The influential mind : what the brain reveals about our power to change others

A cutting-edge, research-based inquiry into how we influence those around us and how understanding the brain can help us change minds for the better.

In The Influential Mind, neuroscientist Tali Sharot takes us on a thrilling exploration of the nature of influence. We all have a duty to affect others--from the classroom to the boardroom to social media. But how skilled are we at this role, and can we become better? It turns out that many of our instincts--from relying on facts and figures to shape opinions, to insisting others are wrong or attempting to exert control--are ineffective, because they are incompatible with how people's minds operate. Sharot shows us how to avoid these pitfalls, and how an attempt to change beliefs and actions is successful when it is well-matched with the core elements that govern the human brain.

Sharot reveals the critical role of emotion in influence, the weakness of data and the power of curiosity. Relying on the latest research in neuroscience, behavioral economics and psychology, the book provides fascinating insight into the complex power of influence, good and bad.

• Prologue. A Horse-Sized Syringe: The Surprising, Baffling, Mysterious Case of Influence p. 1
• 1 (Priors) Does Evidence Change Beliefs?: The Power of Confirmation and the Weakness of Data p. 11
• 2 (Emotion) How We Were Persuaded to Reach for the Moon: The Incredible Sway of Emotion p. 35
• 3 (Incentives) Should You Scare People into Action?: Moving with Pleasure and Freezing with Fear p. 55
• 4 (Ageney) How You Obtain Power by Letting Go: The Joy of Agency and the Fear of Losing Control p. 79
• 5 (Curiosity) What Do People Really Want to Know?: The Value of Information and the Burden of Knowledge p. 105
• 6 (State) What Happens to Minds Under Threat?: The Influence of Stress and the Ability to Overcome p. 129
• 7 (Others, Part I) Why Do Babies Love iPhones?: The Strength of Social Learning and the Pursuit of Uniqueness p. 149
• 8 (Others, Part II) Is "Unanimous" as Reassuring as It Sounds?: How to Find Answers in an Unwise Crowd p. 173
• 9 The Future of Influence?: Your Mind in My Body p. 197
• Appendix: The Influential Brain p. 211
• Notes p. 213
• Acknowledgements p. 229
• Index p. 233