Paperback: Deceit and Self-Deception by Robert Trivers (Penguin, £10.99)

Why do we lie to ourselves? Robert Trivers, one of the world’s top evolutionary scientists, says it’s because self-deception is adaptive — it confers advantages. In other words, seeing a true picture of the world is not always as good as seeing a false one. “Why degrade and destroy the truth?” asks Trivers. Well, if your brain paints your situation as better than it is, you might have more confidence.

Thinking you can win a fight might help you to win it. Deceiving yourself is, Trivers says, a good way to deceive others. You don’t think you’re lying, so you don’t look like you’re lying. He tells us about con artists, relationships and war. Superb.