Review: Persuasion: The Art of Getting What You Want

Persuasion: The Art of Getting What You Want

Book reviews > Persuasion: The Art of Getting What You Want

Dave Lakhani (2005). Persuasion: The Art of Getting What You Want, Wiley, NY

What I look for in books is something new. Dave Lakhani has studied the subject of persuasion in great detail so I opened the book hopefully and read it with enthusiasm. I wasn't disappointed: his book is interesting and different, which is great because there are too many persuasion books which rehash the same things.

The title frames persuasion as an art. Is it an art? Yes, though it's also a science. Lakhani shows how it has to become something you do naturally, without constantly thinking of 'the rules'.

Key content in the book includes:

How to present yourself (and the importance of this)

Storytelling and how to use it effectively

How to become a recognized personality or 'guru' in your field

How to change beliefs

Using principles of familiarity, exclusivity and availability

Managing curiosity and relevancy

How to persuade people quickly

Effective selling, advertising and negotiating

Summaries at the end of each chapter are useful with reinforcing and remembering the content detail.

A minor niggle is that the content of the book is all text. Some pictures and tables would help to break things up. But then the text is all good, so it's not a big complaint.

Overall, I found the book an excellent read and I will be returning to its detail. The chapter on becoming a 'guru' is worth the price of the book alone and the rest of the book is littered with nuggets of gold.

Buy Me

Dave Lakhani, Persuasion: The Art of Getting What You Want, Wiley, NY, 2005

A refreshing book from a master of persuasion who has studied the subject from every angle -- and his book shows this by giving you new and useful angles on the subject. A worthy addition to your library.