May Contain Lies by Alex Edmans Summary
In "May Contain Lies," finance professor Alex Edmans reveals how our biases make us vulnerable to misinformation. Featured in Wall Street Journal and endorsed by Adam Grant, this guide introduces the "ladder of misinference" - your essential toolkit for navigating today's deceptive information landscape.
About the author
Alex Edmans is the author of May Contain Lies: How Stories, Statistics, and Studies Exploit Our Biases – And What We Can Do About It. He is a globally recognized finance professor and behavioral economics authority.
Edmans is a Professor of Finance at London Business School and an MIT-trained Fulbright Scholar. He merges academic expertise—honed through roles at Wharton and Morgan Stanley—with groundbreaking research on corporate decision-making, data interpretation, and ethical business practices.
His work, including the Financial Times Business Book of the Year Grow the Pie: How Great Companies Deliver Both Purpose and Profit (translated into nine languages), challenges conventional wisdom on profit-driven strategies and misinformation.
Edmans’ TED talks on trust and social responsibility have amassed nearly 3 million views. His contributions to the Wall Street Journal and Harvard Business Review underscore his influence.
A Fellow of the British Academy and advisor to global institutions, he bridges rigorous analysis with actionable insights for leaders navigating complex information landscapes.
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"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
12117"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
12108"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
25417"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
964.5K"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
20116"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
37483"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
12117"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
12108"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
25417"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
964.5K"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
20116"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
37483"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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