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April 23, 2004
How to learn about persuasion -- 6 books I suggest
People send me email and ask, "How can I learn more about persuasion?" I have 43 persuasion books sitting on a shelf by my desk. Of these, here are the books I usually suggest: 1. Influence by Robert Cialdini (a fun book that also has substance)2. Persuasive Technology by BJ Fogg (okay, so I'm not shy about suggesting my own book)
3. Don't Shoot the Dog by Karen Prior (a dog training guide -- careful readers will see how this relates to persuasive technology)
4. Our Social World by Donald Forsyth (a remarkably good simplification of social psychology) Readers who have more motivation (and money) should also consider these books: 5. Self-Efficacy by Albert Bandura (This is perhaps my favorite book of all. Bandura really understands human nature.) Also --> Earlier summary online
6. The Persuasion Handbook edited by Dillard and Pfau (Uneven in places but still worth the price, this compilation brings together many experts and perspectives.)
Posted by at April 23, 2004 01:31 PM
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Comments
"Influence" was a required reading for one of my psychology classes -- a very interesting book and a good read as well.
Posted by: Mike at June 6, 2005 11:05 AM
Why do people think the Karen Pryor book is about dog training? Certainly she was an animal trainer, and these days her work has had a huge effect on how dogs are trained, but the book is actually about taking the lessions that animal trainers know and applying them to real world problems. Incredible book.
Posted by: Ben Hyde at June 6, 2005 11:05 AM