A book about lying -- read this excerpt

Most forms of private vice and public evil are kindled and sustained by lies. Acts of adultery and other personal betrayals, financial fraud, government corruption—even murder and genocide—generally require an additional moral defect: a willingness to lie.

In Lying, best-selling author and neuroscientist Sam Harris argues that we can radically simplify our lives and improve society by merely telling the truth in situations where others often lie. He focuses on "white" lies—those lies we tell for the purpose of sparing people discomfort—for these are the lies that most often tempt us. And they tend to be the only lies that good people tell while imagining that they are being good in the process.

Here are screenshots of the first chapter...

Here is a review from the Amazon page

Gordon Bruce Smith

5.0 out of 5 starsA short guide to being honest

December 5, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
....why lying is almost always a bad thing. The only time it is acceptable and perhaps even good, the author argues, is to avert a greater evil -- for example, to save a life or to avoid great harm. If someone brandishes a knife at you and asks if you like his haircut, it's OK to say "yes" even if you think it looks like it was done with garden shears.

All the other reasons for lying ultimately lead to bad results, says Harris. For example:
Lying to avoid hurting someone's feelings? That means that person may never hear the truth about, the fact that their acting is terrible and they really need to get some dramatic coaching; or that their writing is flabby and needs some radical editing; or ... You get the idea. He does not argue for tactlessness or cruelty, but he does say that these sorts of so-called white lies are mainly for the benefit of the teller of lies, who just doesn't want to face the discomfort of being honest about a difficult matter.

Lying to cover up your own misbehavior? We all know how that tends to turn out -- if you're famous enough or your misdeed is serious enough, on the front pages or on the blogs or both.

Lying to protect someone else by covering up their misbehavior? Misplaced loyalty to friends, family and tribe has led to a great deal of evil in the world. Think of the cover-ups of child molestation in the Catholic Church, typically out of a desire to protect the tribe (in this case, that of the priesthood and the Church), and how that turned out.

Lying through omission? If it's intended to deceive, then it's still lying.

Overall, I found his arguments very convincing and an excellent lesson in practical ethics. Some I have talked to thought that his writing was shallow. I, on the other hand, thought it was clear and straight-forward, but far from shallow. The path of absolute honesty that he advocates is a difficult one for almost everyone, I suspect, but ethic of honesty that he promotes is well both pondering and living.