Are you Lying? A New Book Explores Whether the Polygraph Really Knows
BOOK REVIEW: Tremors in the Blood: Murder, Obsession and the Birth of the Lie Detector
By Amit Katwala / Crooked Lane Books
The Reviewer: Richard Baumgartel was an NSA intelligence analyst for 27 years. After retiring from NSA, he worked as a contract background investigator for a number of companies.
REVIEW – Tremors in the Blood provides the reader with a basic history of the so-called lie detector, today known by many as the polygraph. Included in the book by Amit Katwala, are many crimes and trials during which the device was used.
I was somewhat disappointed in the content of the book regarding the actual development of the polygraph. There was more about murder, police work and trials than I thought should be incorporated into a book describing the development of a device that could prove whether someone was being truthful or not. The author also details the ending of a friendship between the two men involved in the development of the lie detector, John Larsen and Leonarde Keeler.
The author does focus on how the “lie detector” has been useful in solving many crimes but is – to this day – generally not accepted as admissible evidence in court due to questions about its reliability.
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The book’s title may attract many of us who have served in the intelligence community and have taken polygraph tests, but the book does not cover national security-related issues. The main theme here is the use of the device as a tool in criminal investigations.
In the modern world, countless polygraph tests are conducted yearly in the U.S. for a variety of purposes. In the UK, the polygraph is used – for example – to help determine whether sex offenders have breached their parole conditions. In 2020, UK officials announced they would begin using the device on people who have already been convicted on terrorism charges or domestic abuse charges.
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Conclusions by various experts in the field, indicate that there is no way for an examiner to be absolutely sure someone is being truthful. And according to the author, “there is no single telltale sign of deception that holds true for everyone…”
If a reader enjoys crime stories this is a good book, if you are looking for a serious debate about the reliability and efficacy of the polygraph – perhaps not so much.
Tremors in the Blood earns 2.5 out of four trench coats.
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