org.linkedin.util-core/src/main/java/org/linkedin/util/lang/LangUtils.java
public static boolean convertToBoolean(Object o)
  {
    if(o == null)
      return false;

    if(o instanceof Boolean)
    {
      return (Boolean) o;
    }

    return convertToBoolean(o.toString());
  }
public static boolean convertToBoolean(Object o)
  {
    if(o == null)
      return false;

    if(o instanceof Boolean)
    {
      return (Boolean) o;
    }

    return convertToBoolean(o.toString());
  }
Converts the object into a boolean value.

@param o the object to convert
@return a <code>boolean</code>