The World's Best Book Summaries
What happened to Sandra Bland? What events led up to death in jail? Who’s to blame? The police officer? The justice system? Our society as a whole? We’ll cover Malcolm Gladwell’s answer to the question, What happened to Sandra Bland?, from his book Talking to Strangers. Learn why Gladwell thinks the death of Sandra Bland was the tragic result of common misreadings of strangers.
Who was Aldrich Ames? How was he outed as a spy? How was he able to fool the CIA for so long? Aldrich Ames was one of the most senior officers in the CIA’s Soviet Counterintelligence agency during the Cold War. He was also working as a double agent for the Soviet Union. The CIA is supposed to be the most sophisticated intelligence agency in the world. But even some of the best CIA agents have failed to detect liars in their midst. Learn what it means for the rest of us when even CIA agents can’t identify liars like Aldrich
What was the Kansas City preventive patrol experiment? Why was it so groundbreaking? Why have we failed to replicate it successfully across the country? We’ll cover what the Kansas City experiment was, how it used the theory of coupled behaviors, or coupling theory, and why it was so successful. Then, we’ll look at why it hasn’t been particularly successful in other parts of the country.
What happened when Hernán Cortés sailed from Spain to Mexico and met Montezuma? Why was Cortés able to conquer Montezuma and the Aztecs so easily? How did the meeting of Cortés and Montezuma mark a turning point in the way we think about other people? We’ll cover how Cortés and Montezuma met, and look at how this meeting between two people of completely different backgrounds, mindsets, and assumptions is indicative of misreadings of strangers that are common today.
Who was Florentino Aspillaga? What does his revelation to the CIA say about the problem of how to know when people are lying to us? Florentino Aspillaga was a Cuban intelligence officer disenchanted with Fidel Castro’s regime. In 1987, he defected and fled to the American Embassy in Vienna. Learn why what Florentino Aspillaga told the Americans was so important, and what it can teach the rest of us about how hard it is to know who to trust.
What was Graham Spanier’s role in the Jerry Sandusky case? Why was Graham Spanier fired as President of Pennsylvania State University? Did he deserve to be fired? We’ll cover the events leading up to Graham Spanier’s exit from Penn State, and discuss why you probably would have acted just as Spanier did in his position.
What is Truth-Default Theory? Why do we tend to assume the best in people, and is this evolutionarily beneficial? Truth-Default Theory is the theory that when a stranger is lying, human beings default to assuming truth in others. We want to believe that what others tell us is true, and we’ll default to truth unless, or until, our doubts can’t be explained or rationalized. We’ll cover the primary reason that most people cannot immediately identify a lie, and how the Truth-Default Theory may actually be an evolutionary advantage.
What is coupling theory? How do some of our most unconscious behaviors impact others? Coupling theory is the idea that some behaviors are “coupled”–a behavior is linked to a specific context. A person’s behavior is affected by his personal history and environment. We’ll cover the coupling theory as it relates to suicide rates and also discuss how context impacts behavior more generally.
Who is Ana Montes? How did she manage to fool her colleagues in the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) for so long? Ana Montes was an agent with America’s Defense Intelligence Agency. She was known as the “Queen of Cuba” for her expertise in Cuban intelligence. She was also a spy for Cuba. Learn how Ana Montes fooled her colleagues, and why we’re all vulnerable to missing the signs right in front of us.
What happened during the Jerry Sandusky case? Why was Jerry Sandusky able to get away with abusing children for so long? Who’s to blame in the Jerry Sandusky case? We’ll cover the elements of the Jerry Sandusky case and discuss why the people around him trusted him–and why they shouldn’t be penalized for being trusting.