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| Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (Collins Business Essentials) | 
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (based on 257 reviews)
Sales Rank: 191
Category: Book
Author: Robert B. Cialdini
Publisher: Collins Business
Studio: Collins Business
Manufacturer: Collins Business
Label: Collins Business
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Edition: Revised
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 336
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 8 x 5.4 x 1
ISBN: 006124189X
Dewey Decimal Number: 153.852
EAN: 9780061241895
ASIN: 006124189X
Publication Date: January 1, 2007
Release Date: December 26, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Influence, the classic book on persuasion, explains the psychology of why people say "yes"?and how to apply these understandings. Dr. Robert Cialdini is the seminal expert in the rapidly expanding field of influence and persuasion. His thirty-five years of rigorous, evidence-based research along with a three-year program of study on what moves people to change behavior has resulted in this highly acclaimed book. You'll learn the six universal principles, how to use them to become a skilled persuader?and how to defend yourself against them. Perfect for people in all walks of life, the principles of Influence will move you toward profound personal change and act as a driving force for your success.
Amazon.com
Arguably the best book ever on what is increasingly becoming the science of persuasion. Whether you're a mere consumer or someone weaving the web of persuasion to urge others to buy or vote for your product, this is an essential book for understanding the psychological foundations of marketing. Recommended.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 252 more reviews...
 Be conscious of non-rational influences August 28, 2008
Cialdini demonstrates various ways -- other than rationality -- in which people are influenced into doing things. He categorizes the influences, and suggests how to deal each type. All this is done without taking a cynical attitude about the futility of reason or any such thing.
Not an earth-shattering book if one has read similar ones; otherwise, a good place to start.
Powerful, Scientific, and Fully Engaging Work on the Powers of Influence August 22, 2008
Everything Dale Carnegie accomplished regarding individual influence, Robert Cialdini has equally achieved on the topic of mass influence. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion offers an exceptional scientific look into the realm of persuasion backed by substantial logic and examples. Based on the premise of society's need for quick solutions for analyzing an abundance of issues in everyday life, Cialdini illustrates how marketers, salespeople, and pushers in all fields take advantage of these tools to exploit the public at will.
Years ago a great friend and I ran a sales business that involved an immense amount of persuasion to arouse people to take action. Using a considerable amount of trial and error, we discovered there were certain actions we could take that vastly changed the reactions of people, almost mechanical in nature, and we therefore drastically increased our effectiveness. We knew it worked, but had no way to explain what was happening. Cialdini clarified so much of the psychology behind these influences and added considerable amounts we had never even considered.
The beauty of Cialdini's work is his ability to delve into the scientific nature explaining why people react in certain ways in response to particular actions or unconscious stimuli. The science is backed with substantial examples and authoritative studies that prove beyond doubt how powerful even simple methods of persuasion can be.
Anyone in sales, marketing or any position where influence is imperative (really, in what line of work is it not?) absolutely needs to be aware of the content within this book. Perhaps even more importantly, this book should be essential reading to anyone as it's of equal importance to understand how you are being exploited as it is to learn the craft for your own benefit. Cialdini spends a section on each chapter detailing how to defend yourself against the ongoing psychological warfare that causes you to take actions you would otherwise avoid, thus the scope of his work provides equal time and value to both exploiter and the exploited.
I have not encountered another book on psychological influence that I would rate higher. I also can not recall a book I would recommend for both business associates and my family, including my mother; yet I genuinely feel this book warrants such high regard.
also good for keeping others from manipulating YOU! August 22, 2008
I read all these sales books in my early 20's but then never went into sales. Having said that, this is a good book for anyone. It teaches skills of influence, which can help keep YOU from being manipulated by others, I have found...
Thanks for the recommendation, Charlie August 5, 2008
I bought this book because I read somewhere that it was recommended by Charlie Munger, vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway. Thanks for the tip, Charlie. It's a very interesting book.
The author is a professor of psychology at Arizona State University. The book is about automatic responses of human behavior, or what the author calls our "click, whirr" mode.
The examples cover a wide range of circumstances, such as:
- How a clever waiter ropes his customers into spending more and tipping generously.
- How a variety of other sales people manipulate customers into buying.
- Why there is a surge in suicide rates following a highly publicized suicide.
- How the Chinese got American POWs to willingly write pro-Communist essays during the Korean War.
The concepts are divided into six categories: Reciprocation, Commitment and Consistency, Social Proof, Liking, Authority, and Scarcity.
Scientific treatment of influence psychology August 2, 2008
Cialdini's book is a page turner - I read it cover-to-cover, and could not put it down. He picks examples from animal psychology, cult behavior, car sales, marriage and dating, child raising, suicides, group behavior to re-inforce his classification of the six factors which influence people's opinions, behavior, and compliance.
Most examples come from the world of marketing and sales, and provide scientific insight into how human psychological patterns can be exploited into getting people to consent. The book is amoral, and many of the examples are manipulative. Cialdini tries to make it better by writing from the point of view of exposing these tricks vs. recommending their use, and how not to fall victim to these influence patterns. For me, reading this book had many Aha moments. "Aha, thats how they got me to do that!"
That said, there are non-manipulative examples which I will consider using in my day to day life to increase my personal effectiveness. I highly recommend this book to folks who have an interest in applied psychology and the factors which influence human behavior.
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