The world is packed with people who don’t have your best interests at heart and who never will. The skeezy ex who leeches your time, energy, and bank account… The coworker who will do anything to bring you down… The charismatic devil who will kiss your face and rob you blind behind your back… The self-absorbed acquaintance who mopes at your good fortune and is delighted by your misery…

This book about these stories and many more. People are complicated, selfish creatures, and while a few people in your life might genuinely have your best interests in mind and heart, most of the world couldn’t care less about you.

Everyone has hidden agendas. Everyone is selfish. No matter where you are or what you do, there’s always someone ready to take advantage of your generosity, kind nature, or vulnerabilities. People always want something, and what they do is a direct result of that want. A want creates some kind of motive that propels a person to act.

This book is a wakeup call. It is also a tool to help you understand the ins and outs of motives, intentions, and hidden agendas and to give you some pointers that will help you guard against them and shut them out of your life.

There’s an old African proverb that says, “Beware of a naked man who offers you a shirt.” Consider this book to be the metaphorical shirt delivered safely into your hands.

Virginia Smith