Books like Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion

01

Thinking, Fast and Slow

Daniel Kahneman · Psychology

Thinking, Fast and Slow is Daniel Kahneman's account of the two cognitive systems that govern human thought.

Both dig into decision-making.

02

Predictably Irrational

Dan Ariely · Psychology

Predictably Irrational is Dan Ariely's examination of how humans make decisions that are consistently, systematically irrational — not random or arbitrary, but irrational in ways that follow patterns.

Both dig into decision-making.

03

Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness

Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein · Economics

Nudge is Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein's argument that the way choices are presented — the default option, the order of items, the framing of a question — powerfully shapes what people decide, often more than their own stated preferences.

Both dig into decision-making.

04

Never Split the Difference

Chris Voss · Business

Never Split the Difference is Chris Voss's argument that the rational, compromise-based negotiation frameworks taught in business schools miss something fundamental about how people actually make decisions.

Both dig into persuasion.

05

How to Win Friends and Influence People

Dale Carnegie · Self-help

How to Win Friends and Influence People is Dale Carnegie's 1936 guide to dealing with people effectively.

Both dig into persuasion.

06

Influence, New and Expanded: The Psychology of Persuasion

Robert B. Cialdini · Psychology

Influence, New and Expanded is the 2021 revision of Robert Cialdini's foundational 1984 work on the psychology of persuasion.

Shares persuasion and decision-making with Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.

07

The Influential Mind: What the Brain Reveals About Our Power to Change Others

Tali Sharot · Psychology

Tali Sharot's second book turns from how our own brains distort perception to how we can change what other people think and do.

Shares persuasion and decision-making with Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.

08

Wanting

Luke Burgis · Psychology

Wanting is Luke Burgis's attempt to bring René Girard's theory of mimetic desire to a general audience.

Shares social influence and decision-making with Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.

09

Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products

Nir Eyal · Business

Hooked is Nir Eyal's framework for designing products that people return to without external prompting.

Shares persuasion and behavioral psychology with Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.

10

Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion

Paul Bloom · Psychology

Paul Bloom's argument is not that we should care less about others.

Both dig into decision-making.

11

Age of Propaganda: The Everyday Use and Abuse of Persuasion

Anthony Pratkanis and Elliot Aronson · Psychology

Anthony Pratkanis and Elliot Aronson's central concern is that modern media, advertising, and politics have optimized for propaganda techniques that bypass critical reasoning and exploit psychological vulnerabilities.

Both dig into persuasion.

12

Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions

Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths · Psychology

Brian Christian is a writer and Tom Griffiths is a cognitive scientist, and together they argue that computer science has worked out rigorous solutions to many of the problems humans face every day — when to stop searching for a better option, how to manage your schedule, how to sort your memory — and that these solutions are both interesting and useful.

Both dig into decision-making.