′t function, and along the way we are constantly hearing from the giants such as Emerson, Thoreau, Socrates, even Emily Dickinson."
Seymour M. Hersh, New Yorker

"Deeply philosophical yet highly accessible, Liars and Outliers is more than thought–provoking it′s the kind of book that fundamentally changes the way you think."
Daniel J. Solove, John Marshall Harlan Research Professor of Law, George Washington University Law School

"Brilliantly dissects, classifies, and orders the social dimension of security a spectacularly palatable tonic against today′s incoherent and dangerous flailing in the face of threats from terrorism to financial fraud."
Cory Doctorow, Author of Little Brother and Makers; co–editor of BoingBoing.net

"Engaging, insightful, and thought–provoking, Liars and Outliers will alter how you think about trust and security."
Dorothy Denning, Distinguished Professor of Defense Analysis, Naval Postgraduate School, and author of Information Warfare and Security

"Without trust, nothing can be achieved. Liars and Outliers is a brilliant analysis of the role of trust in society and business."
Claus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum

 A note for e–book readers: For ease of reference, the figures used in this book are also located at www.schneier.com/lo.