Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion

The author presents six mechanisms that underpin most manipulation, i.e. reciprocation, commitment and consistency, social proof, liking, authority, and scarcity. The originality of this book likes in its very rich set of documentary references. Using laboratory experiments, personal experiences, and well-documented historical facts, the author shows the sometimes frightening impact of these mechanisms on our actions. The book is chock full of fascinating analyses of historical events. For example, it shows how the Chinese used the phenomenon of commitment to extract information and engage the active collaboration of American prisoners during the Korean war. This book, written by a social psychologist, is not lacking in humor, and reads much like a novel.