John Barnes' collection of essays, published over the past forty years, covers a variety of topics in sociology and anthropology, including lineage systems, social networks, colonialism, underlying assumptions of social science, and the significance of time in social analysis. Together they identify the author's particular view of social science as being primarily about what really happens. Rather than revamp articles written with a distinctive set of assumptions to bring them into line with current intellectual fashions, Professor Barnes has chosen to let them stand as they are, products of...

Defining lies as statements that are intended to deceive, this book considers the contexts in which people tell lies and explores the consequences. The author looks at societies with distinctive religious and ethical traditions where lying is the norm. He also shows how children acquire the capacity to lie at an early age, and learn when it is appropriate to do so. In conclusion, Professor Barnes argues that people are inclined to tell the truth, for apart from the question of morality, there are pragmatic reasons for doing so.