A Field Guide to Lies: Critical Thinking in the Information Age

A Field Guide to Lies: Critical Thinking in the Information Age post image

TORONTO, April 24, 2017 /CNW/ – Daniel J. Levitin has been named the winner of the National Business Book Award for his book, A Field Guide to Lies: Critical Thinking in the Information Age, published by Allen Lane Canada (Penguin Random House Canada). The announcement was made at an event today in Toronto, hosted by co-sponsors PwC Canada and BMO Financial Group.

 

Celebrating its 32nd anniversary, the National Business Book Award is an annual celebration of Canadian authors of outstanding non-fiction business-related books. The National Business Book Award has come to be recognized as one of Canada’s most prestigious literary awards and continues to gain attention from not only the Canadian business world, but also publishers, authors, journalists, academics, economists and business leaders internationally. The National Business Book Award prize is $30,000.

In a world of “fake news” and the strategic use of misinformation, A Field Guide to Lies looks at how we can distinguish misinformation and outright lies from reliable information. According to acclaimed neuroscientist, Daniel Levitin, we are bombarded with more information each day than the mind can process. Facts and figures are at our fingertips, but are too often biased and distorted. With examples and practical takeaways Levitin shows us how we can differentiate misinformation from facts by applying critical thinking.

In his view, critical thinking trains us to take a step back, to evaluate facts and form evidence-based conclusions. Ultimately, A Field Guide to Lies helps us better understand statistics, become more savvy media consumers and shows us how science is the bedrock of critical thinking.

“The proliferation of “fake news” and the strategic use of misinformation has recently become very newsworthy. A Field Guide to Lies provides practical insights on applying critical thinking to help us spot inaccuracies, question conclusions and make informed decisions,” says Tahir Ayub, Managing Partner, Markets and Industries at PwC Canada.

“BMO is a proud supporter of the arts and culture and is honoured to celebrate Canada’s best business books,” says Connie Stefankiewicz, Chief Marketing Officer. “Each of these notable finalists provides valuable perspective into Canada’s business environment, along with an analysis of the issues and trends that continue to shape our country.”

Daniel J. Levitin PhD, is the James McGill Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at McGill University. He is also a faculty member at the Centre for Executive Education in the Haas School of Business at UC Berkley. A neuroscientist and musician, he is also the author of international bestsellers This Is Your Brain on Music, The World in Six Songs, and The Organized Mind. He divides his time between Montreal and California.

The prestigious and independent jury evaluates eligible nominations based on five key criteria including originality, relevance, excellence of writing, thoroughness of research and depth of analysis.

The National Business Book Award jury is chaired by Peter Mansbridge, Chief Correspondent, CBC Television News. Other jurors include: Deirdre McMurdy, Adjudicator; David Denison, Chair of Hydro One; author and publisher Anna Porter and The Honourable Pamela Wallin.

The finalists for this year’s National Business Book Award included:

Charles Bronfman with Howard Green, Distilled: A Memoir of Family, Seagram, Baseball, and Philanthropy, published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
Don Tapscott & Alex Tapscott, Blockchain Revolution: How the Technology Behind Bitcoin is Changing Money, Business and the World, published by Portfolio Canada.
Annette Verschuren with Eleanor Beaton, Bet On Me: Leading and Succeeding in Business and in Life, published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
About PwC Canada

At PwC Canada, our purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems. More than 6,500 partners and staff in offices across the country are committed to delivering quality in assurance, tax, consulting and deals services. PwC Canada is a member of the PwC network of firms with more than 208,000 people in 157 countries. Find out more and tell us what matters to you by visiting us at www.pwc.com/ca.

About BMO Financial Group

Established in 1817, and currently marking its 200th year of operations, BMO Financial Group is a highly diversified financial services provider based in North America. With total assets of $688 billion as of October 31, 2016, and more than 45,000 employees, BMO provides a broad range of personal and commercial banking, wealth management and investment banking products and services to more than 12 million customers and conducts business through three operating groups: Personal and Commercial Banking, Wealth Management and BMO Capital Markets.

Follow us on Twitter @NBBAward and visit www.nbbaward.com for more information.

SOURCE PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers)

For further information: For more information or to arrange an interview please contact: Mary Ann Freedman, Freedman & Associates Inc. for the National Business Book Award, Tel: 416-868-1500, Email: mafreedman@freedmanandassociates.com

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