“recommendation,” your colleague won’t get the job and you’ll have to keep working with him; plus, he might discover that you blocked his opportunity and potentially sue you. If you lie, well, you’ll be lying—unless, of course, you follow the artful advice provided in L.I.A.R. Chapter 3 includes a list of about 350 intentionally ambiguous sentences and phrases grouped into fifteen or so categories of frequent employee problems, including absenteeism, dishonesty, laziness, lack of ambition, loose morals, and plain stupidity. In case you don’t immediately recognize the double meanings, Thornton is kind enough to make them explicit. For example, one suggestion in the absenteeism section is “A man like him is hard to find,” meaning either “He’s an extremely rare talent” or “We have no idea where he hides.” Other phrases I love include “I am pleased to report that he is a former colleague of mine” and the more subtle “I assure you that no person would be better for the job.”