Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion

Robert Cialdini, a social psychologist, spent years studying how people are persuaded to say yes. The book lays out six principles that drive compliance: reciprocity, commitment and consistency, social proof, authority, liking, and scarcity. Drawing on experiments and on time spent with salespeople and fundraisers, Cialdini shows how these levers work and how to recognize when they are being used on you. It has become a standard reference in marketing and behavioral science.