Tired of guessing what people are really thinking? Using insights from the new science of psycholinguistics, New York Times bestselling author and a longtime consultant to the FBI, CIA, and NSA will help you read people in every situation-in person, on a screen, or in writing.

What did your boss really mean in that email? Is your mechanic stretching the truth? And what does word choice reveal on the psychologist’s couch? Whether you’re engaged in a casual conversation or a high-stakes negotiation, it’s critical to understand the subtext of a situation. But with so much interaction happening on screens-via email, texts, or video chat-we are losing the ability to interpret expressions and cues. Furthermore, since many are now savvy about body language, it’s become even harder to discern someone’s true thoughts or intentions.

A leading lie-detection instructor to the FBI and other security agencies, psychotherapist David Lieberman, PhD, takes people reading to a whole new level. Each day, he draws on the latest research in psycholinguistics-the cues embedded in spoken and written speech-to help government agents determine the hidden intentions of criminals and terrorists in high-stakes interrogations. In Mindreader, he shows you how to apply his cutting-edge methods to countless everyday situations, including-

. Detecting the messaging behind passive language, personal or impersonal descriptions, and level of detail.

. Determining whether someone’s account of any incident is the truth or a work of fiction.

. Finding out whether a potential hire, a dating app match, or new babysitter is trustworthy or hiding something.

Nobody wants to be played a fool. Mindreader will save us time, energy, and heartache by identifying who can be trusted, and who is out to get us.