The Psychology of Secrets

About this book

From the host of award-winning podcast On the Edge with Andrew Gold comes The Psychology of Secrets, a bizarre, surprising and thrilling deep dive into the psychology of secrecy. We all keep secrets. 97 per cent of us are hiding a secret right now, and on average we each hold thirteen at any one time. There's a one-in-two chance that those secrets involve a breach of trust, a lie or a financial impropriety. They are the stuff of gossip, of novels and of classic dramas; secrets form a major part of our hidden inner lives. Podcaster Andrew Gold knows this better than anyone. A public persona, he found himself the (unwitting) recipient of hundreds of strangers' most private revelations. This set him on a journey to understand this critical part of our societies and lives. Why do we keep secrets? Why are we fascinated by those of others? What happens to our mind when we confess? Drawing from psychology, history, social science, philosophy and personal interviews, The Psychology of Secrets is a rollicking journey through the history of secrecy, bringing us in touch with cult leaders, murderers, psychopaths - and even you.