Are you looking for good books to read? I’m sharing my reading list with the best books I’ve read. I strongly believe that reading, and educating yourself, is the answer to a better life. And ultimately, freedom. Nelson Mandela said it best:

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

Out of the hundreds of books I’ve read in my lifetime, I have a small number of favorite books. 

On this page, you will find the best books that I’ve read—selected from the 600+ I’ve read until now. These books have changed my life. And every week, I read two new books. I update this list regularly.

I’ve arranged the books in 11 different categories:

1. Best General Personal Development Books

Managing Oneself by Peter Drucker — The best self-help piece that is ever written. It’s actually an article that appeared in the Harvard Business Review in 1999. And in 2008, it was published as a paperback. A must-read for everyone.

How To Win Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie — An all-time classic when it comes to personal development. This book is an essential read for everyone—particularly for people getting out of college. Carnegie writes about how you can increase your popularity, persuade people, make friends, enable you to win new clients and customers, become a better speaker and boost enthusiasm among your colleagues.

The Greatest Salesman In The World by Og Mandino — While the title sounds like a sales book, The Greatest Salesman In The World is more a philosophy book. It is a book that also shows you how to create a habit. Og Mandino writes that you have to reread every scroll, three times a day, for a month. That will take you ten months to complete this book.

Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers — Fear is something that holds us back on a daily basis. And Susan Jeffer’s book gives you practical tips on how you can manage fear. I say ‘manage’ because fear is something that will never go away. And that’s why I like to read this book every year.

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck — Life is about solving problems and finding solutions. If you always look at the risks and consequences of everything, you might play it safe, but you’ll also never grow. Carol Dweck’s book is one of my favorite books about developing the mindset you need to succeed in life.

HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Managing Yourself — The book’s description starts with, “The path to your professional success starts with a critical look in the mirror.” I can’t agree more. This collection does not disappoint. Every piece will make you think more about your mission, vision, strengths, weaknesses, and how you can advance your career.

Laws Of Human Nature by Robert Greene — With his latest book, Robert Greene, shows that living a successful life is not only about power and status. How well we are at dealing with people is one of the most important predictors of career success. Since everything we do relies on others, we must get better at understanding others. And what’s the best way to do that? By understanding yourself. And that’s what Laws Of Human Nature helps you with. Great book for improving your self-knowledge.

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2. Best Decision Making Books

Seeking Wisdom by Peter Bevelin — This is probably the best summary I’ve read on practical and scientific thinking. Bevelin is an excellent writer and he captures the wisdom from Charlie Munger in a perfect way. The book respects the reader and doesn’t show off. It’s a book that I already referred to several times after reading it. And together with the Jordan Peterson and Pierre Hadot books, I plan to re-read these books going forward.

Just like the title of Bevelin’s book, to me, life is about seeking wisdom. It’s the only pursuit that we can perform as long as our brain works. You can get physically impaired, lose your money, friends, status, but you can never lose your thirst for knowledge.

Incerto by Nassim Nicholas Taleb — Technically, this is a series that consists of five books. Until 2018, I had never read Taleb. Several of my friends are big fans of his work. And when his latest book in the series, Skin In The Game, came out this year, I felt compelled to read it. In his latest book, he writes about how most decision-makers have nothing to lose when things go wrong. Having skin in the game will change everything. After all, it’s easy to make a decision or give advice when you have nothing to lose.

I love his message and style. Taleb is someone who doesn’t care what certain people think of him. And he’s not afraid to make bold statements. He’s not only a good writer but the contents of his books are also excellent. After I read Skin In The Game, I decided to read all his books. That took me about a month and I’m glad I did. If you haven’t read any of his books, check out which one appeals to you the most. You can read them in any order you want.

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3. Best Health & Fitness Books

Bigger, Leaner, Stronger by Michael Matthews — The only book you need for improving your fitness. Matthews has written a complete book that focusses on simplicity. We all hate complicated fitness and eating regiments. Bigger, Leaner, Stronger is based on a few simple methods and destroys many popular fitness myths.

Spark by John Ratey — Everyone knows that exercise is good for our health. However, it can also transform your mind. This book is based on scientific research and teaches us how to boost brain cells, protect ourselves against mental illness and dementia, and ensure success in exams and the workplace. A great read that inspires us to live an active lifestyle.

The Story Of The Human Body by Daniel Lieberman — Books by academics are usually not my favorite. But this book is easy to read. And, it’s good to know more about that body of yours.

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4. Best Entrepreneurship & Business Books

The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss — The modern entrepreneur’s bible. This book changed my perspective on doing business. Tim Ferriss has influenced thousands of people across the world who have gone to start companies themselves. Ferriss is also an angel investor or an advisor to Facebook, Twitter, Evernote, and Uber, and other tech companies. This is a must-read for anyone who desires financial freedom.

Zero To One by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters — Peter Thiel is mostly known as the co-founder of PayPal and the first outside investor to Facebook. Zero To One is a book that discusses the motives behind entrepreneurship. It covers essential topics such as history, human behavior, competition, creativity, and how new tech companies change the world. Zero To One is a necessary read for every entrepreneur or anyone who is interested in learning about the rise of startups.

Purple Cow by Seth Godin — This is one of the best books on marketing and Seth Godin is considered as one of the best marketing minds in the world. The book’s message is simple: if you want to stand out from the crowd, you have to be remarkable. Purple Cow is a must-read for every business owner and marketer. I also encourage you to read Godin’s personal blog. He posts a thought-provoking article every single day. Now, that is remarkable.

Contagious by Jonah Berger — When you want to have massive marketing success with a limited budget, read Contagious by Jonah Berger. It is an excellent book with a thorough analysis of viral campaigns, and why they catch on. Jonah Berger is a Marketing professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and uses scientific research to back up his findings. His writing style, however, is far from academic and very enjoyable.

The Boron Letters by Gary Halbert — Gary Halbert was a successful copywriter. And today, he’s still a legend in the marketing world. But this collection of letters goes beyond marketing. Halbert uses his copywriting skills to teach his son about direct response marketing, life, health, and being successful. He wrote these letters while he was serving time in federal prison.

Made to Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath — The all-time classic book on persuasion is Influence by Robert Cialdini. I highly recommend reading that book. However, that book is very theoretically and broad. If you specifically want to read more about how you can persuade others of your ideas, Made to Stick is great. Telling persuasive stories is one of your key responsibilities as an entrepreneur.

Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne — I have to confess that I’ve been familiar with the concept of ‘blue oceans’ and ‘red oceans’ in the marketing world for a few years. However, I haven’t been applying it as much as I should. Too often, we try to compete with other businesses in red oceans. Why do we do it? Why do we always try to be better and not different? Blue Ocean Strategy provides valuable answers that help you create unique products that serve new markets.

Anything You Want by Derek Sivers — Almost all entrepreneurs I know are lazy. I’m the biggest example of that. Why do you think I’m so big on productivity? I don’t want to waste my time on unnecessary things. Even though reading is one of the most necessary things for me as an entrepreneur, I understand that you might not have time to read all the books on my reading list. Maybe you have a 9–5 job, run multiple businesses or have a house full of kids. These are all legitimate reasons for lack of time.

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5. Best Writing Books

The Elements of Style by William Strunk and E.B. White — And every job has some form of written communication. So you don’t want to write in a way that people don’t understand. That’s why The Elements of Style is such an important book. Especially now when most communication is written. And this book teaches you how to think and write clearly—so that people understand you. A valuable skill. The Elements of Style is a must-read for everyone, not only journalists or writers.

On Writing by Stephen King — Stephen King is one hell of a thinker and writer. And the man churns out books like it’s nothing. Only that fact makes you want to read more about how his mind works. If you write, and you haven’t read On Writing, it’s time to stop everything you do and get that book.

The Writers Journey by Christopher Vogler — The Writers Journey is the most in-depth book on this list. Vogler, a story consultant for major Hollywood film companies, talks about the relationship between mythology and storytelling in this book.

Ernest Hemingway on Writing by Larry W. Phillips — There’s no point in denying it; Hemingway is one of the best writers in modern history. And this little book is a collection of letters he sent to his editor, friends, and other authors. This book is not only packed with writing advice. It also shows Hemingway’s character. He was a funny guy who took satisfaction in what he did.

Perennial Seller by Ryan Holiday — I recently interviewed Ryan about this book on my podcast. In the book, he gives you a framework for creating a product/service that sells for decades. To me, that’s the essence of marketing. In Perennial Seller, Ryan describes key marketing lessons he learned from successful authors and entrepreneurs. Also, he talks from experience. Ryan has written five best-selling books and helped market a bunch of other best sellers for other writers.

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6. Best Philosophy Books

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius — Marcus Aurelius (emperor of Rome A.D. 161-180) is one of the three famous modern Stoics, the two others are Seneca and Epictetus. As the ruler of the largest empire of the world, Aurelius had great responsibility and power. He wrote Meditations for his personal use. It consists of lessons he learned and notes he made to himself about living and dealing with people.

Pragmatism: A New Name for Some Old Ways of Thinking by William James — I love the title of this collection of lectures that James gave at Lowell Institute and Columbia University in the early 1900s. The man says it how he sees it. Pragmatism is not really a philosophy in the traditional sense. It’s merely a way of thinking. Pragmatists are completely neutral. They never believe in something just because other people believe it. No, a pragmatist only believes in what is practical. In other words: What works.

A Manual For Living by Epictetus — A short book. A Manual For Living is exactly what the title says it is. This book also gives you a larger perspective on humanity. People have always had problems with self-confidence, family, work, other people, etc. In a way, nothing has changed. And that’s pretty comforting.

On The Shortness Of Life by Seneca — In the Shortness Of Life, Seneca writes about the art of living. This short book is highly recommended for everyone. Seneca teaches us that life is short and that we have to live our life to the fullest.

The Obstacle Is The Way by Ryan Holiday — Inspired by Marcus Aurelius’ Mediations, Ryan Holiday wrote an excellent book about how we can turn our adversity into advantage. The book is full of stories about how icons of history dealt with their obstacles.

Become What You Are by Alan Watts — A collection of 20 essays by Alan Watts. His work was greatly inspired by Zen. And I think that Zen is a great source of internal knowledge. I’ve tried reading different things about Zen. Watt’s writing is clear, practical, and beautiful. That makes it easier to read and think about. When you apply all the advice in this book, you’ll learn more about yourself and others.

Notes To Myself by Hugh Prather — This book was recommended to me last year by a reader. Prather was a minister. When I first learned about that, I didn’t think I could relate to the book. But I gave it a try, and I really enjoyed it. Notes To Myself is a good example of the fact that people are all the same internally. You might be from Japan, Chile, Portugal, Canada, Vietnam — you name it. At the end of the day, we face the same internal struggles.

12 Rules For Life by Jordan B. Peterson — Like almost everyone who is interested in personal development, I have read Jordan Peterson’s popular book. I share many of his beliefs. And like he says, there’s nothing new about taking responsibility for your life. However, it is NEW to give people tough love — which is exactly what this book does. Read it — regardless of your views. It will make you a more stable and reliable person.

Philosophy As a Way of Life by Pierre Hadot — Hadot was one of the best historians of philosophy in recent history. I’ve been reading philosophy since I was 16 and somehow believed that writing ABOUT philosophy is not the same thing. But Hadot proves that writing about philosophy is just as, or even better, as the real thing. I read Philosophy As a Way of Life this year and it made me understand the concepts of Socrates, Plato, Stoicism, Epicureans, and Cynicism a lot better.

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7. Best Personal Finance Books

The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham — The book that inspired Warren Buffett to start investing. We all know how that turned out. This book is not only about the stock market. It provides an investing philosophy. You can apply the strategies of this book to life, business, money, and your career.

The Richest Man In Babylon by George S. Clason — This book is full of cliches. But it’s still good to read it. Why? We’re often so stupid when it comes to personal finance, that we have to remind ourselves how easy it actually is.

Your Money Or Your Life by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez—What I enjoyed most about this book is that it teaches you to transform your relationship with money. This will change your life. Money is something you trade your life energy for. Think about it. You work to earn money. Your Money Or Your Life starts out strategically and gets more practical towards the end.

The Little Book of Common Sense Investing by Jack Bogle — The reason I stopped investing in individual stocks is Jack Bogle. This man is a true hero. He founded Vanguard and created index funds. Unlike everyone else in finance, he’s not worth billions. Why? He created financial products for the people.

The Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins — The proposed plan in this book comes close to my personal financial strategy. Collins is a practical man. And The Simple Path to Wealth is the most practical book I’ve read on personal finance. He recommends saving 50% of your income. And that’s what I believe in too. The more you save early in your career, the better.

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8. Best Creativity Books

The War Of Art by Steven Pressfield — Being creative requires discipline. Steven Pressfield argues that ‘resistance’ stands in the way of people who want to create something in life. The War Of Art is excellent reading for writers, entrepreneurs, actors, dancers, painters, photographers, filmmakers, and other creative people.

The Icarus Deception by Seth Godin — The world has changed, and conformity no longer leads to security. By adopting an artistic attitude, we can add value to other people’s life. We have to be problem solvers, and conformity does not solve problems. Creative thinking does.

Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi — Your ability to enjoy your work not only determines work satisfaction, but it also impacts how good you become at something. Flow is one of those books I think about every day. Getting in a flow state is something that actually changes the way you work and experience life.

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9. Best Biographies

The Story of My Life by Helen Keller — What was that? Are you complaining about your job? Or how hard it is to take care of your family? I find it fascinating how soft we all are, especially if you compare our struggles to what Helen Keller experienced. She is one of my biggest heroes. A remarkable person who made the most out of life despite being deaf and blind since she was 19 months old. Her autobiography is well worth a read.

Man’s Search For Meaning by Victor Frankl — Viktor Frankl was a psychiatrist before the war. His ability to observe the behavior of his fellow prisoners in Auschwitz resulted in Man’s Search For Meaning. This unique book describes how we choose our attitude in any given set of circumstances. Even during the horrible conditions of a concentration camp, humans can endure the suffering and find meaning in living because of inner decisions.

Total Recall by Arnold Schwarzenegger — Arnold Schwarzenegger’s story is remarkable. A boy from a small town in Austria turned into a bodybuilding champion. A bodybuilder turned into one of the biggest Hollywood stars in history. An actor turned into Governor. This unique story is worth reading.

Grinding It Out by Ray Kroc — Do you feel bad that you haven’t caught your big break yet? If so, read this book. You’ll feel different about it. Ray Kroc, who turned McDonald’s into a billion-dollar business, had to wait until his fifties to find some form of success. It’s not only an inspirational story.

Becoming Steve Jobs by Brent Schlender and Rick Tetzeli — Steve Jobs doesn’t need an introduction. The man’s life was very fascinating. And I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this biography that mostly focused on Steve’s career, vision, and the impact he made on the world.

Stay Hungry by Sebastian Maniscalco — I love stand-up comedy, but I had never heard of Sebastian until recently. When I saw his Netflix comedy special and read about his story, he instantly became one of my favorite comedians. He’s not only funny, but he’s also humble, down to earth, and a hard worker. In Stay Hungry, he shares his life story in a funny way. So if you want to quit your career after only a year, please read Sebastian’s story.

The Snowball by Alice Schroeder — Contrary to what you might think, this book is not only about investing. The Snowball goes deep on different topics like Buffett’s relationships with the most important people in his life, the way he views the world, and how he conducts business. Every professional can learn from his life story. And Alice Schroeder did a great job telling it.

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10. Best Productivity Books

The funny thing about my reading list is that I only mention four productivity books. That’s because productivity is something you do, not something you read. On my blog, I always focus on sharing techniques you can immediately apply to your life. Here are the most practical productivity books I’ve read:

The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker — It’s no secret I’m a fan of Drucker. This book provides a practical perspective on productivity that I think every knowledge worker should read. The most important lessons I’ve learned about work is this: It’s not about what you do, it’s about the results you get. That’s the difference between efficiency and effectiveness. Sending 100 emails per hour might be very efficient use of your time. But what results does it bring you? That’s what matters the most.

Essentialism by Greg McKeown — Productivity is about doing the right things. And this book helps you to focus better on what matters to you, personally. Once you know what you’re after, it’s easier to get there.

The Power Of Habit by Charles Duhigg — Forming new habits is a practical skill that immediately impacts the quality of your life. Want to lose weight? Be more productive? Exercise regularly? Build successful companies? One thing is sure: Without habits, those things will be extremely difficult to pull off.

Daily Rituals by Mason Currey — A unique insight into the habits and rituals of the world’s most renown figures. You’ll be surprised how simple their lives were.

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11. Best Fiction Books

My reading list wouldn’t be complete without my favorite fiction books. Contrary to what a lot of personal development authors believe, I think you can learn a lot from fiction. Here are my favorites:

Post Office by Charles Bukowski — Bukowski is one of my main influences. Intellectualists (who take themselves way too seriously), hate Bukowski. They say he was a bad writer. I don’t care. His books are the funniest and most entertaining things that have ever been written. And Post Office is my favorite. I crack up every time I read it. If you haven’t read Bukowski, read his books in chronological order.

The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway — His first novel. And it’s my favorite Hemingway book. It’s set in post-WWI Paris and Pamplona. Hemingway’s style is simple and easy to read. That’s the way I like it. It makes the characters and story stand out. Not the writing.

Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Simple — This book was recommended to me by a reader. It’s not something I would stumble upon myself. But I’m glad I read this book. Where’d You Go, Bernadette is an entertaining and creative novel about weirdoes in Seattle. Maria Semple wrote for Arrested Development (one of my favorite tv shows). And that’s something you can tell by her style. ‘Dudes’ probably call this chick lit. But grow up man, and read this shit.

Naïve. Super by Erlend Loe — Another funny and entertaining book. Loe is from Norway, and I like his minimal style. It’s a story about a young kid who’s searching for meaning in life. Way better than all the corny self-help parables like The Alchemist. This is book down to earth and fun to read.

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky — Let’s get a little serious. This book is an examination of human suffering. If this book doesn’t change the way you think about people, nothing will. And if you think it’s a lengthy and hard to read novel, you’re wrong. It’s actually a very light read. Just don’t get stuck on all the characters and continue reading. It will make sense along the way.

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk — The only very familiar book on this list. I’ve referred to this book more often and I still enjoy it after all these years. It never gets old. And if you’ve never read it, drop whatever you’re doing and get this book. You’ll change after reading it.

Ask The Dust by John Fante — My favorite writer, Charles Bukowski, was influenced by Fante. In Ask The Dust, you read the story of Arturo Bandini, a struggling writer in 1930s Los Angeles. It’s a story about struggle and perseverance. It’s both depressing and feel-good at the same time. Just like life.

Death With Interruptions by Jose Saramago — We all die, right? But what if that wasn’t the case? A lot of people are afraid of death, but in this novel, people don’t have to be afraid anymore. Because on the first day of the new year, no one dies. Death basically gives up her job (yes, death is a her in this book). What happens next? Read the book. It’s really good.

Cathedral by Raymond Carver — Because Raymond Carver wrote short stories, he’s never included in any ‘top novels’ lists. And that’s a shame. Most people have heard about his classic What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. But Cathedral makes you think more. My favorite Carver collection because it’s about exploring everyday moments in human life.

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It’s a little weird to mention yourself on a book list. But it’s also weird to leave your books off your list. My readers really enjoyed my books. I hope you will too.

Win Your Inner Battles (2016) Learn how to conquer your fear.

THINK STRAIGHT (2017) Learn how to control your mind.

Do It Today (2018) A collection of my best articles on productivity and overcoming procrastination.

What It Takes To Be Free (2019) A book about personal freedom.

The article was originally published here.

Why People Should Read Books

It is a disappointment that people read books less often in these days of widespread technological reliance (Siam, Book Stats: Why We Should Care). Books were the primary source of intellectual entertainment just a hundred years ago, but with the invention of radio, television, cinematography, and most recently, the Internet and computer games, it seems that reading books is no longer a popular leisure activity.

However, I believe that books are an irreplaceable part of our lives, and the role that masterfully-written books play in the personal growth and development of a particular person throughout one’s life is a remarkable one. Books directly expand our consciousness of how we live and where we live, enrich our power to express ourselves, and supply us with inspiration in a way that other mediums cannot compete with.

Books expand our knowledge and conception of the world around us (Jiken, Solidarity for Books). One may argue that films and TV documentaries do that too, but I believe that books are a much better alternative, since they allow each reader to experience the same story using one’s own imagination. When a hundred people watch a film or a TV show, they see the same content—whatever the director and the producer wish to show.

Books are different. The experience achieved through reading is richer and more personal, since the same description and the same word choice will result in as many different interpretations as there are readers. We are all unique, and books allow us to experience whatever is narrated in the light of our own personal values, through our ideas and our imagination.

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In addition, books enrich our vocabulary, introduce us to new notions, and offer a wider choice of words to us. With every book we read, we become more intelligent (Singh, The Braininess of Books). Even reading one seemingly more primitive pulp fiction book per month can enrich one’s personal vocabulary with dozens of new words, help us build more concise sentences on our own, and express oneself better, make one’s speech more intelligent and sophisticated.

Watching certain TV programs and documentary films can also widen one’s vocabulary, but hardly as effectively as books do, since reading operates with both more sophisticated visual and audio (if reading aloud) receptors.

Moreover, our imagination reproduces mental pictures of what we are reading about, so a new word automatically links to a certain image and a particular feeling that it relates to. Therefore, reading books is a wonderful tool when it comes to learning and developing one’s vocabulary at any age.

Books are a fantastic source of inspiration. Unlike fine art, architecture, or travelling, books help us create our own mental illustration for what we read on paper. In a way, books make us all artists and creators of our own mental cartoons, movies, or illustration collections (Curtis, Book Artists). Every image we create ourselves is automatically allotted a certain emotion, whether a simple or a more complicated one. Every mental image that a written word projects is vibrant with feelings and emotions. This is what makes books powerful and memorable. Books are an endless source of inspiration and motivation to become a better person.

I am certain that creating a system of symbols and eventually an alphabet, words, and books was the greatest series of inventions of humankind. The books I am talking about are classics, those that do not have an expiration date and will be priceless for any generation. They will continue sparking new ideas, inspiring new deeds, and enriching the lives of every generation to come. I am positive that books will eventually regain their popularity with today’s youth, since unlike the popular kinds of entertainment in fashion today, books are those roots to which people will go back, in search of the motivation, inspiration, and aspiration to find the true meaning and value of life.

References

1. Siam, Nyugen. Book Stats: Why We Should Care (2006). Wisconsin Daily Press.

2. Jiken, Howard. Solidarity for Books (2010). Lazy Bird Publishing.

3. Singh, Jaghan. The Braininess of Books (2011). Sharala Publishing.

4. Curtis, Brain. Book Artists (2012). Ant Hill Press.

The article was originally published here.

Free Persuasive Essay about Advantages of Reading Fiction

Free Persuasive Essay about Advantages of Reading Fiction

The type of a free persuasive essay that you will be able to read further can also be called argumentative. As the rules of academic writing prescribe, in our free persuasive essay examples we try to persuade the reader to agree with our point of view, to share our position about something. The main purpose of free persuasive essays is to convince the reader that your statement is true, to accept your logic and way of thinking with the help of facts, examples, quotes, statistics, etc. Reading these free persuasive essays online can help you to write your own paper, but it also can give you an idea what kind of free persuasive essay you can get to be custom written for you, if you just order one here. You can see more free persuasive essay examples and their similar types in our blog here.

The structure of persuasive essay is similar to one of philosophical kind, about which you can read in more detail in this post. Therefore we will not focus our attention on the structure but rather on other specific features of this type of essay.

1. The opening and closing paragraphs must be the most engaging and provocative. The introductory paragraph should contain a “hook” statement that would intrigue the reader and encourage to read further;
2. The thesis statement must openly reveal the author’s position regarding the subject and leave no doubts about what side of the argument he is on;
3. Each paragraph of the body of the essay must cover a certain individual point supported by facts, quotes, real life evidence, statistics, etc.;
4. Use different ways to illustrate your argument: analogy, comparison, hypothetical situations (what if?);
5. The concluding paragraph along with restating all the main points made in the essay must include another most striking statement or piece of evidence that would win the reader over for good and all. The main purpose of this closing paragraph is to inspire the reader to choose a position in the argument or take some action.

Some of these writing techniques may also help you to craft a better essay. If you still wonder what topic to choose for your persuasive essay check out some options at this website or just ask our professional writers for help here, while the one you are going to read now concerns reading of fiction literature.

Reading literature — facing the reality or avoiding it?

The world can be divided into two categories — the people who read books and those who don’t. Those who decide not to bother with reading state that it is a waste of time, that they are realists who prefer to live in a tangible world.

The avid readers take an offense from such a comment which implies that they are impractical people who prefer to look at the world through pink glasses, because they know that with the help of reading they can actually see and understand more of the real world. So is reading literature an impractical or a sensible thing to do?

Is it just an indulgence for those who don’t want to face the reality or is it a whole reality in itself that shapes the world we live in? One thing is certain, reading literature can change your life and the lives of those around you for the better.

Reading makes you happy. It is not just a thing that booklovers say but a fact supported by scientific evidence. It reduces stress and promotes relaxation. The act of reading induces our mind in alpha state similar to meditation. If a good book becomes a part of your going to bed routine it can help you to slow down your jumping mind and to have a better night sleep. Researchers from the University of Liverpool discovered that people who read fiction have 21 per cent less chance to suffer from depression and 10 per cent more chance of having a good self-esteem than those who don’t read.

Reading is good for your brain. As you might have thought it is good not only by making you smarter and knowledgeable, though that is the fact that cannot be denied. The research suggests that reading, similarly to the way exercising affects the physical body, helps your mind to stay sharp and fit for the rest of your life. It can even save you from onset of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease because the process of reading trains your neurons the way sit-ups train your muscles. The neurologists found that the readers showed 32 per cent lower rate of mental decline in the elderly age, while those with rare mental stimulation by way or reading showed 48 per cent bigger decline rate.

Reading teaches you empathy. The lack of empathy is one of the biggest problems of humanity. So many world issues like hunger, wars and global warming could be solved just if people learned to relate better to other people’s experience. Psychologists from the New School for Social Research in New York discovered that reading literature can develop in the person a “theory of mind” — the skill that enables you to understand and relate to other people’s mental states. It transports us into the skin of another person and this way helps us to become more aware of the people around, to be less judgmental and to better understand the consequences of our action towards the others.

When non-reader states that those who read fiction are impractical people who perceive the world though the pink glasses, then somebody should explain to him that reading teaches you much more about the actual real world than just limiting yourself to the people you know, the city you live in and watching TV (which is also largely based on things first described in books). Through books you can visit not only places and other cultures but also other people’s minds. The non-reader will not understand the limitations of his “real” world unlit he reads a good book.

The argument between the readers and non-readers, whether reading literature means facing the reality or avoiding it, will probably continue as long as the existence of books and those who never read them.  After learning that reading books makes you happy, keeps your mind healthy and fit, and teaches you empathy, it is also worth to learn that reading fights one of the worst of human evils — ignorance. Ignorance is the root of hate, judgment, aggression and the failure to act when it is necessary.  So it will not be too grand to state that reading can save the humanity.

What do you think about this free persuasive essay? What category of people would you relate yourself to, readers or non-readers? Share your opinion with us here. Have you already chosen the topic for your persuasive essay? If not then you can consider this popular subject.  If you don’t have time to compose the paper, our team of experienced writers will gladly do it for you and I am sure this post will convince you that your essay and you will profit from using our writing and editing services.

The article was originally published here.

Persuasive Speech: Why Everyone Should Read TFIOS

Imagine reading a book that could make you laugh, cry, and learn all at once. Everything about it is emotionally riveting. By the end, you feel as though you cannot continue living until everyone has read this book. Not until everyone you know has read this book from cover to cover. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green is that wonderful book. Not a reader? I highly encourage you to give this book a shot anyway.

First, I will tell you a little about this book. The Fault in Our Stars (TFIOS for short) is narrated by 16-year-old Hazel Grace Lancaster. Unfortunately, Hazel Grace has terminal cancer. Despite what you may think, this is not a cancer book. This book isn’t about how she gets through life with cancer. It’s about how she lives despite it. She’s a regular teenager.

Hazel Grace and Augustus Waters meet each other at a Cancer Support Group. They connect over the adoration of books and one book in particular. That one book takes them on a journey together across the Atlantic to Amsterdam. A teenage love complicated not only by the obstacles of growing up but also by medical difficulties. They take care of each other and complement one another.

John Green, a 2006 recipient of the Michael L. Printz Award, a 2009 Edgar Award winner, and a New York Times bestselling author (as stated on his website), is an incredible writer. Augustus and Hazel are just two of his many well-developed characters. There is also Augustus’ best friend, Isaac, who is a necessary asset to the storyline. He is sensitive but his dialogue is a joy to read. Or Peter Van Houten, who adds comic relief to such a heavy story. Green put thirteen years of his life into writing TFIOS. He obviously put tons of thought and effort into this piece of work. He is extremely proud of this novel and even goes so far as to say, “you can punch me in the face if you don’t like it.”

Going on with Green’s incredible writing, his language usage is phenomenal. The usage of foreshadows, metaphors, and allusions are in depth and well executed. Green comprehends the minds of teenagers better than most adults do, because he video blogs frequently with his brother Hank on YouTube (their channel reaching close to 800,000 subscribers, mainly teen viewers). Since Green understands adolescents, he writes with relatability. This book reminds me of Mean Girls, the popular film from 2004 starring Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams, in the respect that it is exceptionally quotable. Off the top of my head, I could name my five utmost favourite lines from the novel. For example, towards the beginning, Augustus is asked how he is feeling, and he replies simply with the words, “I’m on a rollercoaster that only goes up.” How incredible is that image?

This book is informative, whether you are very close to someone who has cancer or just know of someone with cancer. It is hard to grasp the concept of what having cancer really means to the victim and to the people around him or her. The information given on this subject in the book is educational, in relevance to medical terms, but also to the impact a cancer patient has to the world around them. Green wrote this book with a hope that readers would better understand cancer in general and keep an open mind. He has also stated that he “would not have been able to write this book before…[he]…was a parent.” He would not have been able to understand the pain and suffering Hazel Grace’s parents went through enough to write about it.

As you can tell very clearly, I am in love with this book. I have read it multiple times and shared it with all of my friends and family, who all loved it, and now I’m sharing it with you. I promise that reading this book will not be a waste of your time. Therefore, to quote the book directly, “I decided a while ago not to deny myself the simpler pleasures of existence” and neither should you. Read this book, you won’t regret it.

The article was originally published here.

Persuasive Essay Writing Basics: How to Convince Your Readers

he main purpose of writing a persuasive essay is, like the name suggests it, to convince the audience of a certain point. This type of academic writing task is also known as argumentative essay — it is expected that you use sufficient arguments to defend your position.

But what is persuasive essay writing exactly? How to nail it by making your reader take your side of the argument? How to write a persuasive essay and how to end it? What are the secrets of making your opponent believe you and winning the argument? Read on to discover some useful tips, hints, and tactics.

Let us start with some steps you should follow when writing an argumentative essay.

How to Write Argumentative Essay: Steps

Step 1: Preparation

• Choose a topic. It should be contradictory enough, with more than one point of view possible. Moreover, the author is supposed to select the topic that is dear to their heart to enjoy the process of writing later. Ensure that your topic is something specific. For example, the topics “Does Facebook Cause Isolation and How?” or “Are Security Cameras Invading Our Privacy?” are a great choice for those who are searching for something that’s not super broad. Remember, in case your stance on the issue can be easily boiled down to a simple “no/yes”, then, you won’t have too much talk on the topic. So, it’s better to choose a specific statement to disclose.
• Choose the side you are on.  Now, your task is to choose your perspective and convince the reader of its legitimacy and logical supremacy as compared to other points of view. For instance, if your topic sounds like “Should Citizens Be Provided with the Right to Keep Exotic Pets?” you have to decide whether it’s their right to keep such animals at home or such pets create a serious danger to other individuals (let alone, keeping such pets is harmful to the animals!). Make certain that you can defend your position. In case you find it hard to consider any solid defenses against the opponent’s counter arguments, maybe it’s the right moment to re-think the topic you’ve picked.
• Pick an argument to appeal to human emotions. Thus, you will give your audience a chance to connect with what you’re saying. The reality is that people argue rationally quite rarely, which means that making them dive emotionally into your viewpoint is the amazing way to change their mind. Without a doubt, you’ll have to provide rational arguments in your argumentative essay, but things will be tough in case you introduce the topic that never arouses any feelings.
• Picture your audience. Which side of the argument are they on? What do you presume, will they agree or disagree with your perspective, or will they be indifferent or indecisive? You will need this information to understand how strong your evidence should be.
• Do a thorough research. Find robust evidence that supports your position. It might be facts, logical arguments, or statements from experts. Sometimes, inserting fragments of your personal experience can be helpful.
• Think about the objections your reader might raise. When elaborating a persuasive essay, you should try to overrule them with stronger evidence. Anticipate their counter-arguments and rebut them in advance.
• Organize your evidence. You should order it in the most persuasive way, usually by presenting the strongest arguments in the end, in order to rid your reader of any doubts.

These are some general steps; without them, you simply won’t write a persuasive essay. Still, if you want your paper to hit the bulls-eye and change the way your reader thinks, you need a few tactics. Below, we’ll share with you some tips on how to make argumentative essay most convincing.

Step 2: Structure Your Essay

Before you start working on your essay, you should consider drafting its structure first. If you are wondering how to write an argumentative essay outline, then it’s no different from any other essay outline. Just remember that the body paragraphs should correspond with your key arguments. For example, when you have a classic 5-paragraph essay, make sure that paragraphs 2, 3, and 4 dwell on an argument each. What’s more, consider tackling a possible counterargument in the third paragraph, in order to make your rationale more convincing.

You must be aware of not just your side of the argument, but also the one of your opponent. Acknowledgment of the opposing views is called concession. It allows you to win your argument more gracefully by first discovering the common ground with the opponent. Find out what kind of evidence they might use, what data they might operate, or what information they might appeal to. Then refute those with even stronger arguments. You might even mention the actual counter-arguments before confusing them.

 

Step 3: Write the Introduction

Importantly, you should think about how to write argumentative essay introduction and make it effective. We advise you to start your opening paragraph with a hook, an attention-grabber for your reader. You can insert a quote here, introduce a curious fact or draw some stats, or construct a vivid situation. Your hook is the very first sentence that can help you convince your audience. As long as it draws your reader in, you’ve done your job! For instance, feel free to start your persuasive essay on the necessity of entering college like this: “There are individuals, who have never been to college and are doing better than those with a degree.” This simple statement tells nothing special at all. However, it encourages your readers to keep on reading in order to find out why things are like that.

Do you feel like you can’t come up with a hook at the moment? Proceed to the next writing steps! You can always come back to this part later even after you’ve accomplished your project.

Then, it’s time for a thesis statement. In this sentence—the most important part of your essay — you should:

• introduce the topic;
• present your point of view;
• tell your readers how you are going to do that (e.g., by providing some factual evidence).
• Don’t forget about a transition to the body part of the essay.

Use the last sentence of every ‘body’ paragraph as a smooth transition to the next paragraph. Make sure to provide a natural transition from the last sentence of one paragraph to the first one of the next. For instance, the end of the paragraph: “Wearing a school uniform would blend all pupils together avoiding any class inequality” and the beginning of the following paragraph: “School uniforms provide students with the environment that is free from bullying.”

Ensure to construct a thesis statement that is both specific and focused. Your audience should know exactly what the author is going to debate and why. “Fracking Should Be Banned” is a pretty weak thesis since it’s not focused enough. A solid thesis statement would be, “While some people say that fracking is a very effective method to extract natural gas, the others insist that it’s quite dangerous and hazardous to the environment.”

Step 4: Write the Body

Every ‘body’ paragraph should be solidly focused on a single evidence. Make sure to include references and facts to support each of your claims. Use the so-called rule of thumb: every time you make a claim that isn’t a typical one for the subject, support it. One of the best ways to cope with it lies in reverse. Make sure your evidence leads you and your readers to your arguments.

Here is a good example of the case:

• “Liberty and equal opportunities aren’t just essential for people, they are good for the whole global community in general. What’s more, the lack of those is considered “demoralization and perversion” and prevents “any social improvement.” (Mill, 98)

Also, have a look at the poor one:

• “The prison helps to keep dangerous criminals and drug dealers off the cities, and people are safer because of that.”

However, if you support it with solid evidence, it won’t be pointless.

Just like in your research paper, dissertation or speech writing, challenging your audience is always a good idea! According to the basics of the persuasive essay writing, the author of the paper shouldn’t be confrontational. However, you need to force your audience to re-evaluate their points of view.

A good way to do so:

• “Every person wants lower crime rates, stronger families, and safer streets. However, we should ask ourselves if we’re ready to leave the comfort zone to get the desired results”

But, try to avoid those may sound poor:

• “This policy is a total failure and every individual that believes it is delusional and completely stupid.”

At a minimum, generate 3 ‘body’ paragraphs to justify your points and provide your evidence. Check how all the paragraphs flow together. It is important to ensure the persuasive essay points are naturally presented one after another, rather than scattered all over the text.

Step 5: Craft the Conclusion

So, we’ve given you a few tips on how to write persuasive essay introduction and what to remember about in your body paragraphs. Now, let’s get to the final point — how to end the persuasive essay. The main tips for closing your argumentative essay are to rephrase your thesis statement or summarize your main points (in this case, your key arguments). Then, to spice it all up, put your central statement in the broader context. Let your final sentence make the reader wonder, “what’s next?” They will surely want to know where they can go from here or how they can make use of their new point of view. A call for action, a recommendation, or just an open question might provide them with a hint.

Take a day or two off. Let your essay sit and your mind rest. Then, read your persuasive essay with fresh eyes. Ask yourself if your essay is logical and convincing.

Step 6: Polish Up Your Essay

OK, you’ve completed your persuasive essay, and the time for an effective revision has come. When you revise your essay, you have to ensure its organization is absolutely appropriate to your target audience, the paper context, and the purpose. Remember, the message of your essay will be both more controversial and effective if your project connects with the target audience, serves the specified purpose as well as explains the intended context to your readers. To make sure your writing is of the good quality, overlook this our step by step guide on how to perform a thorough revision of your assignment.

Persuasive Essay Sample:

Start by reading your project to yourself paragraph after paragraph. Do that out loud to make certain your persuasive essay says what you have planned to say. Pay due attention to the way you use various types of sentences, how you choose the right words for the text as well as how you tend to express what’s on your mind. Do not hesitate to change what you feel should be changed. Feel free to switch the sentence’s location or order, add or erase words and ideas, or fix anything else in a paper structure or its context to make it better and more concise. Use the word counter to ensure your essay meets all the college requirements.

Then, approach your college mates and ask them to check your work to give you a fresh viewpoint about your writing. Listen to what they say and consider their tips to write a good persuasive paper.

Consider the following questions as a part of the revision process:

• Do the introduction, the body, and the concluding part of the essay include a clearly presented main idea with strong facts, explanations or/and details?
• Do you, as the writer, provide a consistent viewpoint, focus, and organizational outline, including the proper paragraphing?
• Have you successfully proved a clear understanding of the core purpose?
• Did you use various types of sentences?
• Does your content include any language errors – spelling, punctuation or grammar ones?
• Have you removed every error that wouldn’t let your audience understand the text?

Summing it up, the “how to write argumentative essay effectively” formula is simple: present your point of view on a controversial topic, support your arguments with strong evidence, and always keep your opponents in mind. In this article, we have walked you through the essential steps in writing an argumentative essay and prepared some tips for each part of your piece. Now it’s your turn to use all of these in practice and craft a powerful persuasive text.

The article was originally published here.

For upon |Writing to Persuade: How to Bring People Over to Your Side

by

Trish Hall

3.78  · 

Rating details ·  202 ratings  ·  42 reviews

In the tradition of The Elements of Style comes Trish Hall’s essential new work on writing well—a sparkling instructional guide to persuading (almost) anyone, on (nearly) anything. As the person in charge of the Op-Ed page for the New York Times, Hall spent years immersed in argument, passion, and trendsetting ideas—but also in tangled sentences, migraine-inducing jargon, …more

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Published June 11th 2019 by Liveright

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Jun 25, 2019 D. St. Germain rated it really liked it

Shelves: on-writing

People reject ideas that threaten their sense of self, writes Trish Hall in Writing to Persuade. Therefore, writers should not make a reader feel bad if they want to convince readers of their ideas. This means not admonishing them, intimidating them, browbeating or bulling them, or otherwise blustering to a conclusion on an issue.

Writing to Persuade is in some ways a book on the lost art of manners – and it’s one we need right now, because the dominant narratives of those in power have long …more

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Jun 10, 2019 Anne Janzer rated it it was amazing

Shelves: cognitive-science

If you want to change people’s opinions with your words, and particularly if you want to write an opinion piece that makes an impact, read this new book by the former editor of the New York Times Op-Ed page.Writing to Persuade by Trish Hall interweaves behind-the-scenes stories about the workings of The NYT Op-Ed page with solid advice founded in both research and experience. It’s both informative and entertaining.

…more

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May 20, 2019, Walker Walker rated it it was amazing

Pros: Do you like to gossip? How about an adventure? Well, this book is both of these balled into one. How exciting to find out about some of the scandals that happened some time ago due to not fact-checking? What about the power of persuasion through offering unemotional words to avoid an argument? If I only had these tools in the past, I could have prevented a lot of mishaps with my spouse and in the workplace. This book will provide more than just tips, and it will offer a new way of …more

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Jun 10, 2019 Bakertyl rated it really liked it

Shelves: giveaways, non-fiction

The vast majority of this book is excellent, similar in style and tone to Stephen King’s “On Writing”. A couple paragraphs got on my nerves, but the advice and instructions Hall provides are well done and worth reading.

I’m not going to summarize Hall’s work, she is an in-the-trenches editor, her advice is not arguable. If you want your writing to persuade someone, read this book twice, taking notes both times. Then write Trish a thank-you note.

The only thing I didn’t like was the politics… …more

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Sep 07, 2019 Kathryn Bashaar rated it it was ok

I didn’t get as much out of this book as I’d hoped to. It was a lot more memoir of the author’s career as an editor than a manual. Most of the advice was pretty basic: tell a story rather than just reciting facts, don’t be too wordy. I was looking for a lot more deconstruction of good versus bad essays.

Like my reviews? Check out my blog at http://www.kathrynbashaar.com/blog/
Author of The Saint’s Mistress: https://www.bing.com/search?q=amazon….

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Dec 07, 2019 Krystina rated it it was amazing

This book is split into five sections: lessons from Hall’s professional career; finding your story; winning people over; tips on writing; and the psychology of persuasion. Each chapter digs into practical life/writing advice and personal stories. I felt like I was reading a memoir that just happened to have a lot of writing tips in it. I loved Hall’s voice and feel like I’ll return to this book in the future.

If you’re short on time, the preface summarizes the author’s 15 principles of …more

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Jul 14, 2019 BlueBirdie rated it really liked it

Easy to understand and follow along. I found myself pulling out my sticky tabs marking several key points or pages here and there to follow up on later. This is really help me in the future more than what I had hoped!

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Jun 24, 2019 Gustavo rated it liked it

It’s ok. The book is a good start on how to write persuasively but it lacks depth into how to do it.
The stories are very engaging and they help illustrate the author’s advice.
The lists on how to write were helpful although too superficial.A further reading list of books, articles and sources would have been helpful to cover the lack of depth.

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Aug 13, 2019 David rated it it was ok

I’m baffled by the claim that it’s in the tradition of the Elements of Style. There is actually very little in the way of specific instruction about writing. There’s a little on psychology of persuasion [if you’re interested in that topic, Cialdini’s book on influence is much better and much deeper], plus some fairly obvious guidance [don’t insult someone and tell them they’re all wrong about everything, while hoping they’ll for some reason meet you in the middle as a result].

Vast majority of …more

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Jan 14, 2020 Alan Kercinik rated it liked it

For me, writing books are much like — as the saying goes — pizza. Even when they’re bad, they’re still pretty good.

It’s not that this book is bad, exactly. Trish Hall is a former editor of the New York Times Op-Ed page and her purview is about writing that can change minds. Her advice is geared toward writing pieces that forge connections that just might open people’s minds to your perspective.

What nagged at me, as I read her advice, is that it almost sounded quaint. A communique from …more

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Sep 15, 2019 Abraham rated it really liked it

When you buy a book that claims to tell you something about writing, the stakes are high from the moment you open the cover. Perhaps very few of us would refer to ourselves as “writers”, but in this age of the screen, written communication is more important than ever. Combine this with ever-shortening attention spans and increasingly selected-for audiences, and “Writing to Persuade” feels like a book for its time.

There is plenty of advice here – anyone looking for tips for an important speech …more

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Jul 21, 2019 Brent M. Jones rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019

The former editor of the New York Times Op-Ed page tells us in the books preface she “was immersed in argument, in passion, in ideas.” The book promises “Whether you want to compose a convincing cover letter, pitch a story for publication, or win over a college admissions officer.

“Writing To Persuade” is the definitive resource on the neglected art of persuasion. The book 5 parts each with their own chapters. Part 1: Lessons From My Story, Part 11: What’s Your Story?, Part 111: Winning People …more

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Aug 18, 2019 Zhuo Zhang rated it it was amazing

Shelves: may-maybe

It is such a useful yet though-provoking book!!! The author not only lists the things that we need to do in order to write persuasive essays but also elaborate the reason why persuasion is hard even though it is still achievable.
1. Listen to People
2. We believe what we believe
3. Respect your audience. Learn to be empathetic
4. Don’t get into fights.
5. Play on feelings.
6. Understand moral values.
7. Emphasize your similarities.
8. What do you know?
9. Surprise your reader.
10. Be specific
11. Tell …more

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Aug 18, 2019 Kasandra rated it it was ok

Won this in a Goodreads Giveaway… and could barely get through it for the boredom. The tips are accurate: try to establish similarity and points of agreement, empathize, sell hope, be specific, leave out jargon, use graphs and charts, go ahead and get personal so people can identify with you and your story will resonate (tell stories!)…nothing to argue with here. But perhaps, as a writer, I’m so familiar with a lot of this that it just didn’t excite. One sentence in the book I loved: “Give …more

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Jan 14, 2020 Maggie rated it really liked it

The first part of this book was super engrossing & helpful.

I either got bored by the second half or already know & (usually) practice those parts. I dunno. But overall it’s a great book!

You know the people I see upholding these virtues the most? Mature followers of Christ. I can see *some* of the attributes in myself, some more consistent than others. It was definitely a good read in that sense – I was able to see some ways that I’ve grown.

For 6+ months I’ve been daydreaming about …more

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Aug 25, 2019 And vice versa rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition

Not quite enough persuasion

I would have given this five stars but for one shortcoming: it bills itself as an opinion-writing tutorial but spends much time on somewhat random – though very helpful – thoughts about journalistic writing in general. Granted, there is overlap, but deeper insights on the art of persuasion such as those contained in the last third of the book would have been truer to the title. That said, I’m not disappointed; it’s still worth every minute and penny spent.

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Aug 18, 2019 Virginia rated it it was amazing

I saw this book recommendation in the NYT . It was a short article but was intrigued by its title. At this time in our country’s history, when everyone seems to be passionately talking over each other , it is inspiring.
I was delighted to read in this autobiographical tome that the writer was raised in North East Pa. Me too.It’s interesting, witty and a how-to on communication
skills. As our mothers told us .. it all starts with listening;then talking and writing like you are telling a story to …more

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Aug 21, 2019 Christie rated it liked it

Shelves: giveaways-or-freebies, nonfiction

This book is billed as being something akin to The Elements of Style, but it isn’t quite as detailed or rules-based. The suggestions on writing persuasively are helpful, but nothing really that new. There are also distracting comment bubbles throughout–I’ve never been a fan because it kind of breaks up the reading process for me, jarring my brain one direction, and then another when I go back to the main text.

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Oct 28, 2019 Tom rated it it was ok

I gave it two stars because it does have the redeeming feature of being unintentionally hilarious. If you have ever wondered why the NYT op-ed page is so awful, here is your 200 page answer.

Apparently, if you want to write to persuade, then you should try being a celebrity or a billionaire…or both. Theirs are the “stories” that Trish and her boss feel compelled to print before some competitor scoops them. And the funny part is that Trish just flat out states this on the record!

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Jan 15, 2020 Samiksha Saxena rated it liked it

Writing on persuasion from an op-ed editor point of view is a fresh take on writing that touches its audience. Hall adds so many relevant examples along the way, it’s like hearing your favorite college professor talk. Each of the chapters is insightful on understanding the human thought process and then applying it to your writing. I felt it’s slightly long, but not at all sluggish. I enjoyed reading it.

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Oct 19, 2019 Gwen rated it really liked it

Even if you think you don’t need to know how to persuade people, or if you think you already do it, this book is great! It is easy to read, it is persuasive (!), and there are excellent ideas about how to listen, how to think, how to engage, how to read, how to articulate things in a new or different way.

This excellent book was a book club pick because of connections to the author. It was our first dip into non-fiction in quite a while, and well worth it!

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Aug 15, 2019 Jen Hubbard added it

I don’t quite know how to rate this one. I randomly picked it up from my library’s new books section. I’m not a writer, but I enjoy reading about the process. This one is geared towards editors and journalists so I found some parts a bit dry. Overall it seems good for folks wanting to be an editor. I enjoyed reading about the author’s career path.

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Dec 01, 2019 Jia Lian rated it liked it

The book had a great title and I was expecting a more prescriptive book which begins from part 2 onwards but looking back, I guessed that it was a half autobiography of the ex editor. Being a editor requires a different set of skills from being a writer and this book sheds light on the expectations from “the story” being published and how one strives to write one.

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Jan 11, 2020 Halimah rated it liked it

Easy-to-read guide on how to become a better persuasive writer. Ironically, Hall insists that all persuasive writing should offer something surprising and new, but I didn’t think her suggestions were new or surprising. But, I did enjoy the book for all the anecdotes she shared from her tenure at the New York Times, which she peppers in throughout the book.

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Jul 22, 2019 Lynn Derks rated it really liked it

I was hoping for a PERSUASIVE WRITING FOR DUMMIES-type book. This offers that, to some extent; it’s just not very entertaining. Hall often encourages the persuasive writer to be “surprising”; I may have interpreted that as “refreshing”. While helpful, Hall is not refreshing. Everything here is fairly predictable and logical. I will admit, I was happy to be reminded of the power of moral values.

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Oct 06, 2019 Hayley rated it it was ok

It reads more like a memoir about the time spent working at the Op-ed department than about how to write to persuade. It was an interesting read but I wouldn’t compare it to “Elements of style”. It’s not a reference book on how to write to persuade but more like points to remember if you want to get your work publish in places like New York Times Op-ed page.

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Aug 24, 2019 Matt rated it it was amazing

Shelves: writing

This book is written with an approach the author advocates for to her readers. Trish Hall, the former editor of the Op-Ed section for the New York Times, shares her insights and advice from her experiences. It’s a book for anyone looking to effectively persuade others, in writing or in person.

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Jul 27, 2019 Chris Wermeskerch rated it really liked it

An important book on writing well, yet incisivily; writing to persuade through emotions and facts rather than fear-mongering; persuading without manipulating, writing as yourself yet for someone else. An important book for writers in days like today.

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Aug 23, 2019 Patricia Geller rated it really liked it

I really enjoyed this book and wish it was required reading for all Democratic candidates:) Hall was the former NYT Op Ed Editor and the book is just like she suggests you write an editorial; short, precise, well-written and tells a story. He life in journalism is compelling and her advise good.

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Jul 23, 2019 Abraham Davis rated it it was amazing

Wonderful for writers, marketers, sales and anyone that wonders how an opinion can be changed.

The article was originally published here.

Do you like to read books?

I love reading books . . . and magazines . . . and newspapers . . . and stories on the Internet. Actually, I like reading everything I can — whether it’s the stuff on a cereal box while I’m having breakfast or the brochures as I’m waiting at the dentist’s office. Reading helps me develop my vocabulary, so even if my trusty dictionary isn’t nearby, I can still guess the definition of unfamiliar words. (Can you figure out what “supernumerary teeth” are?)

Reading broadens your knowledge by opening up the whole world to you. While you’re reading, you can be visiting another country or a different time period, or traveling through space. You can find out how people solve problems or think up new ideas. Whatever topic you can think of, there’s a book or an article waiting to be read. The whole world is an adventure to discover!

Even after a long day of reading difficult stuff for work or for school, lots of people will pick up a book to read for fun and relaxation. Whether it’s a thrilling mystery, a funny series of adventures, or a romance novel, books can provide a brief escape from everyday living.

I also like to read out loud to myself (or anyone who will listen!) — especially poetry or pieces that I think are especially well written. When I read aloud, the meaning of the words intensify; even the sound of the words can make a difference in how they make me feel.

Now for “supernumerary teeth.” This phrase has its roots in Latin:

super = over, above, beyond, or moreover

numerus = total, class, category, or number

Can you guess the meaning now? Normally a person has 32 teeth. If a person has more than that, she has supernumerary teeth, or extra teeth.

The article was originally published here.

For upon |10 Top Books on Persuasion

10 Top Books on Persuasion

Moving on to the next in our book series (Self help, communication, sales, entrepreneurial and leadership), here’s my 10 top books on persuasion!  I’m very excited to share these ten books with those of you who want to know how to be more persuasive.

Know this – persuasion is a developed skill.  Very few of us are born with the innate ability to get people to do what we want.  When I wrote that, I had to think, “It seems like my daughters were.  I would do anything for them. They can just bat their eyes and look up at me, and I’m done!”  I’m sure that has to do with their cuteness factor so it doesn’t count for purposes of today’s blog on the 10 top books on persuasion.

Anyway, I digress.  Check out this definition below on persuasion.

Pretty powerful, right?  You can see why so many books are written on this topic. Being able to communicate is one thing but being able to persuade people is something entirely different.

Now, don’t look at this as selfish or as people just going after what they want for their own greedy reasons.  Many people want to persuade others to do meaningful work, to volunteer, to help…. or even to buy a product that can help the consumer.

My top 10 books this week are focused on those that blew my socks off!!!  These are books on persuasion that were true game changers and without a doubt taught me how to be more persuasive.

I saw definite results after reading each and every one of these books on persuasion.  I’ve read some several times!

My 10 Top Books on Persuasion

1. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini

Cialdini talks about why people say “YES” and how to persuade them to get there. He introduces his 6 principles of influence that are worthy of a blog all on their own.  He’s a genius at persuasion which is why I’m placing that at #1 on by books on persuasion list.

 

2. Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath

Ever hear of the “stickiness factor”?  The Heath brothers are all about it.  The break down great ideas people have had over the years and why you’ve heard of some and never heard of the others.  Through the telling of these stories, his 6 principles “stick” to your brain and definitely make you persuade differently in the future!

 

3. Tested Advertising Methods by John Caples

Caples has been in the advertising business for over 40 years and is a well-known expert in this field.  With that said, I was still impressed and surprised at how great a read this really was.  It’s not a book full of opinions.  He uses concrete examples of ad split tests he’s personally conducted and shows you the surprising results.  Love this book!  I learned loads!

 

4. Magical Worlds of the Wizard of Ads: Tools and Techniques for Profitable Persuasion by Roy H. Williams

Roy is a fellow Texan.  I promise has nothing to do with this recommendation.  However, it does come across in his straightforward, no nonsense approach regarding persuasion techniques.  I’m not alone in this opinion. CEOs of multi-billion dollar companies, universities, etc… seek his counsel.

 

5. Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive by Noah Goldstein

Goldstein believes that persuasion is more than just an art.  He sees it as an art and a science.  In this legendary book on persuasion, he shares 60 years of science on how to persuade people to say yes. Yes! reveals fifty simple but super effective strategies to make you much more persuasive in your professional and personal lives.

 

6. Brainfluence: 100 Ways to Persuade and Convince by Roger Dooley

LOVE this book because Dooley focuses on the power of the subconscious and how it influences our buying decisions.  Neuroscience shows that 95% of our decisions are made by the subconscious.  So when you’re thinking of ways to persuade people, why focus on that tiny 5%?  This truly is one of the most powerful books on persuasion I’ve read.

 

7. The Culting of Brands by Doug Atkins

Atkins proposed that “few stronger emotions exist than the need to belong and make meaning”, and I have to admit I’ve seen this proven time and again.  His branding strategies on persuasion are used by companies like Harley Davidson.  It’s a pretty emotion-evoking title that doesn’t let you down.

 

8. Trust Me, I’m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator by Ryan Holiday

This book on persuasion is truly unique.  It’s written by a blogger who admittedly manipulates the media and shapes the news we choose to read.  Now that’s power.  He’s sharing these secrets because he’s tired on being a slave to the blog money, technology, etc.. He feels you can use these secrets for good!  Eye-opener!!

 

9. Words that Work: It’s Not What You Say, It’s What People Hear by Frank Luntz

Luntz’ book on persuasion focuses on the cleaver use of phrases and words.  Each chapter provides some serious meat.  I love the 21words and phrases for the 21st century. Luntz has helped dozens of Fortune 500 companies spin their message to be persuasive and appeal to the masses.

 

10. Ogilvy on Advertising by David Ogilvy

Good ole Ogilvy… man, is this guy a genius when it comes to persuasion!  In fact, this is one of 3 of his books on persuasion.  All 3 were best sellers!  Time magazine dubbed him as “The Wizard of This Industry”. This is one of the oldest books on this top 10 list of books on persuasion but it’s a great one.  His principles are timeless and very effective!

I have no doubt one or two of these top books on persuasion resonated with you, but the question is, “Will you read it?”  Was I persuasive enough for you to take action on one of these top 10 books?  Let me know by leaving a comment!

P.S. — Please like or share this post on facebook if you feel others could benefit from my 10 top books on persuasion list and check out this great article on how to be more persuasive by Fast Company!

The article was originally published here.

Top 10 Books on Persuasion Every Solopreneur Should Read

When it comes to influencing others and making a bigger impact, most people are truly skeptical. They don’t think they have it in themselves to persuade others. They are also in awe of others who seem to be naturally persuasive. Well, I won’t argue that some people are born persuasive, but it is also possible to learn the art and science of influence. You too can become a master of getting people to sit up and take notice of you and your ideas. All you need is a nudge in the right direction.

And this is precisely why I have compiled my list of all-time favorite books that do just that. But before you dive in, let’s consider what persuasion actually is.

 

What is persuasion?

Persuasion is often described as the conscious attempt to change an individual or group’s attitude, belief, or behavior, which can be achieved through the use of written or spoken words.

On the one hand, it can be used as a tool for personal gain, e.g. in politics or sales, for which it’s become infamous. On the other hand, persuasion can also be used to improve your life and the lives of those around you. A positive attitude and motivation to achieve great things can be facilitated if you understand how people think and come to their decisions.

Editor’s note:

Marketing and psychology have long gone hand in hand. Thought-leaders and marketing specialists alike, use their knowledge of persuasion to educate, engage, and motivate their audience to take different kinds of actions. Whether it is for social media or your email marketing campaigns, knowing the foundations of psychology can help you get your points across better.

 

Top 10 must read Persuasion books for Solopreneur:

1. Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip and Dan Heath
2. Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions by Guy Kawasaki
3. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini
4. Fascinate: Your 7 Triggers to Persuasion and Captivation by Sally Hogshead
5. Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely
6. To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others by Daniel H. Pink
7. Contagious: Why Things Catch On by Jonah Berger
8. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
9. The Art of Choosing by Sheena Iyengar
10. The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwatrz

 

#1 Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip and Dan Heath

If you want to (and who doesn’t, really?) get people to take a specific action, then you need to grab their attention first.

“The first problem of communication is getting people’s attention.” Heath brothers say. Not only that, you must “work to make the core message itself more interesting.”

So how do we do that?

“To make our communications more effective, we need to shift our thinking from “what information do I need to convey?” to “what questions do I want my audience to ask?”

And sprinkle some emotion:

“People tend to overuse any idea or concept that delivers an emotional kick.”

Definitely a must-read. Get your hands on it ASAP.

 

#2 Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions by Guy Kawasaki

This one is another winner. The book is full of nuggets of wisdom like this:

“If you don’t toot your own horn, don’t complain that there’s no music.”

And:

“While we’re living, we need to get over ourselves and accept others if we want to enchant people.”

Kawasaki gives you actionable advice:

“We were so enchanted by our own product that we could not understand why everyone else did not feel the same way. That’s when I learned that one must understand what people are thinking, feeling, and believing in order to enchant them.”
A lot of inspiration.

“Want to change the world? Upset the status quo? This takes more than run-of-the-mill relationships. You need to make people dream the same dream that you do.”

Finally, a favorite quote of mine from the book goes like this:

“Knowledge is great. Competence is great. But the combination of both encourages people to trust you and increases your powers of enchantment. And in this world, the combination is a breath of fresh air.”

 

#3 Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini

If you want to truly understand why people behave the way they do, you can’t go past this book. In fact, this book should be made compulsory reading for anyone wanting to strike out on their own. Cialdini explains: “A well-known principle of human behavior says that when we ask someone to do us a favor we will be more successful if we provide a reason. People simply like to have reasons for what they do.”

And:

“Often we don’t realize that our attitude toward something has been influenced by the number of times we have been exposed to it in the past.”

He explains why it is important to come across like someone who is just like your customer, and have them believe in your cause.

“All things being equal, you root for your own sex, your own culture, your own locality… and what you want to prove is that you are better than the other person. Whomever you root for represents you; and when he wins, you win.”

Can’t recommend it highly enough.

 

#4 Fascinate: Your 7 Triggers to Persuasion and Captivation by Sally Hogshead

This book is extremely fascinating. And it better be, because this is what it aims to teach you – how to become fascinating. Hogshead says that people are all born fascinating, “but over time, people can lose their innate ability to fascinate. They acquire layers of boring.”
And the way to do that is to stop trying to be someone everybody likes.
“When you stop trying to be all things to all people, you can stop worrying about being liked and start building relationships that allow you to be loved. If you are not creating a negative response from somebody, you’re probably not very fascinating to anybody.”
It is fine to be yourself – it is fine to be different. You aren’t necessarily better than your competition. But you are already different.”

And:

“Your personality is your natural weapon against distraction, competition, and commoditization. The more value you add, the less you have to compete on price, and the less likely you are to become a commodity.”
Don’t forget to pick this one up or you’ll regret it for sure.

 

#5 Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely

Ariely is a master storyteller. And he explains why we make particular decisions.

“We usually think of ourselves as sitting in the driver’s seat, with ultimate control over the decisions we made and the direction our life takes; but, alas, this perception has more to do with our desires – with how we want to view ourselves – than with reality.”

He goes on to argue that we don’t always think before we arrive at a conclusion.

“Standard economics assumes that we are rational… But, as the results presented in this book (and others) show, we are far less rational in our decision making… Our irrational behaviors are neither random nor senseless- they are systematic and predictable. We all make the same types of mistakes over and over, because of the basic wiring of our brains.”

His take on immediate gratification?

“Giving up on our long-term goals for immediate gratification, my friends, is procrastination.”

And lastly he says, “There are many examples to show that people will work more for a cause than for cash.” So keep this in mind next time you are creating a promotional campaign.
Another gem of a book.

 

#6 To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others by Daniel H. Pink

Most people have a very negative view of selling. They use words like “slimy”, “sleazy”, and “spammy” to describe the selling process. Pink disagrees. “To sell well is to convince someone else to part with resources — not to deprive that person, but to leave him better off in the end.”

“In the new world of sales, being able to ask the right questions is more valuable than producing the right answers. Unfortunately, our schools often have the opposite emphasis. They teach us how to answer, but not how to ask.” he says.

He says to always ask two questions at every opportunity to move someone. “If the person you’re selling to agrees to buy, will his or her life improve? When your interaction is over, will the world be a better place than when you began? If the answer to either of these questions is no, you’re doing something wrong.”

And those of you who are against pitching, these words are sure to calm you.

“The purpose of a pitch isn’t necessarily to move others immediately to adopt your idea. The purpose is to offer something so compelling that it begins a conversation, brings the other person in as a participant, and eventually arrives at an outcome that appeals to both of you.”

 

#7 Contagious: Why Things Catch On by Jonah Berger

This is such a fun book that you are doing yourself a great disservice by not reading it. Sit back and enjoy the book, and be prepared to make note of tons of aha moments. Following are a few of the quotes I jotted in my diary:

“People don’t think in terms of information. They think in terms of narratives. But while people focus on the story itself, information comes along for the ride.”

“Word of mouth is the primary factor behind 20 percent to 50 percent of all purchasing decisions.”

“Marketing is about spreading the love.”

“Contagious content is like that — so inherently viral that it spreads regardless of who is doing the talking.”

“How does it make people look to talk about a product or idea? Most people would rather look smart than dumb, rich than poor, and cool than geeky. Just like the clothes we wear and the cars we drive, what we talk about influences how others see us. It’s social currency. Knowing about cool things – like a blender that can tear through an iPhone – makes people seem sharp and in the know. So to get people talking we need to craft messages that help them achieve these desired impressions.”

Go ahead and get yourself a copy. Thank me later.

 

#8 How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

So this one is a true classic and not a quick read at all. However, the lessons you gain totally make it worth reading.

“Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.”

“You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”

“When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures bristling with prejudice and motivated by pride and vanity.”

“When we hate our enemies, we are giving them power over us: power over our sleep, our appetites, our blood pressure, our health, and our happiness.”

“If you are not in the process of becoming the person you want to be, you are automatically engaged in becoming the person you don’t want to be.”

And how about attracting your ideal customer or client? What better advice than this:

“Personally I am very fond of strawberries and cream, but I have found that for some strange reason, fish prefer worms. So when I went fishing, I didn’t think about what I wanted. I thought about what they wanted. I didn’t bait the hook with strawberries and cream. Rather, I dangled a worm or grasshopper in front of the fish and said: “Wouldn’t you like to have that?”
Why not use the same common sense when fishing for people?”

Priceless!

 

#9 The Art of Choosing by Sheena Iyengar

A great read explaining how people make choices, so you can make better ones and also get a deeper understanding into your customer’s mind. It sheds light on what shapes your life choices and the journey you are on.

“What you see determines how you interpret the world, which in turn influences what you expect of the world and how you expect the story of your life to unfold.”

“Your choices of which clothes to wear or which soda to drink, where you live, which school to attend and what to study, and of course your profession all say something about you, and it’s your job to make sure that they are an accurate reflection of who you really are.”

It shows you why you need to offer fewer options to potential clients and customers.

“When people are given a moderate number of options (4 to 6) rather than a large number (20 to 30), they are more likely to make a choice, are more confident in their decisions, and are happier with what they choose.”

And:

“Your enjoyment of the chosen options will be diminished by your regret over what you had to give up. In fact, the sum total of the regret over all the “lost” options may end up being greater than your joy over your chosen options, leaving you less satisfied than you would have been if you had had less choice to begin with.”

Don’t skip this one.

 

#10 The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwatrz

The last book on this list is an oldie but a goodie. The following quotes will have you inspired and ready to jump into action now – trust me.

“Focus on what makes you happy, and do what gives meaning to your life.”

“Learning to choose is hard. Learning to choose well is harder. And learning to choose well in a world of unlimited possibilities is harder still, perhaps too hard.”

“The alternative to maximizing is to be a satisficer. To satisfice is to settle for something that is good enough, and not worry about the possibility that there might be something better.”

And I saved the best for last.

“When asked about what they regret most in the last six months, people tend to identify actions that didn’t meet expectations. But when asked about what they regret most when they look back on their lives as a whole, people tend to identify failures to act.”

The article was originally published here.

5 Books That Will Help You Persuade Anybody of Anything

Reading is hot. A recent wave of popular success gurus, including Tai Lopez, Tyler Cowen, and James Altucher, are pumping out videos, newsletters, and articles encouraging their fans to immerse themselves in books to find solutions to their most pressing business problems. They aren’t wrong. But when it comes to becoming more persuasive, many businesspeople look in all the wrong pages.

Most of the marketing books and self-help guides that fill airport bookshops are ineffective, because their advice is based on how their authors think the world should be. The books in the list that follows take the opposite tack. The titles it contains are controversial–in fact, many of their recommendations will be perceived as downright offensive. They deal with the parts of human nature we often prefer to hide away in the shadows.

With that said, if you want to get other human beings to do your bidding (in other words, sales), every book on this list is indispensable.

1) Crystallizing Public Opinion, by Edward Bernays
There seems to be a new PR agency popping up every few days, and (it would seem) for good reason. With hundreds of television channels; thousands of magazines and newspapers; and countless blogs, podcasts, and social media platforms, you need someone with connections to get you mentions.

Right?

Edward Bernays, the author of Crystallizing Public Opinion, saw it differently. As Bernays describes in his 1923 masterpiece, the true purpose of public relations should not be to get in the news but to actually create the news. And Bernays would know–he invented the term “public relations.” In Crystallizing Public Opinion, the man who got Americans to eat bacon for breakfast lays out a method for molding minds en masse. For close to a hundred years, governments, captains of industry, and advertising giants have been secretly using this book as their bible. Follow their lead.

2) The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind, by Gustav Le Bon
The Crowd is the most influential book nobody talks about. First of all, it’s old. It sparked Sigmund Freud’s ideas about the unconscious and inspired the mass brainwashing techniques of the 20th century’s most hypnotic despots. It turns out that the principles and tactics described in this book work as well in business as they do in psychoanalysis and politics. For those who want to learn how to get large numbers of people to fervently follow them and spread the word on their behalf, The Crowd is a must.

3) Trust Me, I’m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator, by Ryan Holiday
In many ways, Trust Me, I’m Lying is the 21st-century version of Bernays’s and Le Bon’s masterworks of persuasion. In this book, the former head of marketing at the hype-reliant American Apparel reveals how he drummed up extreme visibility by playing the digital media ecosystem. Despite his claims that he wrote the book to soothe his guilty conscience, Holiday devotes the bulk of it to giving us concrete techniques for manipulating the internet press, generating widespread controversy, and turning it all into dollars. For anyone who is long on ideas and short on cash, Trust Me, I’m Lying is the handbook for getting the modern world to pay attention to what you’re selling.

4) Age of Propaganda: The Everyday Use and Abuse of Persuasion, by Anthony Pratkanis and Elliot Aronson
If Trust Me, I’m Lying is the practical handbook for winning minds and eyeballs, Age of Propaganda is the guide to understanding why it all works so well. By studying a wide range of master persuaders–including advertisers, televangelists, cult leaders, political propagandists, master salespeople, undefeated trial attorneys, and campaign strategists–Pratkanis and Aronson have pinpointed the cognitive distortions and mental pressure points the most influential among us know how to find and use. Backed by contemporary brain science research, Age of Propaganda reveals the real reasons persuasion works and takes down a lot of popular myths in the process.

5) The Attention Merchants: The Epic Scramble to Get Inside Our Heads, by Tim Wu
The newest book on our list, The Attention Merchants is an instant classic of persuasion literature. Author Tim Wu wrote the book to bring awareness to a little-discussed economic paradigm that has shaped almost every aspect of our modern world–one in which our attention is bought and sold at a premium. In doing so, he dissects the mechanics of how the most sophisticated attention-getters in the world work their magic. While Wu has framed The Attention Merchants as a cautionary tale, it doubles as an instruction manual for anyone trying to capture attention in the information age. And if you’re in business today, that means you.

The article was originally published here.

10 great books to help you influence and persuade people in business

Ever feel that you’re just not persuasive enough? That clients aren’t going ahead with your plans or listening to your advice?

If you’re freelancing and you often feel as though you need a few more social tools under your belt, the following recommended books will help.

They cover the mysterious powers of influence and persuasion, teaching you how to win people’s respect and get what you want for your business. This list of absolute must-read classics and modern best-sellers will show you how the mind works, how people make decisions, and how you can influence people’s thoughts and become more successful in business.

1. Methods of Persuasion: How to Use Psychology to Influence Human Behaviour by Nick Kolenda

Using principles from cognitive psychology, Nick Kolenda has developed a unique way to influence people’s thoughts subconsciously. He’s developed a “mind-reading” stage show depicting that phenomenon, and his demonstrations have been seen by over a million people across the globe. With his book, you’ll be able to understand his secrets for the first time. So next time you’re at a pitch, you can apply what you learn from his robust seven-step process.

Priced at £8.66 | Buy the book

2. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini

Influence is the classic book on persuasion and explains the psychology of why people say “yes” – and how to apply these understandings — written by Dr Robert Cialdini, the seminal expert in the rapidly expanding field of influence and persuasion. Through his book, you’ll learn the six universal principles, how to use them to become a skilled persuader – and how to defend yourself against them.

Priced at £7.69 | Buy the book

3. Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade by Robert Cialdini

Following on from his global bestseller Influence, Professor Cialdini’s latest book offers revelatory new insights into the art of winning people over: it isn’t just what we say or how we say it that counts, but also what goes on in the moments before we speak. Interesting. Worth a read.

Priced at £12.91 | Buy the book

4. Yes! 50 Secrets from the Science of Persuasion by Noah J. Goldstein

Much of our success depends on getting others to say ‘Yes’ to our requests. What many people might not be aware of, though, is the vast amount of research that has been conducted on the influence process. What factors cause one person to say ‘Yes’ to the request of another? This book is full of practical tips based on recent academic research that shows how the psychology of persuasion can provide valuable insights for anyone interested in improving their ability to persuade others.

Priced at £7.99 | Buy the book

5. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

If you’re going to get people to agree to your suggestions, then they’re going to have to like you. Make sure you add this absolute classic business book to your shelves because millions of people around the world have improved their lives based on the teachings of Dale Carnegie. In How to Win Friends and Influence People, he offers practical advice and techniques, in his exuberant and conversational style, for how to persuade people to follow your way of thinking, and enable you to win new clients.

Priced at £6.29 | Buy the book

6. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

This essential book presents a holistic, integrated, principle-centred approach for solving personal and professional problems. With penetrating insights and pointed anecdotes, Covey reveals a step-by-step pathway for living with fairness, integrity, honesty and human dignity – principles that give us the security to adapt to change, and the wisdom and power to take advantage of the opportunities that change creates.

Priced at £11.89 | Buy the book

7. Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

Another classic must-read, Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman offers a whole new look at the way our minds work, and how we make decisions. Why is there more chance we’ll believe something if it’s in a bold typeface? The answer lies in the two ways we make choices: fast, intuitive thinking, and slow, rational thought. This book reveals how our minds are tripped up by error and prejudice (even when we think we are logical) and gives you practical techniques for slower, smarter thinking.

Priced at £7.31 | Buy the book

8. Communication Skills: A Practical Guide to Improving Your Social Intelligence, Presentation, Persuasion and Public Speaking by Ian Tuhovsky

Have you ever considered how many times you intuitively felt that maybe you lost something important or crucial, simply because you unwittingly said or did something which put somebody off? Perhaps it was an unfortunate word, wrong formulation, inappropriate joke, forgotten name, huge misinterpretation, an awkward conversation or a strange tone of your voice? If you don’t know how to communicate correctly, you’re going to have problems in business. This book will help you improve your social intelligence, persuasion and communication skills, and give you the tools you need to convince others you’re the right person for the job.

Priced at £10.99 | Buy the book

9. Customer Persuasion: How to Influence your Customers to Buy More and Why an Ethical Approach Will Always Win by Miss Chloe Thomas

One for the sellers out there, Customer Persuasion is the bible for putting the customer at the heart of your business. Allow Chloë Thomas – author, podcast host, and founder of eCommerce MasterPlan – to guide you with her system for growing your sales. Through her wisdom, you’ll learn why it’s essential to embrace persuasion in marketing and work out which part of your business needs the most attention.

Priced at £19.99 | Buy the book

10. What Every Body is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent’s Guide to Speed-Reading People by Joe Navarro

Now the curveball – a book from an ex-FBI agent that teaches you the ancient survival instincts that drive body language, and the most powerful behaviours that reveal our confidence and true sentiments. If you’re going to be in the business of persuasion, then Joe Navarro’s insights will help you to ‘speed read’ people, decode sentiments and behaviours, avoid hidden pitfalls, and look for deceptive behaviours. You’ll also learn how your own body language can influence what others think of you.

Priced at £8.39 | Buy the book

Creative Boom is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk.

The article was originally published here.

These 10 Books Will Inspire People to Give You Whatever You Want

Motivation, influence and persuasion are more important than you might think.  We are all at least part time influencers, motivators and persuaders in some aspect of life whether it’s convincing a toddler to eat her vegetables or closing a six-figure deal, motivation, influence and persuasion skills are something we can all stand to upgrade.

The Best Books on Persuasion, Motivation, and Influence

Here’s a list of 10 books to help you become a more effective motivator, influencer and persuader.

Payoff: The Hidden Logic That Shapes Our Motivations

by Dan Ariely

If you walk into your office to employees who seem less than enthusiastic to be there, then pick up a copy of Dan Ariely’s Payoff: The Hidden Logic That Shapes Our Motivations. This is the perfect book to read on a plane or on a Sunday afternoon.  It’s full of interesting stories, scientific studies that will keep you riveted. Discover what motivation is and why it’s so complex.  Find out exactly why it’s so easy to demotivate someone and why money matters less than you’d think. Reflect on why we have such a strong attachment to our own ideas and why we’re willing to do ridiculous things to achieve immortality.  You’ll get inspiration and ideas for how to not only motivate your team, but yourself as well.

Invisible Influence: The Hidden Forces that Shape Behavior

by Jonah Berger  

Think of the last decision that you made; whether it was what to eat or what movie to see.  You might think that you’re an independent thinker, but you’d be wrong. Invisible Influence: The Hidden Forces that Shape Behavior shows you exactly how prone you are to invisible influence.  Author Jonah Berger has conducted hundreds of experiments, analyzed thousands of purchases and found that whether we realize it or not, we are subtly influenced by the people around us.  In this book you’ll see what motivates us at home and at work, why new products should be different — but not that different, how to make better decisions and how to transform ;strangers into allies by simply doing what monkeys do.

Automatic Influence: New Power for Change in Work and Life

by Erik Van Alstine

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While most books about influence are about how to influence others, Automatic Influence: New Power for Change in Work and Life is more about deconstructing influence as a simple process that involves seeing, feeling and acting.  Author Erik Van Alstine shows how your brain processes information and drives the next action. The book is written in five parts; each part exploring what the author calls “The water in which we live” which is the power of automatic influence.  Each section takes you one step closer to understanding this power, how it works and how to direct it to get the most out of life. Once you understand the power of automatic influence, you’ll understand happiness and why we pursue it, you’ll find ways to fight depression and get along with even the most difficult people.

The Business of Persuasion: Harold Burson on Public Relations

by Harold Burson

Attention business history buffs: The Business of Persuasion: Harold Burson on Public Relations is a book you will have to add to your reading list.  Imagine getting the inside story behind iconic PR campaigns as Union Carbide’s Bhopal disaster, Coca-Cola’s famed “new Coke” fiasco where Burson urgen the company to plead humility, or how he helped the postal service regain our trust after the anthrax scares following 9/11. At a time where PR has been relegated to social media pitches, this book will regain your admiration for a critical business function.  The book includes five tenets of PR that will serve any business person well; tell the truth, don’t just inform, convince, always define the right problem and solve it, be discrete and communicate with a single voice.

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Getting to “Yes And”: The Art of Business Improv

by Bob Kulhan

Whether you are part of an in-house work team or a virtual team, Getting to “Yes And”: The Art of Business Improv is a book that will give you a whole new perspective on how to be part of a highly productive work team. Author and veteran improv performer, Bob Kulhan will show you how to improve your odds of success by using some basic comedy improv principles that will train your mind to reacts, adapt and communicate effectively before a crisis happens. After reading this book, you’ll be able to focus on possibility and potential without fear of failure,  You’ll be able to create teams that know how to achieve goals and you’ll actually be able to reduce turnover by creating a workplace that gets and keeps top talent.

Get to Aha!: Discover Your Positioning DNA and Dominate Your Competition

by Andy Cunningham

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If your business isn’t achieving its goals, it’s probably because you haven’t answered the most basic questions; who are we and why do we matter. In Get to Aha!: Discover Your Positioning DNA and Dominate Your Competition, author Andy Cunningham introduces you to his unique framework that will help you identify your company’s unique DNA.  Cunningham identifies three company types; Mothers are customer-oriented, Mechanics are product-oriented, and Missionaries are concept-oriented. it’s absolutely critical for you to know which type your company is to create an authentic and ultimately “sticky” position in the market. This  isn’t just another marketing book. It’s a book that will help you structure your business

The Science of Selling: Proven Strategies to Make Your Pitch, Influence Decisions, and Close the Deal

by David Hoffeld

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Did you know that 63% of the behaviors that sales people practice actually don’t work? Not only that but more than half of all sales people don’t meet their quotas.  If that sounds like something you’re dealing with then read The Science of Selling: Proven Strategies to Make Your Pitch, Influence Decisions, and Close the Deal.  This isn’t just a book about how to sell for salespeople, it’s really a book about influence and how to use the power of influence in the many conversations where you need to influence or persuade people to your way of thinking. For example, you can use these techniques to win over negative co-workers or improve relationships with difficult customers or use some of the techniques to motivate employees or communicate your ideas.  Of course, if you’re in sales, this will help you close more deals faster.

Heart and Sell

by Shari Levitin

Heart and Sell takes a fresh new look at how to sell.  It’s not just about following a process, it’s about understanding how human beings work.  Author, professor, trainer and global sales guru Shari Levitin shares her process for effective selling in the digital age.  In today’s selling climate, if you’re not matching your clients’ emotional needs to their buying intentions, you will lose. You’d discover the 7 motivation factors that influence every decision, align your sales process with how people buy, learn and understand the ten universal truths that will help you beat your sales quota without stressing you out or losing your soul.

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Would You Do That to Your Mother?: The “Make Mom Proud” Standard for How to Treat Your Customers

by Jeanne Bliss

As your business grows, you’ll put in more and more policies and procedures.  But before you get too many processes between you and your customer, read Would You Do That to Your Mother?: The “Make Mom Proud” Standard for How to Treat Your Customers. Author Jeanne Bliss saves companies from their worst behaviors by reminding them of the simple values they started their businesses with and helping them incorporate those values into their larger businesses. She’s gathered examples and stories from both large and small companies.  For example, did you know that PepsiCo’s CEO writes an annual letter to parents of their top 400 executives thanking them for the values they instilled in the company’s leaders. See how your business can benefit from the “Make Mom Proud” standard.

Blue Ocean Shift: Beyond Competing – Proven Steps to Inspire Confidence and Seize New Growth

by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne

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If you’re a fan of Blue Ocean Strategy, then you will love Blue Ocean Shift: Beyond Competing – Proven Steps to Inspire Confidence and Seize New Growth, the much awaited follow up to the book that changed how we looked at competition.  In Blue Ocean Shift, the authors analyzed and compared the successes and failures of blue ocean projects from around the world that were inspired by their book.  They came away with a five-step approach to help companies succeed today. In addition to this, the authors also discuss a few lessons learned since publishing the original Blue Ocean Strategy such as, market disruption is not the only way to succeed, a focus on competing is a losing strategy, value innovation is better than tech innovation and finally, humanness is better than carrots and sticks.

The article was originally published here.

For upon |The 19 Best Books on Influence and Persuasion (to Read in 2020)

There are many ways to say the same thing. However, when you know what the right way (for your listener) is, you win most arguments.

Discover in this article, 19 best books on Influence and Persuasion that can help you improve your power to influence and change the minds of those around you.

First, I want to congratulate you for being interested in this subject. You are one (of the few) who understand how critical social skills are influencing and persuading others. Most people learn all the other social skills, neglecting completely the art of influencing and persuading.

Have you heard about Fukushima and the disaster following the (2011) tsunami? Many people died, and many others had to leave their homes because of high radiation. The Japanese now call the area around Fukushima “hard-to-return zone”. They don’t call it “dead zone”, or “poisonous zone”, or “the impossible to live zone”.

Saying the “hard-to-return zone” is influencing people to think positive about the future, giving them the hope that, one day, they could return home (if not themselves, their children).

Influence and persuasion manifest wherever you look:

• Starting with mothers who try to convince children to eat broccoli,
• Followed by spouses attempting to help their partners to change unwanted behaviors,
• Teachers shaping the minds of their students to choose the best path in life,
• Leaders motivating followers to become their best selves or get involved in noble causes,
• People that, by their own example, help those around them overcome obstacles, solve easier their problems, accept challenges and rise above them.

That is influence and persuasion – moving people from point A to point B in an ethical way (whichever another way, if it’s not ethical, it’s called manipulation!)

There are many things we can say about Influence and Persuasion. However, you’ve already used or felt their positive results. Have you not?

Check out the following list of 19 best books on Influence and Persuasion and become an influencer; learn how to protect yourself from those who have only one thing in mind – to win at your expense; improve your social skills so that you can build and maintain long-lasting and meaningful relationships.

Table of Contents

1. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us – Daniel H. Pink

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“Drive […]” is one of those books that can make you say, time and time again, “Aha! So that’s why even smart people sometimes look like complete morons.”

This book is an eye-opener about:

• What motivates us to do the things we do,
• How come we lose motivation so fast,
• What are the most significant incentives to help others change their behavior (or help yourself)
• Understanding others and yourself better,
• How to go from compliance to real engagement,
• Becoming a master of self-determination and self-direction.

Even though this book is written for business managers, it’s a good read for anyone who wants to know how to influence others (or themselves) to feel more motivated in everyday life matters.

2. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion – Robert B. Cialdini

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You can have the most significant message ever written, but if you don’t know how to get it in front of those people who need your message, no one will ever hear it, see it, read it.

“Influence: The psychology of persuasion” is for you if you want to make your message stand out, be heard and listened.

Learn what are and how to use the six essential tools of influence and persuasion:

• Scarcity
• Reciprocation
• Commitment and consistency
• Authority
• Social proof
• Liking

Stop being shy about your desire of becoming more successful; read this book and gain knowledge that can help you make a real difference in your life and your environment…among other things, your co-workers will love you for the changes you’ll initiate.

3. Influencer: The New Science of Leading Change – Joseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson, David Maxfield, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler

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Do you want to be a graceful influencer? Lead your life towards personal and professional success? Understand better the mechanisms behind great leaders? Then, this book is for you.

Discover in this book, the new science of leading change so that you can build around yourself the environment in which you want to live.

No matter your sphere of activity (parent, spouse, teacher, life coach, team leader,etc.), this book, it’s a great view inside the intricates of leading change through influence.

You see? Most people get angry when they feel frustrated. Knowing how to influence others minimizes the chances of feeling frustrated because you always have the tools to change things pleasantly:

• You can’t be a leader if you don’t know what makes people start moving;
• There are few individuals born leaders, the rest of us must learn how to influence others and become worthy leaders;
• Understanding how to influence those around you (always) leads to positive change;
• Motivation is not a state of mind in a continuum. Therefore, those you want to influence need your help (time and time again) to regain motivation;

From this book, you can learn how to do all of that and some more.

4. Lead with a Story: A Guide to Crafting Business Narratives That Captivate, Convince, and Inspire – Paul Smith

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Most probably you know the expression “cut to the chase”. It is a commonly used expression even though most people don’t know its origins.

At the beginning of cinematography, the silent movie was the king; pretty fast followed by the western movies. People loved them; never seemed to have enough of the characters shooting each other riding horses.

The studios producing those movies discovered that people were fascinated by the fighting and chasing scenes. So, at the editing part, they used to say a lot “cut to the chase” to guarantee a big success.

Another expression (it’s more a word than an expression) commonly used (and most people don’t know how it became a word in our vocabulary) is “posh”.

There are many stories about this world (posh), but the one story that stands out (and seems to be accepted by the majority) is that posh stands for “port out starboard home” which, at the beginning of 20th century, referred to upper-class accommodation in the UK and India.

Later, the ships caring people from England to India designated a special place in the cargo hold for the luggage of the wealthy. The designated place was called “posh” to make a clear distinction between the languages of ordinary people and “those more important”, the posh ones.

Chances are, you have never been interested about where from “cut to the chase” or “posh” are coming. But, now, that you heard these two stories, “cut to the chase” and “posh” will never sound the same to you.

And that is the power of the story! It makes your audience (of one or many) more interested in what you have to say, curious about your message, inquisitive about your ideas.

Discover in this book, how you can craft any message you want to become a compelling story for those who need to hear your message.

5. Contagious: Why Things Catch On – Jonah Berger

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What seems to you more critical, the message or the messenger? How do you choose what wine to buy? The price or the taste?

Discover in this book, the answer to questions like those above, and learn how you can tailor your message to become contagious.

The most influential people talk louder in most ears even when they say nothing.

You can too become a more influential person by adopting some of the tools provided in this book:

• What makes ideas stand out
• How to use other people’s emotions to win them on your side
• Things that can trigger a positive response to your message
• How to make your idea look better compared to the competition that offers the same (or similar) things as you do
• How it happens that many positive things have adverse results
• …And many other tools of influence and persuasion

6. The Business of Belief: How the World’s Best Marketers, Designers, Salespeople, Coaches, Fundraisers, Educators, Entrepreneurs and Other Leaders Get Us to Believe – Tom Asacker

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Belief has nothing to do with facts. We believe many things for which we have no evidence.

Because our behaviors and actions are, in part, shaped by our beliefs, this book is a must-read for anyone who wants to improve their influence at home, at work, or in the social environment.

If you want to understand others and yourself better, this book is for you:

• How people get to believe what they do
• Why is a belief (actually) an opinion
• Why you don’t see the things in front of you but what you believe they are
• How your memory is a construction based on emotions and beliefs
• How to live more in the present moment
• Define more accurately who you are

7. How to Win Friends & Influence People – Dale Carnegie

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This book by Dale Carnegie it’s timeless. Since its first publication in 1936, “How to Win Friends and Influence People” has changed the lives of millions.

After you read this book, you cannot miss noticing how your:

• Life is better,
• Relationships improve,
• Negative emotions towards yourself or others diminish considerably,
• Attitude is most times set on positive,
• Frustration goes down when dealing with difficult people,
• Understanding and tolerance go up…

Most reviews of this book are glorious because this book is glorious. Never before it, and never since, has been published a more helpful book in the field of self-improvement, life improvement.

This book is like a manual for good manners and practices when you want to get the best outcome for your relationships, feel better about yourself, feel better about your loved ones, friends, and family, co-workers, employees or employers.

No review can make justice to this book; you must read it and practice it to understand what’s all about.

8. Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Take Hold and Others Come Unstuck – Chip Heath

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There are many stories out there that seem so genuine, but most probably or not. We believe them because (even though lies), they help us in a way or another – they are convenient lies.

One such story (I don’t know if it’s true or not) is the story of NASA spending millions of dollars to develop a pen that works in space (lower gravity than Earth). After years of research, NASA discovered that the Russians use in space crayons…

Who likes to believe this story to be true, does so because it’s an example of how simple things can solve complicated problems, how the obvious things are most times the obvious solution. The truth becomes irrelevant.

This book will open your eyes to many urban legends that most people believe no matter if they have any evidence.

It’s a good read not necessarily to learn how to influence others but to learn how you might be influenced without realizing.

The book is entertaining, giving you many examples of things we believe and are not true.

We can say that this book is like a sweet pill that can cure you from being too gullible.

9. To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others – Daniel H. Pink

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Most of us have brilliant ideas, but most of those ideas get lost because we are shy about selling them.

You see? Is not enough to be a skilled professional; most of those who need you don’t know how good you are until you tell them. You are a truly skilled professional when you know to sell, not only your skill but also yourself.

Knowingly or not most of us choose things and people having as the first criterion “who’s offering?”

Take as a simple example, buying a TV. It matters less the offer; it matters more who is presenting it. If you don’t like the face of the store, most probably you don’t buy. Is it not?

 

Learn from this book how to influence others by selling them compelling ideas.

Yes, the book was intended to help mainly salesman. Nevertheless, it’s a good read for anyone who wants to know what it takes to put always your best foot forward.

These days there is an undeniable truth – we inspire ourselves to be better as people from the business world because it has the many resources for research and development (the business world is very interested in human behavior.)

10. How to Win Every Argument: The Use and Abuse of Logic – Madsen Pirie

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This is an eye opener book. Discover how others use fallacies to convince you that their ideas are the only way you can move forward.

Listen, we are all guilty of using fallacies… it’s convenient!

Take as a simple example the fallacy used by politicians to win the election: Meritocracy; But, people don’t get elected because they deserve to govern over you; get elected those who shout louder, polarise masses, know to use the insanity “us against them”.

If you’re faced with a person that knows how to use fallacies, and you don’t, most probably you lose the argument. Therefore, arm yourself with the knowledge from this book and become a winner.

A note here: don’t give this book as a gift to someone unethical because they will use it to sharpen their manipulation tactics. This book deserves to be placed in “clean hands”.

11. The Prince – Niccolò Machiavelli (Author), N. H. Thompson (Translator)

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“The Prince” is one of the most influential books of all time.

Written on an era when the war was a common practice for the Italian principalities to expand and get richer, this book is a collection of essays and letters on politics and war.

At that time, Machiavelli was always in danger of losing his life. He found the best way to make himself useful and indispensable, by writing this book.

That can sound disconcerting for those interested in reading it. However, Machiavelli (really, really) wanted to stay alive, so he did a great job. A job from which you can learn many essential things about influence, critical thinking, and how to be a real leader.

12. Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive – Noah J. Goldstein Ph.D., Steve J. Martin, Robert Cialdini Ph.D.

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This book is based on more than 60 years of research into the human behavior and psychology of persuasion.

Discover in this book, 50 simple and practical strategies that can help you become more persuasive in your day to day life, and at work.

Each chapter of this book begins with a scientific case study and the relevant conclusions of it (from the persuasion point of view).

This book is for you if you want to dive deeper than ever before into the science of persuasion and become an influential person.

 

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13. Methods of Persuasion: How to Use Psychology to Influence Human Behavior – Nick Kolenda

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We tend to complicate things, make the end of the world out of nothing, panic about things that never happened and probably never will, overthink about what others might think of us.

Discover in this book how to make your life easier:

• Spend less time overthinking about unimportant things
• Redirect your thoughts and attitude towards positive and productive things
• Change the mind and thoughts of those around you
  Influence and motivate others

Densely packed with useful information, entertaining and sometimes funny, this book is for you if you want to know how to win others on your side, persuading them to adopt your ideas as their own.

14. Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In – Roger Fisher, William L. Ury, Bruce Patton

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Knowing how to negotiate is a vital social skill to master.

You might think you’re not in the business of negotiating, but you’re negotiating something every day.

Discover in this book how to:

• Identify possible problems or objections the other party might have before agreeing with you
• Methods to use to give more power to your request so that people feel compelled to say “yes”
• Things you must pay attention to when you’re involved in a negotiation

Negotiation is a big part of everyday life in many cultures. In Egypt, for example, merchants often get annoyed with tourists because they tend to pay the asking price without bargaining; that’s taking the fun out of their job.

The more and the harder you make someone work for a good offer from you, the more satisfied they are with the end result. It’s human nature. We get pleasure from thinking we’ve outsmarted someone… Therefore, negotiate, negotiate, negotiate.

15. Predictably Irrational, The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions – Dr. Dan Ariely

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Never before, the human has been faced to take so many decisions every day. But, just wait for it! In our modern society, in the future, the numbers of choices (you have to make every day) will grow and grow and grow.

We like to think we are rational beings… we are. And when we are, problems start to surface because using your logic to decide what you want takes a lot of time. So, naturally, many of that multitude of decisions, you have to make every day, will be less inspired.

Discover in this book, what are the things that influence you the most when you choose one thing or another; become less demanding of yourself always to select the best.

Learn from this book:

• How to be less influenced by the shininess of things, or their high price, to determine their value;
• The mechanisms of procrastination and self-control;
• How come we lie sometimes and what can you do about it;
• Why it happens to end up paying too much for things seemingly, free;
• What can do for you being less attached to the things you own.

Yes, this book doesn’t aim to help you influence others. Yet, it helps you a lot to understand how you’re influencing yourself; and once you know that, you have the power to influence yourself better, and also, influence (in a positive way) those around you. (You can’t teach anyone something before you know it. Is it not?)

16. Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success – Adam Grant

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This is the beauty of influence:

• Altruism with benefits
• Courage with vulnerability
• Optimism with honor

If you think about it, most people are as successful as their relationships are. Bad relationships, no success. Healthy relationships, big success.

Discover in this book, how to use altruism, courage, and optimism to influence those around you so that, you both, can win.

Most probably, this book will feel to you like a breath of fresh air. After all those years we’ve been brainwashed to have “me, me, me, self, self, self, mine, mine, mine” constantly on your mind, this book gives you the permission to think of “us, us, us”.

You might think, you don’t need permission for that. However, modern society forces us to be more selfish than ever because you’re always told that the only person you can rely on, is yourself.

Read this book and never feel lonely, never lose your connection with others, always feel surrounded by love, always feel useful.

Do you know what the easiest way to influence someone to do things for you is? It’s you doing something for them first.

Rhetoric books (take your skill of influence and persuasion to its higher level possible)

Mastering the art of rhetoric is one of the essential branches of influence and persuasion.

People, in general, are receptive to stories and musical language constructions. (“No pain, no gain” – it doesn’t matter if it’s logical; sounds good; therefore, must be true.)

Take as examples, two of the most powerful speeches ever made:

• “I have a dream” Martin Luther King and
• “We shall fight” Winston Churchill.

Both speeches are full of rhetoric techniques which made them timeless, unforgettable and influence many generations.

If you’re seriously interested in the art of influence and persuasion, mastering rhetoric will get you there fast and easy.

Even though rhetoric sounds like something mystical, it’s quite easy to learn and apply it.

Will you give it a try? Think hard, think smart, think influence!

17. Rhetoric – Aristotle (Author), W. Rhys Roberts (Translator)

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18. A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms – Richard A. Lanham

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19. The Elements of Eloquence – Mark Forsyth

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The article was originally published here.