Juan Jacinto Muñoz-Rengel

Wherever there is life, there are lies.

Slick-suited politicians lie on the podium, ready to tell voters what they want to hear. Cheating lovers, swindling businessmen, double-crossing villains – all liars.  But nature lies too – the cheetah crouching in the tall grass waiting to pounce, its spots and straw-coloured fur blending in with its surroundings, the chameleon with its adaptable skin, the octopus hiding in its cave.

Juan Jacinto Muñoz-Rengel uncovers the slippery history of lies, some dark and elusive, others thunderous and dazzling.  From primeval forests to modern politics, he explores the uncomfortable truths of our white lies, fudged facts and blatant deceptions. For centuries, philosophers, writers and poets have grappled with the paradox of what’s fact and what’s fiction. So who can we really believe?  Our friends?  Our partners?  Our leaders?  Can we even trust ourselves?

Truly, this is the only book in which the abundance of lies on its pages is a sign of success. Or maybe it isn’t.  Who can really tell?

“I was dazzled and exhilarated by this playful philosophical tour-de-force.” Sydney Morning Herald

"Revelatory: we lie, yes, but often we do it to help each other. Muñoz-Rengel convincingly shows us that falseness 'is the clearest sign of intelligence', and should be appreciated as a tool for enabling people to understand reality." New Statesman

"The new book by Juan Jacinto Muñoz Rengel takes a journey through time in search of the origin of lies and their relationship with human nature.” El País  

“A necessary, really timely book.” Toni Montesinos, La Razón

“I lie, therefore I am. An uncomfortable idea, but one that permits a dissection of the great stories that we have made up to survive in this world.” ABC 

“It shows us that there are lies everywhere where there is life.” La Vanguardia 

“For Muñoz Rengel everything is a lie, but not all lies are the same.” Público 

“On reading Una historia de la mentira it becomes clear that fake news and hoaxes are not a modern invention.” Página Dos, La 2, RTVE 

“There is no order of reality where lies do not prevail and Muñoz Rengel reviews them with a very sharp eye and critical spirit.” Juan Francisco Ferré 

“A brilliant essay by a great novelist whose writing succeeds in hooking the reader.” El Ojo Crítico, Radio Nacional 

“Rather than a historiographical text, it is an essay on the social and human nature of lies, a philosophical journey.” Anna Maria Iglesia, The Objective 

“My choice for book of the year.” Pablo Bujalance, Grupo Joly 

“This work is a challenge for those who read it. An essay that brilliantly dismantles and unmasks long assumed truths.” Emma Rodríguez, Lecturas Sumergidas 

“Stimulating, thrilling and very eloquent.” Carlos Javier González Serrano, Radio Círculo Bellas Artes