Nothing but the Truth: Secrets from Top Intelligence Experts to Control Conversations and Get the Information You Need

To get the truth from someone, you need two sets of skills. The first are the interpersonal skills necessary to get the facts. But the second group of skills is equally if not more important: they enable you to assess whether the facts actually fit together--whether they are true--and identify the emotions that shaped them.

In Nothing But the Truth, top intelligence experts from the worlds of espionage, business, and law enforcement reveal how they get the information they need and give you the key tools to get the information you need, including:

A system to vet sources

Eight conversation motivators that help you drive toward the truth

Techniques to turn a hostile source into a cooperative one

The means to control the sequence of a conversation

Getting the truth through email or on the phone

Whether your aim is to grill suspects and witnesses, help someone with an urgent need, figure out who is lying or cheating, or upgrade your ability to be honest with yourself, Nothing But the Truth will show you how to do it.

Maryann Karinch is the author of 10 books, most of which address human behavior. Her corporate background includes senior communications positions with technology companies. Maryann and Gregory are coauthors of How to Spot a Liar and I Can Read You Like a Book.


E. Peter Earnest is a former Senior CIA National Clandestine Service Officer and Executive Director of the International Spy Museum.