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Win Bigly: Persuasion in a World Where Facts Don't Matter Hardcover – October 31, 2017

by Scott Adams (Author)

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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

The New York Times bestseller that explains one of the most important perceptual shifts in the history of humankind

Scott Adams was one of the earliest public figures to predict Donald Trump’s election. The mainstream media regarded Trump as a lucky clown, but Adams – best known as “the guy who created Dilbert” -- recognized a level of persuasion you only see once in a generation. We’re hardwired to respond to emotion, not reason, and Trump knew exactly which emotional buttons to push.

The point isn’t whether Trump was right or wrong, good or bad. Adams goes beyond politics to look at persuasion tools that can work in any setting—the same ones Adams saw in Steve Jobs when he invested in Apple decades ago. Win Bigly is a field guide for persuading others in any situation—or resisting the tactics of emotional persuasion when they’re used on you.

This revised edition features a bonus chapter that assesses just how well Adams foresaw the outcomes of Trump’s tactics with North Korea, the NFL protesters, Congress, and more.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Win Bigly taught me how to persuade my boss to treat me with slightly less contempt.”
—Dilbert

“I am deeply impressed by Scott Adams. I don’t know how anyone can write so many pages without using the word ‘doth.’”
—William Shakespeare

“I recommend this book to all mammals, big and small. It once turned a mole into a cheetah. I saw it with my own eyes.”
—Lord Byron

“If you only read one book this year, that’s one more than I did.”
—Mark Twain

“Scott taught me how to create a persuasive nickname for myself.”
—Alexander the Great

“If I’m being honest, Win Bigly is better than all other books and at least one play.”
—Abe Lincoln

“Win Bigly helped me escape from the secret room beneath the author’s shed.”
—Kristina Basham

“My life improved tremendously after I finished this book. If you ever write a book, I bet you’ll feel good when you’re done writing it too. Hey, why is my shed door open?”
—S. Adams

About the Author

Scott Adams is the creator of Dilbert, one of the most popular comic strips of all time. He has been a full-time cartoonist since 1995, after 16 years as a technology worker for companies like Crocker National Bank and Pacific Bell. His many bestsellers include The Dilbert Principle, Dogbert's Top Secret Management Handbook, and How To Fail At Almost Everything And Still Win Big. He is co-founder of WhenHub. He lives outside of San Francisco.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction (Where I Prime You for the Rest)

'm a trained hypnotist.

And I'm going to tell you about the spookiest year of my life. It happened between June 2015 and November 2016. Okay, that's a little more than a year.

Everything you are about to read in this book is true, as far as I know. I don't expect you to believe all of it. (Who could?) But I promise it is true, to the best of my knowledge.

I've waited decades to deliver the message in this book. I waited because the world wasn't ready, but also because the messenger-yours truly-didn't have the skill to deliver it right. The story was too hard to tell. But it was important, and it needed to be told.

And so I waited.

And I learned.

And I practiced.

And I waited some more.

Then it happened.

On June 16, 2015, Donald J. Trump rode a golden elevator in Trump Tower to the lobby, where he announced his candidacy for president of the United States. Like most observers at the time, I didn't fully understand what I was seeing. It wasn't until the first Republican primary debate that I realized what was happening right before our eyes. Trump was no ordinary politician. He was no ordinary businessperson either. In fact, he wasn't ordinary in any sense of the word.

Trump is what I call a Master Persuader. That means he has weapons-grade persuasion skills. Based on my background in that field, I recognized his talents early. And after watching him in action during the election, I have to say that Trump is the most persuasive human I have ever observed.

President Trump carried those persuasion skills into the White House, where his supporters say he has gotten a lot done, and his critics say he hasn't. Supporters pointed to a decrease in illegal immigration, a strong stock market (at this writing), high consumer confidence, progress fighting ISIS, a solid Supreme Court nominee, and a stronger-than-expected foreign policy game. Critics saw "chaos" in the administration, slow progress on health-care reform, and maybe some kind of nefarious connections with Russia.

President Trump's critics (and mine) asked me how I could call the president a Master Persuader when his public approval levels were in the cellar. The quick answer is that low approval didn't stop him from winning the presidency. And according to his supporters, it didn't stop him from getting things done on the job. His persuasion skills, combined with the power of the presidency, were all he needed. Keep in mind that disapproving of Trump's style and personality is a social requirement for people who long for a more civil world. Effectiveness is a separate issue from persuasive skill.

But here's the fun part: I also believed that Trump-the Master Persuader-was going to do far more than win the presidency. I expected Trump to rip a hole in the fabric of reality so we could look through it to a deeper truth about the human experience. And he did exactly that.

But not everyone noticed. That's why I made it the theme of this book.

The common worldview, shared by most humans, is that there is one objective reality, and we humans can understand that reality through a rigorous application of facts and reason. This view of the world imagines that some people have already achieved a fact-based type of enlightenment that is compatible with science and logic, and they are trying to help the rest of us see the world the "right" way. As far as I can tell, most people share that interpretation of the world. The only wrinkle with that worldview is that we all think we are the enlightened ones. And we assume the people who disagree with us just need better facts, and perhaps better brains, in order to agree with us. That filter on life makes most of us happy-because we see ourselves as the smart ones-and it does a good job of predicting the future, but only because confirmation bias (our tendency to interpret data as supporting our views) will make the future look any way we want it to look, within reason.

What I saw with Trump's candidacy for president is that the "within reason" part of our understanding about reality was about to change, bigly. I knew that candidate Trump's persuasion skills were about to annihilate the public's ability to understand what they were seeing, because their observations wouldn't fit their mental model of living in a rational world. The public was about to transition from believing-with total certainty-"the clown can't win" to "Hello, President Trump." And in order to make that transition, they would have to rewrite every movie playing in their heads. To put it in simple terms, the only way Trump could win was if everything his critics understood about the true nature of reality was wrong.

Then Trump won.

That's what I mean by "ripping a hole in the fabric of the universe." Think of it as the moment your entire worldview dissolves in front of your eyes, and you have to rebuild it from scratch. As a trained persuader, I found this situation thrilling beyond words. And I was about to get a lot of company, once people realized what they were seeing.

I'll help you find the hole that Trump punched through the universe so you can look through it with me to the other side. Put a seat belt on your brain-you're going to need it.

Before we go further, I need to tell you that Trump's stated policies during the campaign did not align with my political preferences. Nor do my views line up with Clinton's stated policies during the race. I realize this is hard to believe, so I'll need to give you some examples to make the point. This little detour is necessary so you can judge my political bias. It is important context because the message is always connected to the messenger. If you are a regular reader of my blog, you can probably skip this part.

I label myself an ultraliberal, and by that I mean liberals seem too conservative to me. I'll give you some examples:

Generally speaking, conservatives want to ban abortion while liberals want it to remain legal. I go one step further and say that men should sideline themselves from the question and follow the lead of women on the topic of reproductive health. (Men should still be in the conversation about their own money, of course.) Women take on most of the burden of human reproduction, including all of the workplace bias, and that includes even the women who don't plan to have kids. My personal sense of ethics says that the people who take the most responsibility for important societal outcomes should also have the strongest say. My male opinion on women's reproductive health options adds nothing to the quality of the decision. Women have it covered. The most credible laws on abortion are the ones that most women support. And when life-and-death issues are on the table, credibility is essential to the smooth operation of society. My opinion doesn't add credibility to the system. When I'm not useful, I like to stay out of the way.

Generally speaking, conservatives are opposed to legalization of marijuana whereas liberals are more likely to support it. I go one step further and suggest that doctors prescribe recreational drugs for old people to make their final years enjoyable. What do they have to lose? (Yes, I'm serious. I know it's hard to tell.)

When it comes to complicated issues about economics and foreign affairs, my opinion is that I never have enough data to form competent opinions. Neither does anyone else. My opinion of my own limitations doesn't match that of any politician. They pretend they have enough information to make informed decisions.

Generally speaking, conservatives think we live in a country where everyone already has equal opportunity. Liberals generally think the government should do more to guarantee equal opportunity. I go one step further and suggest considering slavery reparations for African Americans in the form of free college and job training, funded by a twenty-five-year tax on the top 1 percent. In the long run, I want free education for all, but you have to start someplace. No matter who goes first, it will seem unfair to everyone else. So why not let African Americans in low-income families go first? Keep in mind that helping the demographic group that is in the deepest hole gives society the biggest economic bang for the buck. And when society is prosperous, most of it flows right back into the pockets of the 1 percent, making their taxes for this purpose almost an investment.

I hope those are enough examples to make my point. I'm not on any political team, and I like it that way.

Policies aside, I was clearly a Trump "supporter" in the sense that I spoke glowingly of his persuasion skills, his humor, and his business talent. I was among the first observers-some say the first-to identify his political maneuvering as solid strategies borrowed from the business world. I was making that point while most pundits were labeling him an unhinged clown. I know a lot about business because I've observed it, and lived it, in a lot of ways. I write about business in the Dilbert comic, and I've published several business humor books. I also spent sixteen years in corporate America, first at a large bank and later at a phone company. I held about a dozen different jobs at those companies and got to see business from the perspective of technologists, marketers, strategists, leaders, followers, and more. I also have a BA in economics and an MBA from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. And I've managed several different types of businesses of my own. The Dilbert business is a substantial enterprise, and I manage that. I also cofounded a start-up called WhenHub, and I help manage that. I make no claim of being a great businessperson, but I can usually tell the difference between good business practices and bad. Political pundits and writers covering Trump during the campaign generally did not have business experience, and I think that put them at a huge disadvantage in understanding the power of his methods. It wasn't all about persuasion. He also used high-end business strategy all the way, and you wouldn't recognize it as such if you had never spent time in that world.

As I grew my number of social media followers by attracting Trump supporters, it was fun to play to the audience. They liked pro-Trump humor and content and I enjoyed delivering it. The funniest observers of the election seemed to be on the political right. I'm attracted to funny.

I did sometimes criticize Trump, and I sometimes praised Clinton when her persuasion game was good. But I made no attempt at balancing the two for the sake of appearances. The mainstream media was doing a good job of covering all of the candidates' flaws and features. My primary interest was the topic of persuasion. And on that dimension, Trump owned the election until the summer of 2016. That's when Clinton's persuasion game went weapons grade and it became a fair fight for the first time.

If you would like to see my list of Trump's mistakes, I've organized them in appendix D. I did that so you won't think I'm blind to his missteps.

This is a good place to tell you where my credentials rank in the field of persuasion. I label my persuasion skills commercial grade, meaning I successfully use persuasion in my work. A few levels above me in talent and credibility are cognitive scientists who study this sort of thing for a living. If a cognitive scientist tells you I got something wrong in this book, trust the scientist, not me.

In my view of the world, the few individuals I call Master Persuaders are a level above cognitive scientists in persuasion power and possess what I call weapons-grade persuasion skills. The qualities that distinguish weapons-grade persuasion from the academic or commercial types are the level of risk taking and the personality that goes with it. Trump the candidate had an appetite for risk, a deep understanding of persuasion, and a personality that the media couldn't ignore. He brought the full package.

Here's the summary of the persuader types. The most powerful are at the top.

Master Persuaders (includes several presidents, Steve Jobs, Peggy Noonan, Tony Robbins, Madonna, etc.)

Cognitive scientists

Commercial-grade persuaders (people such as me)

I'll try to compensate for my lack of a PhD in cognitive science by linking to sources where it makes sense. But much of this book is based on decades of personal practice and observation of what works and what doesn't in the realm of persuasion. I encourage readers to remain skeptical and to check any of my claims on their own. A simple Google search will confirm (or debunk?) almost anything I say in this book about persuasion.

But Scott, Trump Is a Horrible Monster, Isn't He?

Trump's critics were appalled that I could say anything positive about this horrible monster that they expected to sprout horns at any moment. To them, my so-called support of Trump represented a big risk for the country, and it was the most despicable thing I could do. They worried that my writing would help get this racist, sexist, disrespectful, xenophobic hater elected. And they asked me how I could live with myself as Hitler's Little Helper. Wasn't I taking a risk with the future of the entire planet? Was I putting everyone's life in danger just to have some fun and get some attention?

The simple answer is that I didn't see any of their concerns as real. In Trump I saw a highly capable yet flawed man trying to make a positive difference. And I saw all of his opponents' fears as the product of heavy-handed political persuasion. No one becomes Hitler at age seventy. We would have seen lots of warning signs during his decades of public life. And I kept in mind that most Republican candidates for president have been painted with the same Hitler brush, and it hasn't been right yet. In a similar fashion, I knew President Obama was not part of an Islamic terrorist sleeper cell, as some of his critics claimed. I saw candidate Trump as the target of the same sort of partisan hysteria. Like much of the public, I saw a scary extremism in Trump's language and policy preferences during the campaign. But I recognized his hyperbole as weapons-grade persuasion that would change after the election, not a sign that Trump had suddenly turned into Hitler.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Portfolio
Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 31, 2017
Edition ‏ : ‎ First Edition
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0735219710
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0735219717
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.1 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.38 x 1 x 9.31 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #566,654 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #156 in Political Humor (Books)
- #265 in Business & Professional Humor
- #468 in Self-Help & Psychology Humor
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Scott Adams

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Scott Adams is the creator of the Dilbert comic strip that is published daily in thousands of newspapers and websites all over the world. Adams also authored several non-Dilbert books as well. He is co-founder of Whenhub.

Dilbert comics: Dilbert.com

WhenHub: WhenHub.com

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Customers find the book highly readable, with one noting it reads like a good textbook on cognitive science, and they appreciate its solid lessons on human psychology and revisits topics for depth. The writing style is easy to understand, and customers spot the author's accurate predictions throughout. The book receives mixed reactions regarding its humor, with some finding it super funny while others find it not amusing at all. The style receives positive feedback, with customers describing it as fascinating and unique.

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Readability Insight Information quality Writing quality Accuracy Style Humor Perception

231 customers mention "Readability"209 positive22 negative

Customers find the book highly readable and engaging, with one customer noting it reads like a good textbook on cognitive science, while another mentions it's worth every minute spent reading it.

"Great book. The author is too modest about his writing skill...." Read more

"...I feel there's a good amount of hindsight bias throughout but it's a great read. I like the "directionally accurate" concept...." Read more

"...his book "How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big" is a great book too...." Read more

"...In closing, for all its flaws, I find ‘Win Bigly’ entertaining, somewhat informative, and well-written...." Read more

227 customers mention "Insight"202 positive25 negative

Customers praise the book's brilliant insights on persuasion, solid lessons in human psychology, and good knowledge in cognitive science.

"...to explain the dynamics of persuasion is truly impressive and insightful...." Read more

"Insightful, provocative and solidly grounded in the real world, Adams’ book enables the reader to understand Trump’s victory and better accept the..." Read more

"...It's witty, eye-opening, and its ideas really work." Read more

"Timely, thoughtful, informative, and educational. Another beauty, Mr. Adams!! :)" Read more

132 customers mention "Information quality"132 positive0 negative

Customers find the book provides valuable insights and teaches critical thinking, while revisiting topics to create depth.

"...I liked the book... it was informative and provides the kind of happy ending where all the hero's die and the puppies/kittens are killed...." Read more

"...A good read, very interesting." Read more

"...Interesting and refreshing" Read more

"...These issues do not detract from this being an entertaining and informative book. I would recommend everyone read this." Read more

77 customers mention "Writing quality"55 positive22 negative

Customers praise the book's writing style, finding it easy to understand and well-narrated.

"...The book is entertaining and easy to read. It may even change the way you think...." Read more

"Fun, smart, and easy read...." Read more

"...Too repetitive. Book should have been 100 pages. Maybe 25 pages would have been sufficient...." Read more

"This is an great book! It's well written and easy to read. Both pro and anti Trumpers should read it...." Read more

28 customers mention "Accuracy"22 positive6 negative

Customers praise the book's accuracy, with multiple reviews noting its brilliant analysis and spot-on predictions.

"Amazing analysis of the current president's ability to communicate in the modern environment...." Read more

"...He discusses confirmation bias, cognitive dissonance, anchors and other logical fallacies that can prevent any of us from fully grasping the truth..." Read more

"...Trump keyword (Bigly) but don’t let that fool you, it is overall lacking in bias, is successful itself in owning a thought/idea and everything..." Read more

"...So why does Win Bigly only earn 3 stars? Because it is obviously rushed. There is lots of cut-and-paste from Adams' blog posts...." Read more

11 customers mention "Style"11 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's style, finding it fascinating and unique, with one customer noting its clear and simple presentation.

"...social media through the campaign and puts it all together in this beautiful book...." Read more

"...At the end of the day, the book paints a convincing picture that Trump might know exactly what he is doing, and has manipulated all of our attention..." Read more

"...have to choose one, get the hard cover book because it has a cute Dogbert on the front and funny quotes on the back...." Read more

"Whether you like Trump or not, this is a very fascinating look at how he handled the campaign trail from the perspective of his use of persuasion...." Read more

55 customers mention "Humor"34 positive21 negative

Customers have mixed reactions to the book's humor, with some finding it super funny while others say it's not at all amusing.

"It is a funny, light book - but with a lot of insight...." Read more

"...for everyone (especially proles) but buckle in, there is lots of cognitive dissonance ahead!" Read more

"Funny , captivating, real!! Loved every word! Best summer read....go get it NOW. I am an avid "Dilbert" reader as well..." Read more

"...But he writes well and with humor. Glad I read it." Read more

13 customers mention "Perception"8 positive5 negative

Customers have mixed reactions to the book's perspective, with some appreciating its understanding of human nature and predictability, while others criticize its whitewashing of Trump's narcissism.

"...He has a good grasp of the predictability of human nature yet claims that we are really incapable of accurately perceiving reality...." Read more

"...COGNITIVE DISSONANCE. “Our egos prevent us from imagining we are irrational 90 percent of the time.”..." Read more

"...Scott's even temper and calming outlook cast a pleasant and illuminating light onto the dark world we've had beaten into our heads for the last few..." Read more

"...Because of the insights I gained by reading this book I was able to get past my feelings and see the situation clearly from the other persons point..." Read more

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John W. Pearson
31 Persuasion Tips From Scott Adams
Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2020
Verified Purchase

Really, John? You want me to read a 2017 book by Scott Adams, the Dilbert cartoonist? And is that really a caricature of Donald Trump on the cover? (You fool! You’ll lose half your friends!)

Actually…I’m going to persuade you to read a powerful book on the art of persuasion. Yes, Scott Adams colorfully sketches out the 2016 Trump campaign as his case study, but it’s much, much more than that. I read this persuasive book in November 2017—and just did a second read in February 2020.

It’s now August 2020—but during this Covid-19 lockdown, does it really matter what month it is? In August, I often take a break and re-read books I’ve long forgotten. But not this August. Instead I’m calling August 2020 “The Month of Summer Shorts.” I’ll give you my best book recommendations, but short (or shorter) reviews. So you’ll have to do the hard work yourself—actually read the book! After all, you’ve got the time there in your bunker.

Summer Shorts No. 1:
Win Bigly: Persuasion in a World Where Facts Don't Matter, by Scott Adams

If your day job involves persuading people, customers, clients, donors, members, or anyone else to move from Point A to Point B—you will absolutely love this book. You’ll also chuckle frequently as you read sections to your coworkers, friends, and family.

My favorite snippets:

• ENTERTAINING. “I invite people of all political perspectives to enjoy this book without getting sidetracked by politics. I won’t be discussing policies except in the context of persuasion. This book isn’t designed to change your mind about politics or about Trump. All I hope to do is teach you some things about persuasion by wrapping it in an entertaining first-person story.”

• PRUNE YOUR SENTENCES. In “How to Be a Better Writer” (see the two-page Appendix B), Scott Adams suggests: “Your first sentence needs to grab the reader. Go back and read my first sentence in this blog. I rewrote it a dozen times. It makes you curious. That’s the key.”

• 31 PERSUASION TIPS. Adams fertilizes every chapter with one or more persuasion tip call-outs, including Tip 5: “An intentional ‘error’ in the details of your message will attract criticism. The attention will make your message rise in importance—at least in people’s minds—simply because everyone is talking about it.”

• COGNITIVE DISSONANCE. “Our egos prevent us from imagining we are irrational 90 percent of the time.” (Don’t skip this 12-page chapter or the two-page chapter on “Confirmation Bias.”)

• MASTER PERSUADER. “You should never take financial advice from cartoonists, but let me tell you one thing that feels safe to share: If the CEO of a publicly traded company is routinely described as having a ‘reality distortion field’—as was the case with Steve Jobs—keep an eye on that company. That’s a sign of a Master Persuader.”

• THE PERSUASION TALENT STACK. “He sucked all the attention away from his sixteen competitors, rendering them uninteresting by comparison.” And…“It was pitch-perfect technique, and it leveraged most of his persuasion talent stack.”

• FACTS AND REASON. “Persuasion is all about the tools and techniques of changing people’s minds, with or without facts and reason.”

• PERSUASION TIP 26. “Repetition is persuasion. Also, repetition is persuasion. And have I mentioned that repetition is persuasion?”

Yikes. I promised you a “Summer Shorts” issue—but there’s too much good stuff in “Win Bigly.” I’ll end with 12 teasers:
• Trump’s provocative style: that’s what New Yorkers call “talking!” (p. 11)
• Intentional typos (p. 23)
• The “McGurk Effect” video (p. 36)
• CNN’s list of 24 explanations why Trump won in 2016 (p. 52)
• Why plumbers don’t use analogies (p. 58)
• An enormous persuasion mistake during the Republican debates (p. 81)
• “Concepts without images are weak sauce” and “Think past the sale.” (p. 138)
• The border wall: examples of good and bad persuasion (p. 139)
• “Red is the boss of all colors.” (p. 156)
• On catchy slogans that have a “percussion rhythm” to them. “A good sentence sounds good—in a way that music sounds good—independent of the meaning.” (p. 156)
• “How to Use the High-Ground Maneuver” (p. 194-197)
• “Why Joining a Tribe Makes You Powerful and Blind” (p. 205-255)

If I’ve persuaded you, then start reading! If not, maybe you should read Scott Adams’ latest book, “Loserthink: How Untrained Brains Are Ruining America.”

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SJ
One of the Most Important Books Today
Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2018
Verified Purchase
This book details the dynamics of our reality that we were blind to for most of our lives. Most of our reality is based on the notion that 90% of people are rational and that we are rational decision makers. Operating in this worldview, we are prone to constantly be in cognitive dissonance and often find ourselves shaking our head and in the long-term fall into the lazy thinking of labeling everything as "it is what it is" which isn't bad at all. However, in order to be an active participant in the world in a way that you want to create impact, you have to understand how the world really works, that 90% of people are irrational and rationalize after something happens. Our reality is mainly psychological or in the realm of the imagination. Scott Adams explains this well by talking about Filters of Reality. It's the same thing as models of the universe, worldviews, perspectives whatever you want to call it. The key is that we all have certain movies playing in our head to interpret a given situation at all times. When we all have a matching movie, we experience the reality in similar ways.

The media exists to become the narrators of our experience. They are the creators of Filters of reality most of the time, that is, until the internet has made it possible for independent research among the people. But even the internet is subject to censorship and most of us are still conditioned to think in ways that are part of the design of the creators of our Filters. This is where Win Bigly can help you break through the filters by becoming aware of your own filters that you have been using. Win Bigly is metaphorically and literally a key to unlock the prisons of our minds. It looks like a fun, enjoyable little book with a cute cartoon character on the book cover, but it is one of the most important books today if you are into breaking through the simulation.
By understanding filters, you will understand why Trump won the election. The book provides many clues as to why Trump won the election. Understanding filters is key to begin your new life playing the 3D game and with practice and mastery onto the 4D and beyond. The 3D game is the very few of the population live. Those who are aware of the deeper dynamics of reality, that is they understand Hypnosis. Hypnosis is an interesting and important field that every truth seeking man should get into because it provides an alternative advantageous mindset. Scott Adams also provides book recommendations for further developing skill in hypnosis.
You will learn to see the world in ways that will transform your life. Understanding the world in terms of hypnotic realities will set you up for becoming an influencer in your own ways by becoming more aware of the principles of the mind. You will think in terms of becoming a Causer instead of the Effects although we are both at all times. You will be able understand the Causers playbook and learn to play the game.

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DC
Life Changing
Reviewed in India on November 2, 2017
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This book will change your life if taken seriously. A must read. Also check out Scott's previous book How to Fail...

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Gord Addison
Why did Trump win? This is certainly an interesting take.
Reviewed in Canada on December 5, 2017
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A fascinating perspective on why, in Scott Adams opinion, Trump was much more successful than almost anyone expected in the Presidential election. This was a very well written book, and covered a lot of the top persuasion literature out there today.

Adams weaves together familiar themes from Cialdini’s Influence and Pre-suasion, findings of Behavioral Economics, books like Thinking Fast and Slow, Made to Stick and other top books on psychology and persuasion to argue Trump just had a better understanding of human nature than the other candidates. Concepts like anchors, cognitive dissonance, filters, imagination, pacing, and confirmation bias, are all discussed as persuasion tools, often using examples from Trump’s campaign.

Of particular value, it will now be clear to you when these "Persuasion" techniques are being used on other issues, and you can be aware and call them out.

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AM
Game Changer meiner Realitätswahrnehmung
Reviewed in Germany on November 6, 2017
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Wer Scott Adams bisher nur durch Dilbert kannte, weiß seinen Humor und seine großartige Beobachtungsgabe zu schätzen. Mit seinem sehr tiefen philosophischen Roman "God's Debris" God's Debris: A Thought Experiment und seinem How-To-Fail-Selbsthilfebuch How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big: Kind of the Story of My Life hat er aber auch die beeindruckende Höhe seines "Talent Stacks" demonstriert.

Win Bigly ist anscheinend ein Buch über Trump von einem, der durch Zufall richtig getippt hat und jetzt Kasse machen will. Damit lässt sich das Buch leicht mit 1--2 Sternen abstrafen oder direkt vermeiden.

Trump ist aber nur das Phänomen, an dem Adams seinen "Persuasion Filter" und diverse faszinierende Konzepte erklärt. Für mich war vor allem die sog. "Cognitive Dissonance" der absolute Game Changer meiner Realitätswahrnehmung.

Durch andere Konzepte wie den sog. "Linguistic Killshot" oder das "High-Ground Maneuver" und viele andere habe ich z.B. endlich verstanden, wieso man als Techie in Meetings trotz (scheinbar) besserer logischer Argumente trotzdem von den BWL-Pseudo-Alphas untergebuttert wird.

Über die "Persuasion Reading List" im Anhang, die auch seit geraumer Zeit über Adams Blog verfügbar ist, findet man auch viele Perlen, beispielsweise Cialdinis Klassiker "Influence" influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (Collins Business Essentials) und seine neuere Erweiterung "Pre-Suasion" Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade. Beide uneingeschränkt empfehlenswert und eine wissenschaftliche Untermauerung einiger Aussagen von Adams.

Man muss hier betonen, dass Adams viele Persuasion-Techniken selbst quasi-schamlos anwendet, in diesem Buch und auch seit Jahrzehnten in seinen Dilbert-Cartoons. Dies sei ihm mit einem Augenzwinkern und Schmunzeln verziehen.

TL;DR: Jeder, selbst absolute Trump-Hasser, werden in diesem Buch wichtige und inspirierende Informationen finden, die tatsächlich ihre Wahrnehmung der Realität verändern. Aber Achtung: Cognitive Dissonance!

Disclaimer: Ich habe durch Adams Analysen und Vorhersagen des Wahlausgangs drei Kisten Bier gewonnen und bin deswegen vielleicht nicht ganz neutral. ;-)

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Edward Zia
Brilliant, Great Examples, Entertaining and very Dilbert!
Reviewed in Australia on February 4, 2018
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I have gradually fallen in love with Scott Adams in watching him on Twitter Periscope and learning lots from him about politics, persuasion and of course Marketing in an entrepreneurial sense.

It's been great for me learning from him and in WIN BIGLY, he really gets into what happened in the Donald Trump election in terms of how Trump was able to take on the whole establishment and win.

Even though it uses a political example, it's totally written from the viewpoint of persuasion to help the reader build their own skills here. I 'read' it through audible (my favourite way to 'read') narrated by Scott Adams himself.

Great book, highly recommended and love it!

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Raphael
Muito bom
Reviewed in Brazil on August 16, 2023
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Livro excelente que ajuda a entender o fenômeno Trump por suas estratégias de marketing.

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Win Bigly: Persuasion in a World Where Facts Don't Matter Hardcover – October 31, 2017

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Opens your mind to consider why Trump might be an underappreciated master of persuasion.

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5.0 out of 5 stars 31 Persuasion Tips From Scott Adams

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Most Important Books Today

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars Life Changing

5.0 out of 5 stars Why did Trump win? This is certainly an interesting take.

5.0 out of 5 stars Game Changer meiner Realitätswahrnehmung

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, Great Examples, Entertaining and very Dilbert!

5.0 out of 5 stars Muito bom

31 Persuasion Tips From Scott Adams

One of the Most Important Books Today

Life Changing

Why did Trump win? This is certainly an interesting take.

Game Changer meiner Realitätswahrnehmung

Brilliant, Great Examples, Entertaining and very Dilbert!

Muito bom