An essential book, written with clarity and sobriety

With this book, Cialdini has established itself as a specialist in the question of the influence, the ability to persuade others. But it would be a misunderstanding to regard this book as a practical guide manipulation.

Chapters: Weapons of influency - reciprocation - Commitment and consistency - Social Proof - Liking - Authority - Scarcity

One feels in the introduction that this book is captivating. The author, also a professor of psychology at Columbia University, explains that in addition to laboratory experiments, he directly participated in training activities as an anonymous participant: sales seminars, religious conferences, advertising , fundraising, public relations, etc.

In the first chapter, Cialdini identifies seven ways to influence behavior and beliefs: reciprocity, commitment, social factor, empathy, authority and elitism. Following devotes a chapter to each of these seven themes.

The result is a dense book, informative and clarity we would like to find more often in this category of books. The objective of Cialdini is not to teach us manipulation but provide us weapons to guess its presence. This classic will find its place in the library of anyone seeking to understand the mechanisms of belief, influence or decision making.