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