Curated book recommendations

In the new edition of this highly acclaimed bestseller, Robert Cialdini explains the psychology of why people say yes and how to apply these insights ethically in business and everyday settings. Cialdini makes this crucially important subject surprisingly easy with memorable stories and relatable examples. You’ll learn Cialdini’s seven Universal Principles of Influence, including new research and new uses so you, too, can become a skilled persuader.

Our understanding of human behaviour can be improved by appreciating how people systematically go wrong.

One of my all-time favourites and my constant go-to for behavioural science.

This is a well-written and easy read that introduces the concept of “nudging” — using science to arrange the environment so that people are more likely to choose a certain option or behaviour. Nobel Prize winner Richard H. Thaler shows that by knowing how people think, we can use sensible “choice architecture” to nudge people toward their best decisions.

Why is there more chance we’ll believe something if it’s in a bold typeface? Why are judges more likely to deny parole before lunch? Why do we assume a good-looking person will be more competent? The answer lies in the two ways we make choices- fast, intuitive thinking and slow, rational thinking. This book reveals how our minds are tripped up by error and prejudice (even when we think we are being logical), and gives you practical techniques for slower, smarter thinking, enabling you to make better decisions at work, at home and in everything you do.

Solving the Sales Equation provides a development platform to build the world’s best salespeople. The workbook dives deeply into frequent sales challenges, making a winning first impression, building rapport and understanding the psychology behind customer behaviours. The workbook will guide you through the mindset and skillset and arm you with a toolkit to activate opportunities, overcome challenges and set the foundation for sales success.

When it comes to making decisions in our lives, we think we’re in control. We think we’re making smart, rational choices. But are we? In a series of illuminating, often surprising experiments, Dan Ariely refutes the common assumption that we behave in fundamentally rational ways. Not only do we make astonishingly simple mistakes every day, but we make the same “types” of mistakes. Yet these misguided behaviours are neither random nor senseless. They’re systematic and predictable–making us “predictably” irrational.

In The Paradox of Choice, Barry Schwartz explains at what point choice—the hallmark of individual freedom and self-determination that we so cherish—becomes detrimental to our psychological and emotional well-being. In accessible, engaging, and anecdotal prose, Schwartz shows how the dramatic explosion in choice—from the mundane to the profound challenges of balancing career, family, and individual needs—has paradoxically become a problem instead of a solution. Schwartz also shows how our obsession with choice encourages us to seek what makes us feel worse.

In this ground-breaking book, Clears reveals exactly how these minuscule changes can grow into such life-altering outcomes. He uncovers a handful of simple life hacks (the forgotten art of Habit Stacking, the unexpected power of the Two Minute Rule, or the trick to entering the Goldilocks Zone) and delves into cutting-edge psychology and neuroscience to explain why they matter. Along the way, he tells inspiring stories of Olympic gold medalists, leading CEOs, and distinguished scientists who have used the science of tiny habits to stay productive, motivated, and happy.

Why are we more likely to forgo the opportunity to sell a $100 bottle of wine rather than actually taking money out of our wallet to pay for it, when ultimately the ‘opportunity cost’ of doing so is the same? As the most vivacious and vociferous founding member of behavioural economics, Thaler presents his insightful findings with stories about data and experiments and shows us how to avoid making costly mistakes in our own lives.

Consumerology: The Truth About Consumers and the Psychology of Shopping contains a new preface and epilogue, in which Philip Graves reveals the myriad tricks and psychological games high street shops play on consumers, how we are manipulated into buying things we don’t want, how we deceive ourselves, and the cutting edge behavioural science being used to change our habits to even more significant degrees.

Based on years of research, consulting, and practical experience, Hooked shows how to create user habits that stick. With practical insights and riveting examples, from the iPhone to Twitter, Pinterest and the Bible App, it’s for product designers, marketers and anyone who seeks to understand how products influence our behaviour. It’s the book Eyal wishes had been available as a start-up founder.

Conversational Intelligence translates the wealth of new insights coming out of neuroscience from across the globe and brings the science down to earth so people can understand and apply it in their everyday lives. Author Judith Glaser presents a framework for knowing what kind of conversations trigger the lower, more primitive brain and what activates higher-level intelligence such as trust, integrity, empathy, and good judgment.

Using studies drawn from the experiences of Nike, Marlboro and other powerhouse brands, the authors show that the most successful brands are those that most effectively correspond to fundamental patterns in the unconscious mind known as archetypes. Learn how to build an extraordinary brand through the power of archetypes.

Learn how to recognise and resist the daily attempts to control and manipulate your mind. Patrick Fagan draws on interviews with mind-control experts ranging from monks to magicians, infiltrating cults and forums to uncover their most deceptive techniques and expose the hidden tactics used to influence you, from social media to subliminal messages.