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The Influential Mind

What the Brain Reveals About Our Power to Change Others

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About this listen

A cutting-edge, research-based inquiry into how we influence those around us and how understanding the brain can help us change minds for the better.

Part of our daily job as humans is to influence others; we teach our children, guide our patients, advise our clients, help our friends and inform our online followers. We do this because we each have unique experiences and knowledge that others may not. But how good are we at this role? It turns out we systematically fall back on suboptimal habits when trying to change others' beliefs and behaviours. Many of these instincts - from trying to scare people into action to insisting the other is wrong or attempting to exert control - are ineffective because they are incompatible with how the mind operates. The principle idea of this book is that an attempt to change will be successful if it is well-matched with the core elements that govern how our brain works. Sharot unveils the hidden power of influence, good and bad, and enables us to identify instances in which we fall prey to delusions. The book will search deep below the surface, relying on the latest research in neuroscience and psychology to provide new insight into human behaviour.

2018, British Psychological Book Award - Popular Science category, Winner

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio on our desktop site.

©2017 Tali Sharot (P)2017 Little Brown Book Group Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Human Brain Habits

Critic reviews

Better facts tend to be counterproductive on hot-button issues like gun control. As Tali Sharot notes in her book The Influential Mind . . . The smarter a person is, the greater his or her ability to rationalize and reinterpret discordant information, and the greater the polarizing boomerang effect is likely to be (David Brooks)
The Influential Mind will make you gasp with surprise - and laugh with recognition. Many of our most cherished beliefs about how to influence others turn out to be wrong; Sharot sets them right. Packed with practical insights, this profound book will change your life. An instant classic (Cass R. Sunstein, Harvard University; former Administrator for the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs and bestselling coauthor of Nudge)
Take it from a leading neuroscientist: every day, we all miss opportunities to influence others. This timely, intriguing book explains why it's so difficult to shift the attitudes and actions of others - and what we can do about it (Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Originals and Give and Take)
This brilliant and timely book is essential reading for anyone who wants an intelligent, principled guide to getting their ideas heard and their hopes fulfilled. If you follow Tali Sharot's scientifically-backed guidance, you'll become one of those great communicators and changemakers that everyone raves about - persuasive and inspirational in equal measure (Caroline Webb, author of How to Have a Good Day)
This book not only a primer on persuasion; it is far more valuable than that. It explains why so many of our well-meaning attempts to change people's minds can backfire so badly. Trump haters take note (Rory Sutherland, Vice Chairman, Oglivy & Mather)
A fantastic journey through the process of forming beliefs and ideas (Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com & New York Times bestselling author of Delivering Happiness)
In the arena of behavioral science, little has held more potential than the streaking advances in behavioral neuroscience and little has stood to gain as much from those advances as the study of social influence. With The Influential Mind, Tali Sharot has offered an account that makes the connection in a way that is both instructive and engaging (Robert B. Cialdini, author of Influence and Pre-Suasion)
With a scientist's vision and a writer's grace, Sharot unmasks the secrets of influence: how people make and change their minds-and why (David Eagleman, Stanford University neuroscientist and New York Times bestselling author)
All stars
Most relevant
Easy to understand and really makes you think how the mind works.
Also is very interesting the explanation of how we influence each other subconsciously .
Definitely worth the one credit that I used to purchase it!

Recommended!

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A book that is ideal if you are looking to expand your knowledge and understanding of how our minds work. The book is written is a way that's easy to digest, while at the same time taking the reader into depths of the inner workings of the brain and mind. A very enjoyable and interesting book.

A great read if you are looking to expand mind

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Great book for interesting facts about the mind and influence. Really enjoyed it and will look out for more of her books

Recommend

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the narrator was perfect and the stories were perfectly descriptive.

I loved that to describe or explain the power of influence the author would place you inside a scenario, one that you may have been in before, and break down the mechanics and role influence plays.

as always I did research the book and author beforehand. very happy with this audiobook and would recommend the ted talk by the author.

influence is a powerful thing and this book projects that!

easily one of my favourites

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Quite rambling, felt like there were just a few main points buried under lots of not hugely interesting anecdotes. And the narrator’s style/tone was distracting.

Not as good as I was hoping

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