Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion

Our take

A 1984 classic of persuasion psychology by social psychologist Cialdini, who went undercover in sales, fundraising and car dealerships to observe persuasion in the wild. Our take: the most valuable way to read it is defensively — the six principles (reciprocation, commitment/consistency, social proof, liking, authority, scarcity) are less a manual for persuading others than a lens for seeing how you're persuaded every day.

Who it is for

For anyone wanting to understand marketing and persuasion, impulse buyers, or people who negotiate and pitch at work. Full of experiment stories — narrative readers will enjoy it.

Three key ideas

1. Reciprocation: receiving a favour creates pressure to return it — free trials and freebies run on this.
2. Commitment/consistency: once people state a position publicly, they act to stay consistent — the logic under surveys and petitions.
3. Social proof, liking, authority, scarcity: queued-up shops, influencer picks, flash sales — these principles run them all.

How to read it

One chapter per principle; after each, recall where you got played this week (the app's countdown timer, the livestreamer's "last three left") — your notes will get sharper fast.

FAQ