The Persuaders: The Hidden Industry That Wants to Change Your Mind

Almost every hour of every day, people will try to change your mind — and they don’t want you to notice, because none of it consists in giving you good reasons. You are nudged, anchored, and incentivized. Products are designed with the help of neuromarketing to appeal to unconscious minds; the taste of food is improved merely by brand association. Covert PR can start wars — the emotional testimony of fifteen year-old Nayirah which helped the case for the first Gulf War was assembled by PR firm Hill and Knowlton. Book covers adorned with favorable quotes are a powerful ‘social proof’, whether the quotes are real or bogus.

These hidden techniques for changing our minds are everywhere, once we know how to spot them. Philosopher James Garvey presents not just a requiem for rationality, but a call to think again about the way we think now.