How to Reverse Engineer a Lie is a practical manual for anyone who wants to understand how narratives are built, how facts are selected or omitted, and how emotionally charged stories can be engineered to shape public perception. In an age of algorithmic feeds, information warfare, professional messaging, generative AI, and endless competing “truths,” the ability to examine a story is no longer optional. It is a survival skill. Andrew Eppler presents a clear field method for deconstructing constructed narratives. The book begins with a simple but powerful premise: every narrative begins with selection. What is included, what is left out, how events are framed, and who benefits from the result all reveal the architecture beneath the story. Through historical and modern case studies, this manual shows readers how to identify recurring narrative-building techniques, map incentives, test claims against timelines and primary sources, and separate emotional amplification from verifiable evidence. Inside, readers will find: A ten-part framework for identifying the building blocks of constructed narratives A repeatable reverse-engineering protocol for examining claims, sources, omissions, incentives, and amplification networks Historical case studies from propaganda, media, politics, finance, health, and social influence Practical checklists, workbook-style tools, and field methods for independent analysis Guidance for building stronger defenses against manipulation, distortion, and manufactured consensus This is not a book about choosing sides. It is a book about learning to see structure. The narratives will keep coming. The question is whether we will meet them with better tools than we used before.