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Confessions of a Lie Detector: years of theft, sex, and murder
"Confessions of a Lie Detector" draws upon thirty years of working with people accused of crimes. Gordon Barland, retired Chief of the Research Division, Department of Defense Polygraph Institute, called this book a "must read." Barland said of the author, "He offers insights into why people lie, later confess, and yet sometimes recant." He characterized Wygant's writing as reflecting, "...the heart of a poet and soul of a philosopher." What happens to us when accused, rightly or wrongly? How do we defend ourselves? Here is the human side of the news, the deeper story that the media never reaches.
- GenresNonfiction
298 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2011
24 people want to read
About the author
Jim Wygant
14 books3 followersIn November 2018 Jim Wygant released four new crime novels in paperback format. "Circle of Vengeance" features private investigator Howard Ash in a complex story that uncovers a secret incident from the past that leads to death. "Sweet and Gone" also features Howard Ash, this time finding himself the suspect in a murder investigation. "Pursued" is about Marti, a strong-willed one-eyed woman with low self-esteem and a heart shaped eye patch. She has a history of associating with men who carry trouble with them like an infectious disease. "The Detectives" is a police procedural in which homicide Detective Russell Strick, already suffering from severe burn-out, is assigned to the murder of a prominent citizen, with the caution from his superiors that the case has political overtones.
While the print versions of Jim's earlier books are now unavailable, all of those earlier books remain available in Kindle ebook versions from Amazon, and "The Spy's Demise" is also available in an audio version.
Besides being the author of a true-crime memoir, several novels, a book of short stories, and a book of poetry, Jim has been editor of a small weekly newspaper, a police reporter for a large metropolitan daily, an investigator in a District Attorney’s office and an Attorney General’s office, a licensed polygraph examiner, an instructor and lecturer, publisher of a newsletter for two decades, and a teacher in adult education. Working for defense attorneys, he has spent many hours interviewing suspects.
He and wife Sandy live in Oregon. They have visited the U.K., France, Italy, Greece, the Czech Republic, Hungary, the Cook Islands, Russia, China, and Poland, as well as many cities in the U.S.
While the print versions of Jim's earlier books are now unavailable, all of those earlier books remain available in Kindle ebook versions from Amazon, and "The Spy's Demise" is also available in an audio version.
Besides being the author of a true-crime memoir, several novels, a book of short stories, and a book of poetry, Jim has been editor of a small weekly newspaper, a police reporter for a large metropolitan daily, an investigator in a District Attorney’s office and an Attorney General’s office, a licensed polygraph examiner, an instructor and lecturer, publisher of a newsletter for two decades, and a teacher in adult education. Working for defense attorneys, he has spent many hours interviewing suspects.
He and wife Sandy live in Oregon. They have visited the U.K., France, Italy, Greece, the Czech Republic, Hungary, the Cook Islands, Russia, China, and Poland, as well as many cities in the U.S.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 8, 2011
Article first published as Book Review: Confessions of a Lie Detector by Jim Wygant on Blogcritics.
As many, I suppose I have always been enthralled with the science behind the forensics in law. Part of the popularity of CSI, Bones, Crossing Jordan and many of the other shows that fascinate the nation brings to light the men and women behind the scenes finding the ever elusive clues to DNA, different materials, types of drugs and many other factors or evidence that is found at the scene of various crimes.
So popular are these shows that classes for this type of work have also filled up and created more of a glut of knowledgeable experts on the subjects. I am sure that because in order to popularize a show there must be glamour and so what we see is not the real crux of the work involved. Murder and crime are a serious business and it is important to have the right people in place to help evolve the evidence as it comes in.
Yet with all the machines and people, background testing is not always a perfect science. One of those ‘sciences’ is known as the polygraph. In especially high profile cases, we often hear about the lie detector tests, and yet the polygraph is used much more than we know. In Confessions of a Lie Detector by Jim Wygant, we follow Jim though some of his most interesting and important cases. He is quite candid about the system and the difficulties of the assessments. As with any use of equipment, it is only as good as the operator and understood that the same is true of the reading of the charts.
Wygant gives a candid overview of the process and the years of work and detail, he has dealt with as he worked through his many cases. While Wygant stated that there were a few times that he felt actual danger during the process from the person tested, it is gratifying to know that human nature often wins out. Lying is difficult for most people and in many of Jim’s cases, it seems as though the guilty were relieved to finally come clean.
From his years in the business, Wygant has given an extremely detailed and interesting look at the people behind the tests as well as the people who take them. To me it was quite fascinating and very much like the forensics that I am often caught up in. If you like forensic, and enjoy reading true-life crime drama, you will enjoy the work behind this book.
It is intriguing and interesting giving us a glimpse into the psyche of many of those accused of theft, murder and sex crimes. We are given the reasoning of why the polygraph cannot be used in court cases, and we are also given to understand that even without this possible permissiveness it is still a standard used in many cases throughout the country.
Wygant writes and fills the pages with interesting and unique information as only an insider can. The polygraph takes a mind to understand the graphs and read the information, and yet many may not follow the set guides, and use varying guidelines. It is both fascinating and absorbing and if you enjoy the backdrop of forensics, you will enjoy this book.
This book was received as a free copy from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.
As many, I suppose I have always been enthralled with the science behind the forensics in law. Part of the popularity of CSI, Bones, Crossing Jordan and many of the other shows that fascinate the nation brings to light the men and women behind the scenes finding the ever elusive clues to DNA, different materials, types of drugs and many other factors or evidence that is found at the scene of various crimes.
So popular are these shows that classes for this type of work have also filled up and created more of a glut of knowledgeable experts on the subjects. I am sure that because in order to popularize a show there must be glamour and so what we see is not the real crux of the work involved. Murder and crime are a serious business and it is important to have the right people in place to help evolve the evidence as it comes in.
Yet with all the machines and people, background testing is not always a perfect science. One of those ‘sciences’ is known as the polygraph. In especially high profile cases, we often hear about the lie detector tests, and yet the polygraph is used much more than we know. In Confessions of a Lie Detector by Jim Wygant, we follow Jim though some of his most interesting and important cases. He is quite candid about the system and the difficulties of the assessments. As with any use of equipment, it is only as good as the operator and understood that the same is true of the reading of the charts.
Wygant gives a candid overview of the process and the years of work and detail, he has dealt with as he worked through his many cases. While Wygant stated that there were a few times that he felt actual danger during the process from the person tested, it is gratifying to know that human nature often wins out. Lying is difficult for most people and in many of Jim’s cases, it seems as though the guilty were relieved to finally come clean.
From his years in the business, Wygant has given an extremely detailed and interesting look at the people behind the tests as well as the people who take them. To me it was quite fascinating and very much like the forensics that I am often caught up in. If you like forensic, and enjoy reading true-life crime drama, you will enjoy the work behind this book.
It is intriguing and interesting giving us a glimpse into the psyche of many of those accused of theft, murder and sex crimes. We are given the reasoning of why the polygraph cannot be used in court cases, and we are also given to understand that even without this possible permissiveness it is still a standard used in many cases throughout the country.
Wygant writes and fills the pages with interesting and unique information as only an insider can. The polygraph takes a mind to understand the graphs and read the information, and yet many may not follow the set guides, and use varying guidelines. It is both fascinating and absorbing and if you enjoy the backdrop of forensics, you will enjoy this book.
This book was received as a free copy from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.
December 22, 2011
(From my Wordpress blog, Word Vagabond: Supporting Independent and Small Press Authors.)
WARNING: This book contains descriptions of sexual assault and harm to children.
Confessions of a Lie Detector is a non-fiction book describing the experiences of the author, a polygraph examiner with over 30 years of experience. It’s an interesting look at a little-known and misunderstood science. Wygant presents cases ranging from petty theft to murder and shows how under the right circumstances, almost anyone can be caught in a lie.
Some of the most interesting parts of the book are not the cases themselves, but Wygant’s own speculation on the nature of lying and why we do it. He describes some of the different types of lies that people frequently tell, and what effect they can have on both the liar and the person being lied to. He shows a lot of compassion for the people who “fail” his tests, which I think allowed him to give a more balanced take of the consequences of lying. One of the first things he tells the reader is that often, when a polygraph test shows a client is probably not being truthful, they are relieved rather than angry. Keeping up with a lie can exact a tremendous toll on the person telling it. He also points out that we are sometimes pressured into lying by loved ones who don’t really want to know the truth.
I did have some trouble with the graphic nature of some of the crimes described, but that’s merely a warning, not a criticism. I do feel that the descriptions given were necessary parts of the book. However, people with sensitivity to certain subjects may find it hard to read. There was also a lengthy chapter describing in detail the investigation into a murder in which polygraph in general and the author in particular didn’t seem to play a particularly important role. It did not fit the general flow of the book and ended up feeling like filler.
My verdict: proceed with caution. There is some interesting information and speculation in this book, but the reader must have a true interest in the subject to stick with it, and some content may be upsetting.
WARNING: This book contains descriptions of sexual assault and harm to children.
Confessions of a Lie Detector is a non-fiction book describing the experiences of the author, a polygraph examiner with over 30 years of experience. It’s an interesting look at a little-known and misunderstood science. Wygant presents cases ranging from petty theft to murder and shows how under the right circumstances, almost anyone can be caught in a lie.
Some of the most interesting parts of the book are not the cases themselves, but Wygant’s own speculation on the nature of lying and why we do it. He describes some of the different types of lies that people frequently tell, and what effect they can have on both the liar and the person being lied to. He shows a lot of compassion for the people who “fail” his tests, which I think allowed him to give a more balanced take of the consequences of lying. One of the first things he tells the reader is that often, when a polygraph test shows a client is probably not being truthful, they are relieved rather than angry. Keeping up with a lie can exact a tremendous toll on the person telling it. He also points out that we are sometimes pressured into lying by loved ones who don’t really want to know the truth.
I did have some trouble with the graphic nature of some of the crimes described, but that’s merely a warning, not a criticism. I do feel that the descriptions given were necessary parts of the book. However, people with sensitivity to certain subjects may find it hard to read. There was also a lengthy chapter describing in detail the investigation into a murder in which polygraph in general and the author in particular didn’t seem to play a particularly important role. It did not fit the general flow of the book and ended up feeling like filler.
My verdict: proceed with caution. There is some interesting information and speculation in this book, but the reader must have a true interest in the subject to stick with it, and some content may be upsetting.
November 19, 2012
This is a different type of book than what I usually read as it's true stories from a polygraph specialist while I normally read fiction. I still found this extremely interesting though as I am a crime junkie. He basically breaks down each chapter into an individual polygraph case so each chapter is a new story and considering I don't like short stories, it's a testament to Jim Wygant's writing style that I was interested at all.
Some of the subject matter is disturbing as in order to build a proper polygraph test, you have to get into all the nitty gritty details of the crime. It was interesting to hear how a polygraph test is built as it's a lot more complex than I ever understood.
Jim also has theories on why people lie, so amongst the stories of the crime cases there's a little psychology sprinkled into the mix.
It's a good read if you enjoy crime stories and non-fiction, but you have to be okay with hearing about some disturbing details in the odd case. These cases aren't the dominating force in the book, there is a lot of theory on human behavior and even the history of how the polygraph came to be. It's an interesting read.
"The lie not only discredits the liar, it also diminishes the one who believed it."
Some of the subject matter is disturbing as in order to build a proper polygraph test, you have to get into all the nitty gritty details of the crime. It was interesting to hear how a polygraph test is built as it's a lot more complex than I ever understood.
Jim also has theories on why people lie, so amongst the stories of the crime cases there's a little psychology sprinkled into the mix.
It's a good read if you enjoy crime stories and non-fiction, but you have to be okay with hearing about some disturbing details in the odd case. These cases aren't the dominating force in the book, there is a lot of theory on human behavior and even the history of how the polygraph came to be. It's an interesting read.
"The lie not only discredits the liar, it also diminishes the one who believed it."
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews