Power of Persuasion

ROBERT LEVINE is Professor and former Chairperson of the Psychology Department at California State University, Fresno. He has published articles in Psychology Today, Discover, American Demographics, NY Times, Utne Reader and American Scientist. He has received awards for his teaching, research and writing, including being named the university's "Outstanding Professor." Dr. Levine has been a Visiting Professor at Universidade Federal Fluminense in Niteroi, Brazil, at Sapporo Medical University in Japan, and at Stockholm University in Sweden. He serves on boards of professional organizations in the U.S. Germany and Taiwan.

• Acknowledgments ixIntroduction 1One The Illusion of InvulnerabilityOr, How Can Everyone Be Less Gullible Than Everyone Else? 5Two Whom Do We Trust? Experts, Honesty, and LikabilityOr, the Supersalesmen Don’t Look Like Salesmen at All 29Three Killing You with KindnessOr, Beware of Strangers Bearing Unexpected Gifts 65Four The Contrast PrincipleOr, How Black Gets Turned into White 91Five $2 + $2 = $ 5Or, Learning to Avoid Stupid Mental Arithmetic 113Six The Hot ButtonOr, How Mental Shortcuts Can Lead You into Trouble 137Seven Gradually Escalating the CommitmentsOr, Making You Say Yes by Never Saying No 159Eight Winning Hearts and MindsOr, the Road to Perpetual Persuasion 187Nine JonestownOr, the Dark End of the Dark Side of Persuasion 209Ten The Art of ResistanceOr, Some Unsolicited Advice for Using and Defending against Persuasion 227Notes 245Index 267