The Truth Detective: A Poker Player's Guide to a Complex World

From uncertainty and risk to ambiguity, emotion and non-verbal behaviour, life can be like a game of poker. So approach it like one, with every day critical thinking. In The Truth Detective, journalist and competitive poker player Alex O'Brien shows how we can survive and make better life decisions using the rules of the game. In a world full of uncertainty and incomplete information, this is a book about getting to the truth. You'll meet a host of experts who break down the science of navigating a time in which fact and fiction are becoming increasingly hard to tell apart. With psychological research and insight from a range of professionals - from FBI agents and behavioural economists to poker aces and bounty hunters - O'Brien assembles strategies we can use to analyse the information that surround us in our day to day. Tackle life like a poker player and let The Truth Detective guide your through the jungle of disinformation - and on to success in the game of life.

Alex O'Brien is a London based science writer and thinker. Her work has appeared in publications such as The Guardian, BBC, New Scientist and The Times. Shortlisted for Best Newcomer in 2016 by the Association of British Science Writers where she is now vice-chair, O'Brien is an advocate for early critical thinking; in 2022 she founded the Young Science Writer Award, aimed at engaging state-educated young people toward a career in STEM related subjects.