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Title : Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
Author : Robert Cialdini
Rating : 4 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Excellent content somewhat marred by impractical conclusions

3rd edition/publication (2007), Collins Business Essentials, 320 pages (of which 280 pages for actual book)

Influence is another of the twenty books Charlie Munger recommends in the second edition of Poor Charlie's Almanack. Its content is excellent (and sometimes even hair-raisingly remarkable - as when he shows that media reporting of suicides actually causes more of them via the social proof bias) but I think Cialdini could have done a much better job of turning the research evidence into useful/practical advice. (The same problem manifests itself in Gilbert's book `Stumbling on Happiness' - though Cialdini's is the better book.)

I was discussing this book with a friend who had also read it and I thought he put it very well: Cialdini is one of those clever people who is not very wise. That is also why Poor Charlie's Almanack is so good and unusual: Munger is both clever and has deliberately attempted to distil a lifetime's worth of reading over a broad subject matter area into practical advice on how to live a successful/useful life.

In particular, Cialdini shows us clearly that a significant number of our psychological biases work completely unconsciously. (By that I mean it can be demonstrated that a certain bias has affected a group of individual's actions/conclusions whilst they strenuously deny they have paid any attention to or are even totally unaware of the biasing factor.) For example, Cialdini quotes one study where "men who saw a new-car ad that included a seductive young woman model rated the car as faster, more appealing, more expensive-looking, and better designed than did men who saw the same ad without the model. Yet when asked later, the men refused to believe that the presence of the young woman had influenced their judgements."

He then goes on to suggest various complicated ways to try to monitor ourselves to see if we are being affected by some of these biases - in order that we can attempt to limit the damage from faulty decisions (often in situations deliberately set up to cause our faulty decisions to be detrimental to us and advantageous to some other). For example, he highlights the "extreme caution" needed in auction situations where one encounters the "devilish construction of scarcity plus rivalry" - and suggests that we watch ourselves for signs of arousal so that we can stop short.

Well, I think Munger and his partner Warren Buffett have a much more practical and simpler way of dealing with that problem, based on the wisdom of the rustic that Munger likes to quote: "all I want to know is where I'm going to die so can avoid going there." The whole thrust of Cialdini's book is that these biases are often unconscious and are in any case often very strong (and usually much stronger that we believe/expect) - which is another way of saying you're unlikely to have good results fighting against them.

Much better to simply bypass the problem where possible and do as Buffett does and refuse to get involved in auction situations. Using rules like this, to paraphrase Munger on a different subject (tax shelters): if you always avoid auction situations you might miss out on the odd good deal, but overall your life is likely to be better.

This is also why I consider Taleb (Fooled by Randomness) to be much wiser than Cialdini: he understands that being aware of biases doesn't make them go away. You need tricks and methods to live successfully with them.

I also think the advice in Cialdini's epilogue is very poor. He suggests that we rise up to fight people/organisations who misuse our psychological biases for their own ends: "In short, we should be willing to use boycott, threat, confrontation, censure, tirade, nearly anything, to retaliate."

This is crazy advice: the effort and time required to do it would leave little for anything else and would also guarantee a miserable life focussed on negativity. It also shows Cialdini's lack of familiarity with good training principles (an excellent book on the subject is Karen Pryor's `Don't Shoot The Dog'). Plenty of research now shows that positive reinforcement (rewarding behaviour you like) is at least as effective as negative reinforcement and much more so than punishment. It also has the huge benefit of leading to a much more pleasant life.

However, even with those caveats (essentially that you have to do your own thinking about how to cope with the biases that Cialdini does an excellent job of laying out) it is still a very useful book.

Title : You Can Heal Your Life
Author : Louise L. Hay
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : brilliant

I read this book some many years ago, and as i was writing reviews i thought i would do one for this. At the time i read this book i thought it was tremendously good. A great value to anyone looking at healing of any nature. Also of value to anyone who needs some inspiration. Well done Louise. A great book.

Title : Think and Grow Rich!: The Original Version, Restored and Revised
Author : Napoleon Hill
Rating : 4 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Reminds me of me............

well I have got to admit that reading this book is like reading my life story!, I admit that 'yes' I'm a wealthy millionaire and this book 'Think and grow rich' written by Mr Hill has completely stated my true personalities. Besides the thirteenth step about the 'sixth sense', everything else is basically a list that represent ME. Well I beleive this book is over rated, YES I AM RICH and this book does state my personality BUT it doesn't nessecerily make YOU rich. It's helpful, it makes you confident but it will not make you rich. YOU MAKE YOU RICH. I did not become rich because I have this characteristic and traits. I'm rich because i'm discipline and talented. Not everybody is equal. If you're talented and naturaly gifted then you will automaticly develop these traits from birth. (thats just the way it is)

People who change their personality and characteristics because a book tell them to will not be RICH. You may be more confident in yourself but you will not be rich unless you are talented. e.g. Henry Ford may not have much schooling but he is talented therefore he become rich despite his education.(you don't have to have an eduction to be talented, though it is essential).

I gave this book 4 stars because CONFIDENCE is crucial and this book helps provide the confidence and spirit in people. For success training I give this book a 2, because it states the correct characteristics but not the method.

But if you want to IMPROVE your skills and qualities then you need:
1) Discipline
2) Dedication/persistence
3) Hardwork/determination
4) Practice practice practice
5) Confidence
6) Ambition along with personality

This is what you need to improve yourself, though getting use to the habit of discipline can be difficult.( PRACTICE is VERY VERY essential)

Title : Getting It Done: How to Lead When You're Not in Charge
Author : Roger Fisher
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Stirring and self-developing book

I read and read this book as an IT professional and really learnt about most of the problems I've been encountering. I hence moved from complaint to contributive proposition and got self-confident in any further action taken since. Moreover, most of the examples produced are common to major enterprises. I am convinced things could be better in some enterprises, had the management read this sort of best-practice-minded book. I have started disseminating the book around me and hope it'll help go ahead solving problems and sharing knowledge. It's clear problems mostly arise due to a lack of managerial culture.