Details

<p>Acknowledgments ix</p> <p>Introduction 1</p> <p><b>One The Illusion of Invulnerability</b></p> <p>Or, How Can Everyone Be Less Gullible Than Everyone Else? 5</p> <p><b>Two Whom Do We Trust? Experts, Honesty, and Likability</b></p> <p>Or, the Supersalesmen Don’t Look Like Salesmen at All 29</p> <p><b>Three Killing You with Kindness</b></p> <p>Or, Beware of Strangers Bearing Unexpected Gifts 65</p> <p><b>Four The Contrast Principle</b></p> <p>Or, How Black Gets Turned into White 91</p> <p><b>Five $2 + $2 = $ 5</b></p> <p>Or, Learning to Avoid Stupid Mental Arithmetic 113</p> <p><b>Six The Hot Button</b></p> <p>Or, How Mental Shortcuts Can Lead You into Trouble 137</p> <p><b>Seven Gradually Escalating the Commitments</b></p> <p>Or, Making You Say Yes by Never Saying No 159</p> <p><b>Eight Winning Hearts and Minds</b></p> <p>Or, the Road to Perpetual Persuasion 187</p> <p><b>Nine Jonestown</b></p> <p>Or, the Dark End of the Dark Side of Persuasion 209</p> <p><b>Ten The Art of Resistance</b></p> <p>Or, Some Unsolicited Advice for Using and Defending against Persuasion 227</p> <p>Notes 245</p> <p>Index 267</p>

This valuable and nonacademic guide reveals the extent to which we are surrounded by persuasion, and how we can resist. Levine (A Geography of Time), professor of psychology at Cal State Fresno, opens by demonstrating that all of us (including himself) can be persuaded under the right circumstances. He goes on to study financial manipulation and the use of the sense of obligation (which exists in all cultures, even if it is most strongly visible in Japan), and then proceeds to a nuts-and-bolts analysis of salesmanship by describing what he learned and did (and had done to him) as an automobile salesman. He offers an admirably concise and unemotional analysis of the famous Milgram experiment, involving the (claimed) administration of ever-stronger electric shocks to test the impulse to obedience. Inevitably, he moves to cults, the Moonies and the ultimate persuasion horror story, Jonestown. Not so inevitably, he avoids hysteria and demonization, even of Jim Jones, and points out that brute force is required at the extreme end of the persuasion spectrum. Levine's final chapter offers ways of dealing with unwelcome persuasion while remaining part of a society in which some persuasion is part of almost any social interaction. The final results are bout as far as possible from the shrill Hidden Persuaders tradition or the cult deprogrammers who become cult gurus themselves-and quite persuasive about the author's credentials, common sense and ethics. (Mar.) (<i>Publishers Weekly</i>, February 24, 2003) <p>"an interesting book". (<i>The Wall Street Journal</i>, July 23, 2003)</p> <p>"If you're like most people, you think advertising and marketing work--just not on you. Robert Levine's <i>The Power of Persuasion</i> demonstrates how even the best-educated cynics among us can be victimized by sales pitches." --<i>The Globe and Mail's</i> website, www.globeandmail.com</p>

<b>ROBERT LEVINE</b> is Professor and former Chairperson of the Psychology Department at California State University, Fresno. He has published articles in <i>Psychology Today, Discover, American Demographics, NY Times, Utne Reader</i> and <i>American Scientist.</i> He has received awards for his teaching, research and writing, including being named the university's "Outstanding Professor." Dr. Levine has been a Visiting Professor at Universidade Federal Fluminense in Niteroi, Brazil, at Sapporo Medical University in Japan, and at Stockholm University in Sweden. He serves on boards of professional organizations in the U.S. Germany and Taiwan.

<p>"An engaging, highly readable survey of the sophisticated methods of persuasion we encounter in various situations. From television to telemarketing and from self-deception to suicide cults, Levine takes a hard look at all the ways we attempt to persuade each other—and how and why they work (or don't). . . . The next time you wonder what possessed you to pay $50 for a medallion commemorating the series finale of Friends, you'll know where to turn."<br /> —Slashdot.org</p> <p>"If you're like most people, you think advertising and marketing work—just not on you. Robert Levine's The Power of Persuasion demonstrates how even the best-educated cynics among us can be victimized by sales pitches."<br /> —The Globe and Mail</p> <p>"Levine puts [his] analysis in the service of his real mission—to arm the reader against manipulation."<br /> —The Wall Street Journal</p> <p>"This wonderful book will change the way you think and act in many realms of your life."<br /> —Philip Zimbardo former president, American Psychological Association</p>

"If you read this book, you’ll be privy to the tactics of those who wish to part you from your money, your freedom, your time. How you use this knowledge is up to you."<br /> —Ellen B. Tabor, M.D., <i>Psychiatric Services</i> magazine <p>"Outstanding and thoroughly engrossing... a must-read survival guide... in the 21st century."<br /> —Harry Reis, Ph.D., Psychology Professor, University of Rochester</p> <p>"Wonderful book... will change the way you think and act in many realms of your life."<br /> —Philip Zimbardo, President, A.P.A.</p> <p>"Witty and wise... I couldn't put it down. A great book..."<br /> —David Myers, Hope College, author Intuition: Its Powers and Perils</p> <p>"Important and very interesting. Both our students and the public should read it."<br /> —Ed Diener, Psychology Department, University of Illinois</p>

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