Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive [Hardcover]

Noah J. Goldstein (Author), Steve J. Martin (Author), Robert B. Cialdini (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Goldstein, Martin and Cialdini meld social psychology, pop culture and field research to demonstrate how the subtle addition, subtraction or substitution of a word, phrase, symbol or gesture can significantly influence consumer behavior. Interspersing references to Britney Spears, the Smurfs and Sex and the City with more academic concepts such as loss aversion and the scarcity principle, the authors illustrate the simple and surprising approaches that can hone a company's marketing strategies. Witty chapters detail the allure of the yellow Post-it, the tip-garnering capabilities of an after-dinner mint, how highlighting a product's weaknesses can increase its appeal, the powerful role of third-party testimonials, how doctors can convince patients to adopt healthier choices by prominently displaying academic credentials in their offices, and how mirroring another person's gestures can elicit a more generous response by strengthening a perceived bond. While written primarily for a marketing audience, this amusing book has equal value and appeal for executives, salespeople—even parents trying to persuade their kids to do homework. (June)
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Review

"This easy-to-read summary of the social-psychological research on persuasion really does tell people how to get to 'yes.' Since we are all selling something, including ourselves, all the time, everyone can, and will be, reading this amazing book."-- Jeffrey Pfeffer, professor, Stanford Graduate School of Business, and author of What Were They Thinking? Unconventional Wisdom About Management

"Yes! is the single best introduction to and distillation of research and wisdom on how to change people's minds, including your own."-- Warren Bennis, Distinguished Professor of Business, University of Southern California, author of On Becoming a Leader and coauthor of Judgment: How Winning Leaders Make Great Calls

"Yes! is the Freakonomics of social psychology. This book changed my way of looking at the world. This thinking is the real deal. Don't miss out!"-- Daniel Finkelstein, Comment Editor, The Times (London)

"If you had a team of bright guys looking for research that you can actually use to improve your effectiveness, and they wrote it up for you with wit and style, putting it in nifty little reports of three to five pages, would that be useful? YES! This book is the trifecta: first-rate research, lively writing, and practical advice. Read it, enjoy it, use it."-- Dale Dauten, nationally syndicated King Features columnist and author of The Gifted Boss

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Free Press (June 10, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416570969
• ISBN-13: 978-1416570967
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (121 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #67,365 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good but why not read the masterpiece prequel first?, August 23, 2008

By	Houman Tamaddon "Rational Investor" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive (Hardcover)

If you haven't read "Influence" by Robert Cialdini then I would strongly recommend skipping this one for now and starting with that one. Cialdini's original book was one of the best psychology books I have ever read. This one is more like a sequel and like most sequels, it is not as good. In Cialdini's "Influence", he talks about 6 weapons of influence:

1) Reciprocity
2) Liking
3) Social Proof
4) Authority
5) Scarcity
6) Commitment and Consistency

This book consists of 50 short chapters where these weapons are at work. Very entertaining and insightful, but I felt that the authors violated some of their own advice by having so many chapters and not organizing them in any particular way. For example, the chapters each demonstrated one of the weapons of influence at work and perhaps the book should have been organized more formally into 6 parts with each part representing one of the weapons. I was very entertained but I am not sure if the book will have any long lasting educational value unlike "Influence".

This is a quick read and I highly recommend it AFTER you have read Cialdini's "Influence".

183 of 216 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Dale Carnegie's Classic How to Win Friends - Turns Scientific, June 5, 2008

By	James East (Orlando, FL) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive (Hardcover)

Much like the Dale Carnegie classic, one could consider this the scientific version with current and updated studies and field tested facts. Though many will probably purchase this book primarily due to Robert Cialdini's authorship based on his polymath classic "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion", I had to rate this book (in my view a sequel) at only 3 stars. This somewhat lower grade is mainly due to the fact that it is very hard to surpass oneself after one has published a masterpiece (no disrespect to the other co-authors). Regardless, this book still holds its own and the stories are fast moving with heavy doses (50 to be exact) of social influences, such as:

1) Social Proof Studies
2) Reciprocation Tendency
3) Authority Respecting
4) Commitment & Consistency Response
5) Scarcity Reaction, and
6) The Liking & Loving Response

If you have previously read Influence, you will like this book. If you have not, this book is a good introductory start on the subject matter of social influences. If one really likes this subject and wants to pursue it in more depth, please also refer to other fine books on the subject such as, How We Know What Isn't So (very good), Mean Markets and Lizard Brains (Hidden Gem), The Psychology of Judgment & Decision Making (Classic), or Poor Charlie's Almanack (Charlie's Insights). Good reading and enjoy :)

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars 50 Scientific Appetizers, August 9, 2009

By	Gian Fiero (Hollywood, California) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive (Hardcover)

I'm not quite sure what the premise of this book was, but its primary content is derived from Robert Cialdini's groundbreaking book, "Influence." It is essentially comprised of short 2-4 page "chapters" which condense many of the principles in "Influence" and serve them to the reader in small samplings that merely scratch the surface of the various topics - unlike "Influence" which goes into much greater depth; complete with anecdotes, statistics, analysis, and field research. Overall, I'd have to say no, to Yes!