The Charisma Myth cover art

The Charisma Myth

How to Engage, Influence and Motivate People

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The Charisma Myth

By: Olivia Fox Cabane
Narrated by: Lisa Cordileone
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

What if charisma could be taught?

What you'll find here is practical magic: unique knowledge, drawn from a variety of sciences, revealing what charisma really is and how it works. You'll get both the insights and the techniques you need to apply this knowledge. The world will become your lab, and every person you meet, a chance to experiment.

The Charisma Myth is a mix of fun stories, sound science, and practical tools. Cabane takes a scientific approach to a heretofore mystical topic, covering what charisma actually is, how it is learned, what its side effects are, and how to handle them.

'Engaging, clear, and chock-full of wisdom, practical recommendations, and uncommonly good sense' Stephen Kosslyn, director, Center for Study of Behavioral Sciences at Stanford

'Cabane has done us a big favor. She's woven solid science and engaging narrative into an instructive treatment of the role of charisma in leadership' Robert B. Cialdini, author of Influence

'If you are interested in increasing your ability to be charismatic in your unique setting or employment, this book will give you direct skills to use' Psychology Today

© Olivia Fox Cabane 2013 (P) Penguin Audio 2022

 Business Communication Career Success Communication & Social Skills Leadership Management & Leadership Personal Development Personal Success Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Social Psychology & Interactions Inspiring Mythology

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Critic reviews

Charisma is not a gift, it's a tool. Olivia Fix Cabane makes a big promise with this book and delivers on it
Until I encountered Olivia Fox Cabane, I'd naively believed charisma was an intangible, magical aura...a couple of hours can transform a reasonably personable person into someone magnetic
If you are interested in increasing your ability to be charismatic, this book will give you direct skills to use
An easy read, effectively integrating stories and research, strategies and applications, techniques and practices
Engaging, clear, and chock-full of wisdom, practical recommendations, and uncommonly good sense

Cabane has done us a big favor. She's woven solid science and engaging narrative into an instructive treatment of the role of charisma in leadership-a topic that (until now) we only poorly understood
All stars
Most relevant
This is an excellent book on charisma and how to relate more positively to people. It contains a lot of advice and tools that are found in other similar self-help books of this genre, eg visualisation, body language, positive attitude etc but they are presented in a way that is relevant to the specific focus of the book, which is about acquiring and projecting charisma in personal interactions. The techniques given are such as to be long-lasting rather than just quick fixes. This book is well structured and easy to follow. It is likely to be helpful to anyone who reads it (listens to it) but those who spend a bit of effort in applying the techniques properly will gain the most benefit. The narrator is not the author but it is extremely well read and holds the listener's attention throughout. A very useful and practical guide to improving your relationships with strangers and those you already know, particularly in business settings.

Practical and relevant advice

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This book is a lot about self confidence and public speaking which are undoubtedly linked to charisma. I love how the author links the various aspects that make one more charismatic.

Fantastic book

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Like many, I was always convinced that charisma was one of those mystical qualities which you either had or you didn’t - until I read this. The author explains exactly why people are charismatic- they convey patterns of actions and behaviours anyone can adopt. There are so many useful tips that I was frequently switching to my notes app whilst listening to this - starting to put these tips into practice I’ve found that they really do make a difference - and I am progressing in life because of it. I really liked the narrator of Cabane’s book in this audible version - she has a likeable voice which never grates.

A practical toolkit which really does de-mythologise charisma

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Insightful, useful and well written/narrated.
Ignore the negative reviews. I suspect those people just want a ‘how to’ guide. This book is more about using your own intuition to decide what works for you and what will work for you.

Insightful, useful and well written/narrated

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a book to keep going back to and learning from as you practice and improve.

full of excellent advice

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