Interdisciplinary Book Reviews

Cialdini's 7 Points developed by Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD Book Author: Robert B. Cialdini Reviewed by      Geoffrey W. Sutton Robert Cialdini’s Influence and the Psychology of Persuasion: A Book Review Robert Cialdini is a psychologist who has spent decades studying what actually persuades people to act. When I worked with parents and teachers on child behavior, I often asked them to recall commercials they remembered. It was a fun exercise—and revealing. Most people admit that those ads pop back into mind later, especially when they’re standing in a store or making an impulse purchase. Businesses know exactly what they’re doing: a 30‑ or 60‑second commercial can shape human behavior. If you’re trying to sell a product, advocate for change, or gain supporters for a cause, Cialdini’s research-backed principles are worth knowing. Below are the major principles from his book Influence. 1. The Contrast Principle Our judgments are shaped by what comes first. If you meet a rude ...

THINKING,  FAST AND SLOW           By Daniel Kahneman,  Reviewed by  Geoffrey W. Sutton Kahneman’s analysis of thinking in Thinking, Fast and Slow , is close to a metatheory of human nature. In highly readable prose he explains how numerous psychological experiments document the interplay of two ways human brains process and act upon the myriad of stimuli encountered in daily life. Many reviews have extolled the brilliance of the book and its Nobel-prize winning author. My skeptical bias against excessive public endorsements was on high alert until I began to read. My copy has so many notes that it was hard to condense them for this review. I must confess, this was one of the best psychology books I have ever read.  Daniel Kahneman is Eugene Higgins Professor of Psychology Emeritus at Princeton University and Professor of Psychology and Public Affairs Emeritus at Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and Internation...