This book is a must for anyone in advertising or sales. The simplest of changes to what you are doing may make all the difference. Get the book and find out what it takes to make the sale or bring someone over to your thinking.

I have long used Dr. Cialdini's principles in my university lectures on persuasion, so I anticipated the release of this book with enthusiasm. I am not at all disappointed. Each chapter contains a proven principle, a specific research anecdote, then suggestions for using the principle in an applied setting. (mostly business settings, but there were even some parenting suggestions here!) I highly recommend the book, and I'm already planning some creative lecture additions based on the material.
Suzanne Stromberg, Denver, Colorado

As a corporate director of human resources, the bulk of my day-to-day existence is convincing people - whether subordinate or superior - to do what I believe is best for the organization. I have just finished the new book, "Yes!" Three things in this great book stand out for me.

1. Real world case studies in the actual business arenas.
2. Contains a wealth of techniques that are easily implemented.
3. An easy and fun-filled read. Truly well-written.

I find the new book highly useful and a must-read for everyone that must persuade others in order to survive in the corporate jungle. I highly recommend it to all managers of all stripes.

Michael L. Gooch, SPHR Author of Wingtips with Spurs

This is one of the most useful books I've read in a long time. Short, to the point, easy to digest.

Too often, many writers in order to fill the book with pages, ramble on and on with no purpose. Even worse, many of these books do not provide any realistic advice.

This book provides practical guidance on being persuassive. Not only that, it's very easy to learn and absorb. I've immediately put what I read into real life practice. Simply AMAZING!

If you haven't read "Influence" by Robert Cialdini then I would strongly recommend skipping this one for now and starting with that one. Cialdini's original book was one of the best psychology books I have ever read. This one is more like a sequel and like most sequels, it is not as good. In Cialdini's "Influence", he talks about 6 weapons of influence:

1) Reciprocity
2) Liking
3) Social Proof
4) Authority
5) Scarcity
6) Commitment and Consistency

This book consists of 50 short chapters where these weapons are at work. Very entertaining and insightful, but I felt that the authors violated some of their own advice by having so many chapters and not organizing them in any particular way. For example, the chapters each demonstrated one of the weapons of influence at work and perhaps the book should have been organized more formally into 6 parts with each part representing one of the weapons. I was very entertained but I am not sure if the book will have any long lasting educational value unlike "Influence".

This is a quick read and I highly recommend it AFTER you have read Cialdini's "Influence".

I loved the practical examples that are included in the book ... and how sometimes such small adjustments can make such huge improvements in persuasion. For example, how survey responses jumped from 30 percent to 56 percent just by adjusting the name of the sender!

The best thing I liked with Yes! is that I can relate the information easily to a business environment -- and see how I can make simple changes to tactics and copy to have a more effective and persuasive marketing piece. It's not really academically focused and that's a good thing.

I loved Cialdini's "Influence" and think this book is good in combination -- I'd buy both if I didn't already own them. I also enjoy Kevin Hogan on the persuasion topic ... both are great persuasion resources.

The way the information is presented in the 50 examples should really make Yes! essential business reading. I'll also be using this book to help improve the communication and presentations made by our Rotary Club -- the content is useful for more than just a business setting.

Having read the book, before reading the reviews, I'm a bit taken aback but not surprised by the reviews I just read. The reviews have the zesty air of a sales team meeting.

Why so?

What sales or marketing person doesn't get excited about "scientific proof" that a "sales or marketing technique works", right? So, add 1 star to the review.

What modern consumer of information isn't easier to please if the information is sliced and diced into little digestible chunks? Add a few more stars.

Lastly, show me a sales or marketing person who isn't hepped up by the promise of "the answer" and I'll show you a salesman in a morgue or casket. (Caveat: Whisper "I've cracked the code to selling widgets" and the dead may rise. :P )

"Yes", the book, is a tasty little snack, but more a book of re-affirmations than a shift in the sales and marketing winds. (I wonder to what degree this book, by virtue of its content "mirroring" the minds of reviewer/readers - (mirroring is a topic covered in the book) - is generating buzz simply because it is simply "reading back to the readers" their own "sales menu orders"? You get that nuance?)

Social proof? Since when is "keeping up with the Joneses" new science? Since when if following the herd, the pack or one's peers a surprise? Oh, I get it: It's scientific this time! Tell strangers to a social setting "Everyone is doing this (bad thing) so don't you do it too" and the "message consumers" do what everyone else is reportedly doing? That's a surprise? I guess past marketing studies don't count since they didn't use exactly these words: social proof.

Reciprocity? Hello? News? How long have you engaged in the art or practice "of giving" - with intent?

Authority (Expertise) and Respect? Scarcity? Commitment and Consistency?

I hate to rain on the party but the sun only shines so bright here and a little rain would be healthy for the lawn. Translated: Buy the book and read it on the plane, instead of blowing the same $16. on a latte and a magazine. It's a good read. It affirms much that you already know "with the aura of expertise and science" but really . . Buy the steak, not the sizzle.

You and you and you already are in touch and know, most by experience, what is being presented in this book, especially if you are paying attention and aren't asleep at the wheel. This isn't "the book" that will make you a better salesman or marketing person if you already know the business, but the book might confirm that you already are pretty good at what you do. For some (apparently a great many) - gaining that (perceived) extra inch - is enough to generate all sorts of ~sales and marketing excitement and buzz.

But, really, given the audience, is that any surprise? :P

Closing affirmation: YOU alread are pretty good at what you do. The "gain" of this book is inches, not miles, and more a matter of confirming what you already know if you have been paying attention. If you haven't been paying attention, or if your results are in a downward spiral, then this book is some great revelation, . . unless it's the economy, and not your sales or marketing skills, that sucks right now. Then this book won't fix the problem. :)

Robert Cialdini has done it again, another brilliant book about persuasion and influence. This book in my opinion has very practical ways on being persuasive. You can easily apply each specific cases Cialdini describes in your own unique situation and life.

This is a book I'll probably refer to over and over again in my business, life and relationship. Well worth it!

We've been to school, we've worked in marketing, and attended training after training on how to persuade the client to see things our way. Some of that stuff works and some of it doesn't.

This book is the next step.....taking great marketing/persuasion techniques, refining them and then quantifying them. This book takes the guesswork out of marketing/negotiating. There are finally methods that are proved to work !

Whether you are in marketing or the head of a family, we are all in the business of helping others to make good decisions. This book simplifies the process of persuading others to see your point of view and hopefully, to embrace it.

This is a great book and highly recommended !

Before commenting on this book I need to disclose one very important piece of information. I've been a big fan of Dr. Cialdini for fifteen years. And I'm happy to say that I'm met him on several occasions. Now that I've disclosed this to you, I must tell you that this book is such a wealth of information that you can literally take one page at a time and put it's power to use over and over again.

Based on the most current scientific research and studies, YES! is a cookbook of the most effective, useful and powerful techniques of persuasion and influence ever laid out for the public to see.

I was surprised when I read Persuasion Secret #15. It's right out of STAR WARS. But STAR WARS is a movie. This technique is real! Clinical studies sited show absolutely the science behind the psychological principal Luke Skywalker used to turn his father away from the Dark Side.

Its so simple you too can put it to work immediately after reading the short three pages detailing it's precise method and use.

And maybe even more important, there are a tremendous amount of unethical people out in the world trying to influence you without your knowledge. Protect yourself from these unscrupulous people!

This is one book that has the power to enhance anything you seek to accomplish in your life.

This is Dr. Cialdini's most important publication since Influence: Science and Practice.

Based on real research, not merely anecdotal evidence. Its scientific conclusions are the basis for a whole new branch of psychology. Neuro-Linguistic Programming students, take notice. You could model these techniques.

This is essential reading for all marketers, sales people, lawyers, business owners -- anyone who wants and needs to understand ethical persuasion and negotiation.

Not to be missed!

A few years ago, I was told of a speech given by the billionaire business partner of a really famous billionaire from Omaha.

The Internet being what it is, I was able to track down the speech, "The Psychology of Human Misjudgment" and read it.

In that speech, the billionaire referred to only one author, influence expert Robert Cialdini. Munger called him a "hot shot professor."

The billionaire went on to tell his audience:

"...Cialdini does a magnificent job...and you're all going to be given a copy of Cialdini's book. And if you have half as much sense as I think you do, you will immediately order copies for all of your children and several of your friends. You will never make a better investment."

I figured if that billionaire felt that strongly about it, it was worth a look from me.

Having read that book, I've since given friends lots of Cialdini stuff, and connected over 500 friends and clients to his work. I'm now giving friends this, Cialdini's newest and most useful book.

As for "Yes", I consider it a greatest-hits compilation of how to be effective in business and life.

Although Cialdini's works have helped me achieve great business success, he's helped me more by my learning how to be a much, much better friend and husband.

I fully endorse this book and recommend it highly.

Very similar information presented in a different format could be a book about evolutionary psychology or a book about etiquette. The fact is, it matters that we communicate with a sensitivity as to how we are likely to be perceived. This collection of little known scientific studies documents what the "people person" seems to know intuitively. That these nuances are received on a partially subconscious level makes them all the more powerful.

Cialdini divides social psychology into six divisions:

1) Social Proof Studies
2) Reciprocation Tendency
3) Authority Respecting
4) Commitment & Consistency Response
5) Scarcity Reaction, and
6) The Liking & Loving Response

As another reviewer has pointed out, the chapter titles are designed to create curiosity. If you need to get up early in the morning, resist reading the title to the next chapter.

An easy five stars for this extremely well-written and useful book.

DB

If you don't care about selling, marketing, success, managing people, long term relationships, nothing!

And YES you should buy it if do care about those things, and about becoming a truly successful person in the world of getting people to move in your direction with ease.

Mr.Cialdini's new book is like a toolbox you open to find a goldmine of ideas, and scientifically tested and proven strategies that move people to YES.

Yes is a well researched, well thought out, well written book that offers the student of selling a core of information to support the notion that selling is truly a science and not an art. The authors provide solid evidence that any of us can become more effective influence practitioners by understanding the psychology of influence.The authors offer solid evidence that science not luck lead to sales success. This work is a great marriage to the early work done by Cialdini in the Psychology of Influence. This is a must read if you want to continue your quest to become a student of influence and selling.

Not only does Dr. Cialdini present easy to understand ways to be persuasive, he does it while making a concerted effort to be ethical. You will be happily surprised to read the process and results of each of these psychological studies.

Yes! was a great book and I highly recommend it! I am in sales and I learned about 5 simple yet profound ways to increase my persuassion and it worked immediately! Simple truths that are scientifically proven that added thousands of dollars into my pocket!

The ideas in this book are scientifically validated and easy to implement. This knowledge will help anyone become a master of influence. With its short chapters one can process new ideas each day.

I do not enjoy reading. I loved this book. Very straight forward, easy to follow, scientifically proven ways to get what you want. Some of this you already know, you just have never thought about it in a context that made sense. I very rarely review anything, much less a book, but this book is going to make me a better communicator, a smarter businessman, and possibly...RICH. By all means, get this book if you want to make it through when others wont.

Dr. Robert Cialdini teaches proven theories, not speculation. His earlier book, Influence, is a classic among professional persuaders. Many have cashed in by "borrowing" the good doctors research. Many so-called persuasion experts have attempted to out-do Cialdini and none have succeeded. In fact, most of them make serious misinterpretations.

Yes! is a potpourri of fascinating persuasion principles. Not speculations, but proven theories. It's an enjoyable read.

I found Dr Cialdini's book to be a must read for me. I am in the sales field and have struggled at times with trying to be both ethical and sales driven at the same time. In today's world where people believe that the ends justify the means, it's wondeful to learn techniques that make me more sucessful while allowing me to keep my principals in tact.

This was the most fascinating book that I've read in several years. I found it to be very helpful and I've begun to implement some of the ideas already at work. The short and easy to read chapters were perfect for me.

I found this book very insightful with lots of helpful hints which are applicable to my work. I learned from each piece of research and the vast majority of the findings were transferable and helpful.

Any social psychologist will tell you Dr. Cialidini is a thought leader and esteemed researcher in the study of influence. This book brings his knowledge to all in a highly readable format which includes plenty of humor. In one word: Digestible.

Each short chapter highlights and weaves together practical influence tools and tips. This is as simple as you can get in influence research. Yet it maintains its usability. The book provides specific, easy to use tools. It includes countless ideas for sales professionals, marketers and public communicators of all types. Much of the advice also will serve you well in your personal life, too.

Pick this up today for a quick yet very useful read. And make sure you accompany your read with a list of what tips you are going to start implementing TODAY!

Mollie Marti, Ph.D.
Author, The 12 Factors of Business Success

This book was well worth the wait! It's jam-packed with ready to implement ideas for work and personal life.

Dr. Cialdini and his team have done it again. This book is great. The tips are broken down individually and each has it's own great set of stories and examples to go along with it. Best book I've bought this year. Highly recommend!

Our company loves Cialdini's teaching so much that we had him come and speak to a group of our sales staff. That lecture is still discussed and referenced today. (his lecture was 3 years ago)

When I heard of the new book I immediately contacted our head of sales and asked him if he was planning on ordering a batch of the books, he was, so I picked one up as soon as they came in.

Yes! Is another insightful look at the ways of human thinking, often what he teaches is counter intuitive to what we would think of these situations. its refreshing to hear a new perspective on these behaviors.

I look for this book to have as great an impact as Influence: Science and Practice had on business behavior.

This book is a funnier update of the Influence:Science and Practice parsed into great little bite sized pieces. I hope this work does not get any more popular than it already is in the very small circle of people that do what I do for a living. : ) I have learned that many of the great losses in my life were entirely of my own orchestration, a product of guilelessness. There will be a fifth edition of the "Influence" book this year, and next year another titled I think "Moment of Power". I look forward to learning how many more episodes of my life I have completely bungled!! However, I will have the consolation of then having the tools to avoid those mistakes in the future! I am very greatful for the public release of this,largely publicly funded, research.

If man's greatest fear is NO, "YES!" is the must read of the year for all those selling something! (Aren't we all selling something!?)

I have read many many psychology, business and self help books in my day. They have all somehow missed the complex simplicity contained herein. I love the hard data, market research and the simple method the message is conveyed. Psych freaks and the average joe will both enjoy, grow and get to "YES!" much more efficiently through the contents in this book. If you want people to respond with a YES! and for it to be best for both parties you need to read and most importantly apply the information they put forth.

I ordered this one early based on my knowledge of previous work by Dr. Cialdin. Even with 15 years of sales experience I find Dr. Cialdin always finds something new I can add to my sales tool kit. I would recommend this book.

I like this book because it revealed a bit of the author's sense of humor.
There was clear data to back up the lessons and with each lesson I felt I have a way to incorporate those strategies in my own business.

A must read book
to the point
the best in the topic till now

A fantastic book that sheds some light on a new approach to business - using the power of persuasion to achieve goals, increase productivity and get people on your side. This book is an excellent read, and it is broken into 50 smaller sections that make the material palatable and easy to apply. If you were to try say one new approach a week, this book could be applied over the course of just under a year to change your business for the better. Chalk full of scientific studies, evidence, and results, this book is a must read for anybody who looks to improve themselves and their business.

YES! This is a great book! Easy to read and full of good tips to increase persuasiveness... and all backed by scientific study. Very short chapters makes it a great pick up and put down book. I read this and now am hooked on Cialdini. I'm reading another of his books and enjoying it equally as much. I think what sets this book apart from others is that it is not just random ideas, but ideas supported by science and research.

This was a fabulous book for persuasive and sales methods. It is a book that could be read year after year for a refresher.

Any one who wants to get their way more often should read this book. It shows how everyday people can utilize these scientifically proven tips of persuasion. It even has examples which will spur ideas of how to use these techniques to improve your own personal life.

I am already implementing with success the sound principals it discusses. I plan to purchase several more of the book Yes! and give them away to invoke the power of reciprocation.

We have always tried to bring the teachings of Dr. Cialdini to our sales associates and this book makes it easier than ever. It is easy for sales people to read and understand and is now required reading in our sales training.

I'm posting this review because this book is surprisingly practical. I've read a lot of books on the topic of persuasion, and most tread old ground. This one does not.

Not only is Yes! a great read, it's immediately useful. After reading a chapter, it's possible to walk into a conversation and begin using the authors' tips, hints and strategies to more effectively work with others. I highly recommend getting this book, reading it and using it!

Robert Cialdini's new book "Yes!" succeeds as a practical guide to scientifically-based, ethical marketing practices. It is a quick and engaging read with 50 short chapters, each focusing on a persuasive technique.

"Yes!" engaged my curiosity and gave me practical ideas that I will definitely try out. If you have a product, service, or idea to market, any one of these strategies could pay off in a major way. I am giving the book four stars because I would have preferred even more information, depth, and variety among the chapters.

Readers who want more background on the psychology behind the techniques will enjoy Cialdini's classic book Influence: Science and Practice (new edition being released in August). For those interested in marketing and communication I also recommend Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die.

Robert Cialdini's new book "Yes!" succeeds as a practical guide to scientifically-based, ethical marketing practices. It is a quick and engaging read with 50 short chapters, each focusing on a persuasive technique.

"Yes!" engaged my curiosity and gave me practical ideas that I will definitely try out. If you have a product, service, or idea to market, any one of these strategies could pay off in a major way. I am giving the book four stars because I would have preferred even more information, depth, and variety among the chapters.

Readers who want more background on the psychology behind the techniques will enjoy Cialdini's classic book Influence: Science and Practice (new edition being released in August). For those interested in marketing and persuasion I also recommend the engaging, readable Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die.

This book is a must for anyone dealing with People in any manner, for any reason! Good for business, good for personal and family relationships! Should be taught in late elementary, middle and high schools and repeated again in college/universitys!

Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive

Okay, so a couple of years ago Santa brought me a video iPod. After the first of the year I hit a bit of a busy spell, so Steve Jobs¡¦ pride and joy sat in the original box for the better part of ten months, until my wife and I were having dinner with a couple of friends one night.

Me: I've had an iPod for a year and it's still empty.

My friends: We're addicted to the TV show 24. We rent the DVDs and after we put the kids to bed, we watch them nearly all night, one after the other.

Then, the five words that doomed me: You should check it out.

(I'm getting to the book, promise.) So I buy an episode from iTunes and load it up. AN episode, I said. NO television show could be THAT addicting, I mean c'mon, I watch football and news and football (okay, and Survivor). Well, if you've ever watched 24, you know what comes next. You get to the end of the episode and there's the cliffhanger and well, truth is, you've gotta-watch-the-next-one-cause-darnit-you-just-can't-help-yourself-and-before-you-know-it-you're-over-the-edge. So before the shakes got too bad, I was back to the PC to get my fix -- I bought the whole stinkin' season. And then the other five.

The new book YES! 50 SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN WAYS TO BE PERSUASIVE does for the printed page what Jack Bauer does for video. You just can't put the thing down. Each chapter deals with one of the 50 proven ways and they're each about 4 pages in length. And test me on this: IF YOU READ THE HEADLINE OF THE NEXT CHAPTER YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PUT THE BOOK DOWN UNTIL YOU READ THAT CHAPTER. But never fear, I finally figured it out, it's sorta like the Gremlins: whatever you do, DON'T FEED THEM AFTER MIDNIGHT. The solution: once you finish a chapter, simply DO NOT TURN THE PAGE to read the next headline. Read the headline, you're cooked. Promise, it's the only way you can put the darned thing down.

Try these headlines on for size:

X When does offering people more make them want less?
X Why should restaurants ditch their basket of mints?
X Start high or start low? Which will make people buy? (think eBay)
X What's the hidden danger of being the brightest person in the room? (don't I know it)

This book is packed with so many useful ideas for business that it's hard to figure out where to start using them (so beware Chapter 5: When does offering people more make them want less?). It's a great reference material for writing ad copy or customer emails -- or even for getting your little league soccer team to shape up (Chapter 20: When can asking for a little go a long way?). Thumbs up, great job guys.

Finished the book at lunch today, but now I'm having a Bauer hangover. I either need another list of 50 to start on -- or I need an afternoon nap. (Chapter 51: When can not having enough make you want more?)

Jim[...]

It still amazes me that some people prefer alchemy to science. If you want to understand how to gain compliance you need to understand these basic stories- and more importantly you need to learn the science behind the stories.

Robert Cialdini is widely acknowledged as the leading expert on influence and persuasion. His book, Influence the Psychology of Persuasion set the bar high on well-researched, scientifically proven methods of influence.

This new book, Yes! expands on Cialdini's earlier work with many new examples and current case studies. Any serious student of persuasion, or anyone desiring to have more influence in any area of life, will find the study and application of these methods invaluable.

Highly recommended.

I have read Robert Cialdini's previous work on Influence. The entire thought process changed once I was exposed to the 6 principles of influence. Most of my past experiences as well as the present ones where clear to me. Experiences that related to my behavior or responses towards certain events, person or anything.

The fantastically explained Click and Whirr theory still goes on in my mind continuously and I keep watching responses of people in everyday life. So, in other words I keep evaluating people's responses based on those 6 principles and Click and Whirr. And it works "everytime", even if it is for sometime.

This book is exactly about the practical responses of people, how the Fixed Action Patterns are Triggered in everyday life. Again, all the examples of researches are based around those 6 principles. So, its more like a practical guide that tells you about why does a certain behavior takes place if it does.

One advice would be to not to jump to this book straightaway without reading the basic "Psychology of Influence" *because* each and every chapter refers to any of the Reciprocation, Commitment and Consistency, Scarcity, Authority, Liking and Social Proof. Otherwise you would keep wondering about those principles and their references in this book.

Before I close, I must mention why I say "everyday" life here though the books has mostly the researches. There is one example of using Post It notes over the envelops ... We had been already using that process to fasten up the activities within our office and it works perfectly "always".

Thanks for the book. Thanks for all the examples.

That's this book. Just like chocolate cake. Rich with loads of wisdom. Each chapter is only a few pages long but you get told what you need to know, clearly and without a lot of pointless throat clearing. Get the goods on social proof(people do what the majority do even if it is bad; the Petrified Forest in Arizona plastered the park with signs saying that many people removed wood pieces and that was bad only to find theft bumping upwards;change the signs to show those who take the pieces are isolated individuals and theft spirals downward); understand that you must value your contribution or its value will be lost(do a favor for a colleague and she says thanks and you say your welcome and there is zip value; tell her you are glad to do it because it helps with her business development efforts and thus she remembers, don't and its useless history to her; you value it, she won't); understand that people act consistently with their affirmative commitments, not their silent agreement( restaurants that ask people to call if they need to cxl a reserfvation don't get co-operation but those who ask a question, "Will you agree to call if you must cxl?"get loads of it); learn to take a negative and make it a positive(yes our products cost more than xyz firm, but they last longer; couple the negative with a positive that relates to or negates the negative). There is lots more. All of it good stuff. I don't care for the title but this is the way business books should be---short, to the point and useful. Sweet.

Extending and building upon Cialdini's classic "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion", this new book, "Yes!" is immensely useful and a must-read for everyone who seeks to communicate and persuade more effectively.

A colleague recommended it to me, and I pounced upon it, ordering immediately -- because I've long used Cialdini's 6 core strategies in my marketing efforts to help build a business empire. Reciprocity, social proof, and other triggers are must-have tools in one's business arsenal.

What I like best about Cialdini's latest work is:

+ Practical case studies in business (not academic) environments, such as the hotel towel case study, and others.

+ Diverse range of experiments and conversion-boosting examples that can be applied to a much wider range of persuasive situations.

+ Clearly explained examples and techniques that are easy to translate and apply to different practical business situations immediately.

+ Packed with humor, insight and concise tactics that work.

Cialdini's created another classic with "Yes!" and I highly recommend it to all business professionals and folks who'd like to improve their persuasive skills in a variety of situations. An "instant classic".


To success,

Ken Calhoun

P.S. For more on business success, I also recommend all the books by Jeffrey Gitomer, Dan Kennedy, Donald Trump and Brian Tracy.

I struggled about whether or not to write this review because admittedly, I'm biased when it comes to Dr. Cialdini's work. I became a Cialdini convert in 2004 when he spoke at my company, State Auto Insurance, and I believed so much in the effectiveness of his work that I became a certified trainer. And I must disclose, "Yes!" contains a submission of mine.

Now, having shared all that, I think it's fair to say becoming a trainer and my submission are proof positive of my sincere belief that the ethical application of the principles of influence can make a big difference when it comes your success both professionally and personally.

I think Yes! is the perfect compliment to Dr. Cialdini's other work, "Influence: Science and Practice". While "Influence" gives great detail on the six principles of influence, "Yes!" gives tremendous practical application.

It's an easy, engaging read because each chapter is only four or five pages long. But don't let the short chapters fool you because each hits on relevant ways the principles are being used. If the reader is critically thinking then the stories and studies should stimulate thoughts on how he or she can also use the material. For all my work and training on influence and persuasion over the years I can honestly say, as I read this book I found myself thinking of new ways to incorporate influence techniques.

You can't go wrong with "Yes!" because it's far better than almost every other book on influence and persuasion on the market today.

What a useful and surprisingly fun book! Its theme? By making small changes in the way you ask for something, you can increase how often people say yes.

Fifty short mini-chapters, only three or four pages long, each describe a different scientifically proven way to improve how persuasive you can be. Each has specific advice that is easy to apply. For example, adding a hand-written Post-it note to a mailing dramatically boosts a positive response. Another example comes from Benjamin Franklin: Ask for a favor from someone you're trying to bring to your side. Afterward that person will feel more kindly toward you, and be more likely to help you again.

Yes! includes many real-life examples and much humor. Although it is based on serious scientific research, the writing is breezy and non-threatening.

I bought Yes! to help me in my business, but I'll use these ideas personally, as well. You will, too.

Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to be Persuasive, written by Goldstein, Martin and Cialdini, takes the scientific research and studies done on persuasion over the past 50+ years and presents an easy to understand book on how to convince people.

According to the authors, "The central purpose of this book is to provide the reader with a better understanding of the psychological processes underlying our efforts to influence others to shift their attitudes or behavior in a direction that results in positive outcomes for both parties."

The authors go to pains to convince us that persuasion is a science, not an art. They believe that, unlike books on business, economics and so on, there are not many books on persuasion because most people believe they already know how to convince people. which is a mistake, according to them.

They begin with the 6 universal principles of social influence:

* Reciprocation
* Authority
* Commitment/consistency
* Scarcity
* Liking
* Social proof

What follows are 50 mini-chapters. Each refers to scientific studies, but the chapters are breezy and easy to read.

Here are some examples:

* When pursuasion might backfire, how do you avoid the magnetic middle?
* when does a bonus become an onus?
* Does fear persuade or does it paralyze?
* What is the active ingredient in lasting commitments?
* What's the hidden danger of being the brightest person in the room?
*When is a loser an winner?

Insightful and thought-provoking, this book is useful for both social and business situations.

By the author of the award winning book,
Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify and Energize Your Life, Your Home and Your Planet.