Customer Reviews

The Power of Persuasion: How We're Bought and Sold

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A very intersting introduction to the psychology of persuation, how everything from car salesman, education, religion, through to cults manipulate their victims. The book has certainly made me curious to find out more about the subject and I intend to read guidebooks on how to apply these principles in everyday life.

In other words this is an intro to the psychology, but not a guide on how to apply it. For example the book talks in general terms about the process that car dealerships design for persuading a customer to commit to a sale, but gives not enough detail to how to design such a sales process.

I found this book via a reference from Slashdot, and decided to read it for myself. It's a useful primer on persuasion. Levine's insight and explanation of the mechanics of manipulation can serve as either inoculation against hucksters, or inspiration to try these tricks yourself. It's an engaging read. Levine lays out principles which are simple and practical (e.g., the triangle of trustworthiness: authority, honesty, likability), and he avoids the dry, academic tone that saddles many Ph.D.'s writing. You don't need a GED to enjoy this book.

I had two minor complaints, neither sufficient to reduce my rating from five to four stars. While the book is replete with fascinating anecdotes and synopses of various studies, Levine also peppers the text with tongue-in-cheek remarks. Most of them are funny, but he spends a few paragraphs too many chuckling at his own jokes (or his pal, Lenny). More significantly, Chapter Nine ("Jonestown") comes from left field. For 200 pages, Levine writes about sales and marketing -- and then suddenly he spends 20 pages pontificating about a religious cult. It's interesting, but misplaced. If I'd wanted to read a book about Jonestown, there are dozens. I wouldn't have picked Levine's.

That said, I recommend this book. There are no surprises (apart from Jonestown): If you're intrigued by the teaser, you'll like the book. Aside from a general education about impressionability, I took away several specific notes. Levine's comments about Matisse struck a chord with me, and I'm currently reading Paco Underhill's "Why We Buy" based on Levine's reference. This is a worthwhile book. I'm glad I bought it, and I expect to pick it up again in a few years.

I absolutely loved Power of Persuasion!
Levine writes and gives due credit to everyone from his students (by name) to the many researchers who make the field more fascinating and understood year by year.
I can't say enough about this book. When I wrote The Psychology of Persuasion in 1996, I knew that persuasion was a field that would become more fascinating and important as each year would come and go. This book is like a bible of persuasion,influence and contains an enormous amount of research about how you and I might not know each ourselves as well as we think. Get this book! You will get new ideas and tips that I had not seen prior to this book and that is rare indeed. Buy this book. It is one of the best in the field. www.kevinhogan.com
Kevin Hogan

This should be a book that every consumer should read. What I find very interesting was that many of the techniques employed by sales people or con artist that was used on me was discribed step by step in this book. Though I didn't fall for them back then, it was eye opening to see 'their' textbook on persuading you.

Most of the information and studies in this book are quite old. But nonetheless it is still revelant today. This most fascinating part for me was how retail stores and supermarkets showcases their merchandise. Or how simply by putting a more expensive item next to the cheaper item will generate more sales on the cheaper item. Sounds simple, but it isn't, that is why companies spend so much money on marketing and research.

More rational people will generally not fall for tricks illustrated in this book. But unfortunately, these tricks do work because there are enough irrational people out there that are susceptible to them.

If you like books on influence that have a strong academic foundation and plenty of real world examples, you'll like this one. And I loved reading it.

Just before starting to write this review, I saw something that illustrates how each of us often sees certain things differently. Another reviewer believed the book's example of a car dealer's sales process lacks the details a reader needs to design a sales process. That example is precisely the one I'd decided to mention to you.

Levine uses ten pages to detail this nine-step process. It's a terrific, practical example of getting the customer to make a series of small commitments that greatly increase the likelihood of a sale. You'll get enough info about each step and the overall process to adapt to your sales system to the extent you want. Most of us will choose to borrow parts of this and other processes you read about. One reason is that this particular process included unsavory steps.

Sure, it will take some work and thinking on your part to improve your sales process. That's part of customizing sales systems so they work best for you.

Interestingly, the book gives the real name (Mike Gasio of Fresno, CA) of the super-slick salesman...and notes that he left the auto sales business and became a teacher and counselor for at-risk young people. Mike now uses the same process of gradually increasing commitments to help these troubled youngsters make healthy changes in their lives. What a great story. And illustration of how we can effectively adapt persuasion tools to create either sleazy or healthy results. Once we have the information...the choice is ours.

One of my favorite books on persuasion.

The first chapter is this book made me sweat. I thought I would read this book to continue my study in persuasion just to make me a better marketer, that I was in fact immune against most persuasion. Not so, says the author. His opening chapter about the illusion of invulnerability, shook me. It made me realize I'm just as easily swayed by ads and marketing as the next person. And so are you. This book is a great warning, a powerful education, and a great research tool. I'll use it to improve the marketing I create, but I'll also remember it the next time someone trys to market anything to me. Great book. Get it. Read it. Use it. - Joe Vitale, author of way too many books to list here ...

As Mark Helprin noted in "Monday" in _The Pacific and Other Stories_, we've become a nation of advantage-takers, where someone who doesn't squeeze every penny out of his mark is himself a sucker. In Levine's superb book, he helps the reader arm him- or herself with knowledge of some of the strategies and tactics purveyors of all sorts of things - from consumer goods to salvation - use against those of us who assume we're walking into such situations evenly matched. As someone who has spent his career in corporate procurement (and who wrote his thesis on advertising) I can attest that Levine is spot on with his cautionary analyses. Read this book carefully and pass it along to others, especially the young who may not have built up their defenses against some of the tactics described herein. If nothing else, at least you will recognize what game is being played with you when it happens.

Dr. Levine really did his homework and put together a great read for marketers and consumers. I enjoyed his findings on advertising, selling one on one and group influence.

Mike D.

Easy to read. Lots of new material. Doesn't have a sales focus but is still a must for every salesperson.

An academic who doesn't try and impress you with who he is. This is a fine book. Along with Hogan's The Psychology of Persuasion, this is one of the best.

DT

Levine explores persuasion in a very interesting and easy to read book. He begins by saying that everyone of us is persuaded to do, buy, believe, everything you can imagine all the time. Although this sounds pretty obvious for many of us, he analyzes the processes involved in persuasion. For example, who do we trust more?: a so called "expert" who we don't understand what's he's talking about? or someone who seems "likeable" to us?
There are many examples like this (developed more thoroughly of course). He finally explains the limits of persuasion and mind control techniques that can be found in some religious sects.