Influence by Robert Cialdini
Rating: 5/5
80/20 Summary:
Influence, the Psychology of Persuasion. Just as the cover alludes, this book tells how people are influenced. Cialdini discusses six principles that can yield automatic compliance from people.
Reciprocation - cultural norm requires that people repay favors and debts
Consistency - people try to be consistent in mind and action
Social proof - peer pressure
Liking - people are receptive to people and things they like or know
Authority - real or perceived authority induces compliance
Scarcity - people are naturally loss averse
Reader thoughts:
While the summary above gives a clue as to what these principles are and how they operate, the book gives specific examples and meaningful insights for each. This book is routinely referenced as a seminal work on this topic. This book was initially published in 1984 and updated several times. It’s a bestseller and probably seen steady sales since release. While parts of the book are showing some age, the principles remain as real and relevant as ever. The best example of this is the author’s use of a tape recorder analogy throughout the text. A growing number of people have never seen a tape recorder and most children have probably never heard of the device. The power of some of these principles is changing as society evolves. Several examples used in the book no longer hold their former power. For example, a title is cited as sufficient evidence of authority to yield a response. This remains true in certain contexts, but today a title or uniform lends less authority than it did in earlier times. Even in hierarchical organizations we see examples of people more willing to question leaders and resist requests for compliance. Despite these and other examples, the principles are timeless and still applicable.
It’s challenging to give a genuine response without saying this next line. This book was influential. It is influential. That may add credibility considering it’s supposed to teach others about influence. It would be an irony and knock against the author if he wrote a book on influence that lacked that attribute. This book is engaging and easy to read. That’s a compliment considering the author holds a PhD in Psychology and could easily lose most people with academic jargon. He demonstrates his ability to simplify the concepts into a narrative that illustrates his points effectively. The well-told stories provide helpful insights.
This summary doesn’t delve into the topics as it is far too much content to cover. Read the book. It’s worth your time. You will learn both how to influence others as well as gain even more insight into ways in which you are complying without thinking about it.