Influence
Robert Cialdini
50 people recommended it in 30 threads, 2009–2024.
3 commenters pushed back on it — worth reading the threads.
What people on Hacker News said
How to get a 700% improvement in volunteers. How to sell more by doubling your prices. How to make people feel they made a choice, when really you made it for them.
Learn how people think, and how to use that to design better products.
This explains so much of human behavior, but I hesitate to recommend it to people because it is so easily weaponized. To borrow from Harry Potter, it's the closest thing I've seen to a book of charm spells, but was written as a defense against the dark arts.
The following books offer a multi-disciplinary perspective on psychological techniques to improve awareness and exploit other people, both of which are essential to enhance your perception and protect yourself against fraud and manipulation.
Really drove home the importance of paying attention to language and framing.
This book helped me understand myself and everyone else. For example, I now understand why I double down on dumb ideas. I also catch a lot more marketing and sales tricks.
Where it comes up
- Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything? 2019 · 5 recommendations
- Ask HN: Mind bending books to read and never be the same as before? 2020 · 4 recommendations
- Top Books on Amazon Based on Links in Hacker News Comments 2016 · 4 recommendations
- Ask HN: What was the one book that you read and it actually changed your life? 2018 · 3 recommendations
- Ask HN: What books have made the biggest impact on your mental models? 2017 · 3 recommendations
- Ask HN: Which non-technology book has influenced you the most and why? 2017 · 3 recommendations
- Ask HN: What's the best book you've read so far in 2024? 2024 · 2 recommendations
- Ask HN: Best books or videos to get better at sales? 2015 · 2 recommendations
- Ask HN: What book are you reading right now? 2014 · 2 recommendations
- Ask HN: Great books you read in 2009? 2010 · 2 recommendations
- Ask HN: Books you read in 2023 and recommend for 2024? 2023 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What was a book that changed your life? 2020 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: Best books you read in the past decade? 2019 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: Books you plan to read in 2020? 2019 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: Recommend one book I need to read this summer? 2019 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: Favorite nonfiction books of 2018? 2018 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What are the best textbooks in your field of expertise? 2018 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What are your favorite non-fiction books of all time? 2018 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect? 2018 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: Any recommended books on developing mental models? 2017 · 1 recommendation