I have just read and will soon review Bruce Schneier‘s latest book, Liars and Outliers: Enabling the Trust that Society Needs to Thrive.

Almost all of the in formation, insights, and counsel he provides can help almost anyone earn and then sustain the trust of family members, friends, associates in the workplace, and others. This is especially today in a hyper-connected society in which almost anyone, anywhere, can interact with almost anyone else, anywhere.

What makes people trustworthy?

Schneier: “That’s the key question the book tackles. Most people are naturally trustworthy, but some are not. There are hotel clerks who will steal your credit card information. There are ATMs that have been hacked by criminals. Some restaurant kitchens serve tainted food. There was even an airline pilot who deliberately crashed his Boeing 767 into the Atlantic Ocean in 1999. Given that there are people who are naturally inclined to be untrustworthy, how does society keep their damage to a minimum? We use what I call societal pressures: morals and reputation are two, laws are another, and security systems are a fourth. Basically, it’s all coercion. We coerce people into behaving in a trustworthy manner because society will fall apart if they don’t.”

I highly recommend this book as well as Schneier’s Secrets and Lies: Digital Security in a Networked World and Beyond Fear: Thinking Sensibly About Security in an Uncertain World.

It may also help to keep in mind this African aphorism: “Trust but verify.” Also some street smarts: “First time you betray my trust, shame on you. Next time, shame on me.”

To learn more about Bruce, please click here.