Talking to Strangers

Malcolm Gladwell · first published 2019 · ISBN 9780316535625

Gladwell steps back from celebrating snap judgments to examine how badly humans misjudge strangers. He traces the Amanda Knox case, the Bernie Madoff scheme, and a botched interrogation by the CIA, asking: Why do we assume people are honest when they're lying? Why do we disbelieve them when they're telling the truth? The book explores how context matters, how power distorts perception, and how the interview itself is an imperfect tool.