Influence: Science and Practice (5th Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)Right away, buyers should know that Cialdini has produced a less-expensive version of this book. "Influence: Science and Practice" is designed as a textbook for classroom instruction. So, it has things like chapter summaries and questions that can be assigned as homework. However, the other book "Influence: the psychology of persuasion," is designed for a more general audience. The content is basically the same, but it omits the classroom-oriented layout. It's also cheaper. If you are a student who is buying textbooks online, this is probably what you (or rather, your professors) want. If not, get the other one.
Both books focus on persuasive tactics. This is not a theoretical work trying to lay out a strategy of communication, like "Getting to Yes." This is a toolkit, designed to give the reader a selection of tools for specific circumstances. That is not to say that Cialdini lacks an understanding of more strategic thinking, just that it isn't the focus here.
The underlying theory is that people tend to be hardwired to respond to certain stimuli in predictable ways. The book tells you what those stimuli are, that is, how to push people's buttons. And it does a very good job, which is why Cialdini has demand for two versions of the same book.
I'm not going to list all of the tactics because the table of contents does that and, because they're detailed, they're difficult to understand without reading the book. But, they all have some basis in science and their effectiveness is empirically demonstrable, so you can trust that they work. The best part of this book, for me, was becoming more conscious of how others, including politicians, advertisers, and bosses, try to manipulate me. Cialdini deserves respect just for opening people's eyes, but he goes a step further by explaining ways to deal with the constant manipulation that is inherent in human communication.
The only problems I see are that the textbook version (this one) has a better index in the editions I compared, so it makes a better reference tool and that the book is written from an American cultural perspective. That's fine, as most of his audience is American, but, and this is my M.A. in Int'l Relations talking, I wonder how well some of these tactics would be recieved by people from other cultural backgrounds. In particular, notions of authority (which constitute a chapter) vary widely. Just a heads up. This is still a "must read" for people who want to know how to persuade or protect themselves against other's persuasion.

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Influence: Science and Practice is an examination of the psychology of compliance (i.e. uncovering which factors cause a person to say "yes" to another's request). Written in a narrative style combined with scholarly research, Cialdini combines evidence from experimental work with the techniques and strategies he gathered while working as a salesperson, fundraiser, advertiser, and in other positions inside organizations that commonly use compliance tactics to get us to say "yes." Widely used in classes, as well as sold to people operating successfully in the business world, the eagerly awaited revision of Influence reminds the reader of the power of persuasion.Cialdini organizes compliance techniques into six categories based on psychological principles that direct human behavior: reciprocation, consistency, social proof, liking, authority, and scarcity.

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The Secrets of Economic Indicators: Hidden Clues to Future Economic Trends and Investment Opportunities, 2nd Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)On any given weekday, stocks and bonds gyrate in response to some economic announcement.
Bernard Baumohl, a Time magazine economics writer with more than 20 years of experience, has written a guide to these indicators and their importance to the financial markets.
The book promises to become dog-eared quickly. In concise language it explains what Baumohl indicates are the most influential U. S. and International Economic Indicators. Beginning in Chapter 2, the author defines the phrases and concepts essential to an understanding of the indicators.
In Chapter 3 he jumps into the heart of the matter: U. S. economic indicators. Each indicator is evaluated using the following criteria:
*Why is it important?
*How is it computed?
*What does it day about the future?
*How might stocks, bonds and/or currencies react to its announcement?
In Chapter 4, he examines the 10 most influential foreign indicators using the same criteria.
In the final two chapters, Baumohl provides a list of web sites that compile economic data. What in the past costs thousands of dollars is available on the web at no cost.
If any facet of your life is effected by these indicators, you owe it to yourself to keep a copy of this book nearby.


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"This is the real deal. Baumohl miraculously breathes life into economic indicators and statistics."–The Wall Street Journal"This is the most up-to-date guide to economic indicators and their importance to financial markets in print. The coverage of less-reported indicators, especially those from nongovernment sources, is hard to find elsewhere. The inclusion of the actual published tables helps the newer student of the markets find the data in the public release. For anyone trying to follow the economic data, this should be next to your computer so that you can understand and find the data on the Internet."–David Wyss, Chief Economist, Standard and Poor's"I find Baumohl's writing fascinating. In addition to the famous indicators, he includes many that I hadn't heard of. I really appreciate that he tells you exactly where to find each indicator on the Web. Just about anyone who's serious about understanding which way the economy is headed will want to read this book. It could be a classic."–Harry Domash, Columnist for MSN Money and Publisher, Winning Investing Newsletter"Bernie Baumohl has accomplished something of real value in The Secrets of Economic Indicators. He has successfully demystified the world of financial and economic news that bombards us in our daily lives. Both professional investors and casual observers of the world of finance and economics will be grateful for what he has done. The constant stream of heretofore bewildering news from the world of business and finance can now be easily understood. Every businessperson or investor should keep a copy of Baumohl's book close at hand as he or she catches up on the business, stock market, and economic events of the day. It is great, at long last, to have someone who has eliminated what may have been so perplexing to so many and to have done so with such remarkable clarity."–Hugh Johnson, Chairman and Chief Investment Officer of Johnson Illington Advisors"Bernie Baumohl has written a must-read educational and reference book that every individual investor will find indispensable for watching, monitoring, and interpreting the markets. The daily flow of high frequency economic indicators is the stuff that makes financial markets move and that can signal the big trends that make or break investor portfolios. Most important, Bernie's long experience in reporting economics for Time Magazine helps make the 'dismal science' lively and interesting."–Allen Sinai, President and Chief Global Economist, Decision Economics, Inc."Baumohl has a gift for taking a complicated subject and allowing it to read like a fast-moving novel. My confidence in reading and understanding economic indicators as portrayed in this book made me realize the possibilities this information holds for improving my personal net worth as well as navigating my business toward higher profits. I recommend this book if you care about your future finances."–Morris E. Lasky, CEO, Lodging Unlimited, Inc.; Manager and consultant for $6 billion in hotel assets; Chairman, Lodging Conference; Chairman, International Hotel Conference"I think this is an excellent book. It's well written, accessible to a variety of readers, deals with an interesting and important subject, and covers the topic well. It deserves to get a lot of notice and use."–D. Quinn Mills, Alfred J. Weatherhead, Jr., Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School"Economic statistics, employment data, Federal Reserve surveys. Think they are boring? Think again! They can drive markets into a frenzy, causing billions of dollars to be made or lost in an instant. Bernie Baumohl brilliantly, clearly, and, yes, entertainingly describes what every investor and business manager should know about economic indicators: which ones move markets, how to interpret them, and how to use them to spot and capitalize on future economic trends. The Secrets of Economic Indicators is an extraordinary and insightful work–an enormously important contribution to the body of financial literature. Read it and then keep it on your desk. Consult it the next time you are deluged with a flurry of economic statistics. Your understanding certainly will be enhanced, and your portfolio will likely be as well."–Robert Hormats, Vice Chairman, Goldman Sachs (International)"If you want to make money investing, this is an essential trend-tracking tool that will help get you to the bank. This book is the real deal. Bernard Baumohl miraculously breathes life into deadly economic indicators and boring statistics . . . he knows what he's talking about, and his expertise proves it."–Gerald Celente, Director, The Trends Research InstituteCOMPLETELY UPDATED! THE PLAIN-ENGLISH, UP-TO-THE-MINUTE GUIDETO ECONOMIC INDICATORS: WHAT THEY MEAN, AND HOW TO USE THEM!Every day, investments bounce wildly in response to new economic indicators: statistics that provide crucial clues about the future of the economy and the markets. Now, you can use these indicators to make smarter investment decisions, just like the professionals. You don't need an economics degree, or a CPA–just The Secrets of Economic Indicators, Second Edition!Using up-to-the-minute examples and real-world stories, former TIME Magazine senior economics reporter Bernard Baumohl illuminates every U.S. and foreign indicator that matters right now. You'll learn where to find them, what their track records are, how to interpret them, and how to use that information to make better decisions. Baumohl has thoroughly updated this best-seller with new data, new examples, new indicators, and revised analyses–including a new assessment of the value of yield curves in predicting business cycles. Thousands of investors and business planners swore by the First Edition: these updates make it even more valuable.• New! Today's 10 most crucial leading indicatorsBetter ways to predict economic turning points in time to profit• Get ahead of the curve with the latest U.S. indicatorsNew insights into U.S. employment, monetary policy, inflation, capital flows, and more• Emerging foreign indicators you need to trackFrom China to India, Europe to Brazil...and beyond• Making sense of indicators in conflictWhat to do when the numbers disagree• Finding the dataFree Web resources for the latest economic data• Which economic indicators really matter right now?• What do they mean for stocks, bonds, interest rates, currencies...your portfolio?• How can you use them to make faster, smarter investment decisions?• Simple, clear, non-technical, friendly, usable...the only book of its kind!• By Bernard Baumohl, renowned economic analyst and former award-winning TIME Magazine financial journalistNew edition, with extensive new coverage:• Many new U.S. and global indicators, from new employment reports to box office receipts• New examples and up-to-the-minute data• Updated analyses of yield curves and other key metrics• More international coverage• New rankings of leading economic indicators, and much moreAbout the Author xiiiWhat's New in the Second Edition? xvPreface xviiAcknowledgments xxiiiChapter 1 The Lock-Up 1Chapter 2 A Beginner's Guide: Understanding the Lingo 17Chapter 3 The Most Influential U.S. Economic Indicators 25Chapter 4 International Economic Indicators: Why Are They So Important? 325Chapter 5 Best Web Sites for U.S. Economic Indicators 373Chapter 6 Best Web Sit...

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