Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive

I have read a number of the better books in this genre and Goldstein has a winner here. Cialdini, author of earlier books in this vein, has gone deeper on a smaller number of cases, but Goldstein does a good job of introducing a variety of powerful insights in "bite-size" chapters. But keeping the chapters short didn't cause the authors to sacrifice important detail. They just get to the point efficiently. I read a few chapters each night and went to work with a new idea or two the next morning for a couple of weeks.

Most people have covered what's good about this, and there is no doubt that the author knows his stuff. What I like, in addition to the solid materials, is that the author has used a lot of these theories in the field, it's not just some stuff observed in a lab. Also, I really like the bite-sized format of giving each relevant topic a one or two page treatment, along with real world example. It makes is really easy for you to pick it up, give it a read, and get back to what you are doing, and still able to remember what you read about days later.

Yes! is a quick read with short easy chapters, the kind you can flip back to and read to a friend or co-worker. The fact that the authors (and others) put these ideas to the test lend the book more credibility. The examples and stories are useful but I wonder if the quirky titles add to the chapters or take from them.

I found this book useful and at time enjoyable. Some stuff I started using minutes after flipping the last page; with other ideas I can see a use for them in the future; and some of the stuff will likely go unused in my lifetime. The bottom line: there's something for everybody.

"Just because yes is simple and obtainable, we shouldn't be fooled into believing that anyone can easily secure it from others"

"Yes!; 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive" by Noah J. Goldstein, Steve J. Martin, and Robert B. Cialdini

The title says it all really; the book is filled with 50 ways (I'd rather say "examples") of persuasion. They are (for examples);

"What one word can you start using today to increase your persuasiveness by more than fifty percent?"

"Which item of stationery can dramatically increase people's responses to your requests?"

SPOILER ALERT!! (the answer to the two questions are; "because" and "Post-It notes")

...

I'm not going to list all 50 ways from the book; I'll go right to my Six Elements Review that the ideal business book is "easy to read, distinct, practical, credible, insightful, and provides great reading experience"

Ease of Understanding: 8/10; the small book is separated into 50 chapters and each chapter takes less than 5-10 minutes so, it is easy to understand. However, the drawback of Yes! is its lack of structure; 50 ways are loosely tied (if at all) together.

Distinction: 8/10; it is undoubtedly a great compilation of persuasion techniques. The highlight is the word "50; it is difficult to provide readers with 50 ways "persuasively" but Cialdini, Goldstein, and Martin could do it.

Practicality: 4/10; as interesting as those fifty ways are, I can say that it is very difficult (if possible at all) to implement any of them appropriately. Each situation in the book or in your lives is unique. It is more possible to successfully persuade others and look back to the techniques in the book and match them than the other way around.

Credibility: 6/10; the gook point is that every way is backed with good and, sometimes, amazing example(s). The bad point is, it might not be enough to use one example (or a couple of them) to describe the ways and claim that they are "scientifically proven".

Insight: 5/10; I think 5 is fair because as you know that there are fifty ways! It is impossible to dig deep into every (any) way.

Reading Experience: 9/10; This is, by far, the most outstanding element of Yes!; this book is fun. Take this book with you along with another book and if you're bored with the other book, take some times off and read Yes!; it is refreshing. I would compare the book to Aesop Fable not that they are childish and fictional but they are;

1. Concise and precise

2. Every story teaches you a valuable lesson

3. You mention it in a hindsight when something already happened! ("Oh, this situation is like the story of "The Hare and The Tortoise"... "I persuaded my friend and it was like the way no.XX from Cialdini's book"!)

Overall: 6.7/10; I'd say "buy it"; it's fun and won't waste your time because you'll learn many things from the book and you'll find those examples and stories amazing. However, be careful when you try to do any of those ways; make sure you think of the other 49 ways first!

Viriya Taecharungroj
www.tedded.net

i love this book! Not only is the research explained but the authors give suggestions on how to use the techniques in real life.