The Psychology of Secrets

I purchased a Kindle copy of this book for one main reason: I follow the author's two You Tube channels. He hosts Heretics and the Andrew Gold channels. Gold conducts fascinating interviews about cult leaders, murderers, psychopaths and the British royal family.  He believes that secrets are the basis of power in this world and has written this book to teach us about the psychology of secrecy.

The publisher's summary:

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.

Andrew Gold knows this better than anyone. As a public figure, he has 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.

 

Let's address the book cover first. While I  love the bright colors, the drawing of the man picking his nose is off-putting. If I didn't know the author, I would never have read the book. However, Gold has utilized the drawing to explain the difference between privacy and secrecy. Those who pick their noses do it in private because it's embarrassing to be seen doing it. It's not a secret that people pick their noses because everyone does it at some point. 

The book delves into secrecy and power, the detection of secrets, the deception of secrets, the use of technology and how cults use secrecy again their members. The author gives many examples of each but I failed to find any conclusions. The book reads as a rolling repertoire of things that have happened in the world but without any idea that ties them all together. For example, he cites the U. S. government's secrecy surrounding Guantanamo Bay as representative of the dangers of secrets toward the prisoners and the American public. However, he doesn't give the outcome of the dangers.

I could not determine any reason for the writing of this book. I was bored and had a hard time staying awake while I was reading. It is surprising to me that a major publisher like Macmillan published the book. I am even more surprised that they decided not to publicize it. Per the author, he was disinvited from a publicity campaign. I am rating the book 1 out of 5 stars.