How Minds Change: The New Science of Belief, Opinion and Persuasion

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In a time when too many minds seem closed, this is a masterful analysis of what it takes to open them Adam Grant, author of the bestselling Think Again Optimistic, illuminating and even inspiringGuardian As the world is increasingly polarised, it feels impossible to change the mind of someone with a conflicting view. But this book shows that you could be one conversation away from changing someones mind about something, maybe a lot of things. Self-delusion expert and psychology nerd David McRaney sets out to discover not just what it takes to influence others, but why we believe in the first place. Along the way he meets a former Westboro Baptist Church member who was deradicalised on Twitter, goes deep canvassing to see how quickly people will surrender their character-defining views, finds a 9/11 Truther who turns his back on it all, andreveals how, within a few years, half a country can go from opposing the gay agenda to happily attending same-sex weddings. Distilling the latest research in psychology and neuroscience, How Minds Change reveals how beliefs take hold, not over hundreds of years, but in less than a generation, in less than a decade, and sometimes in an instant.

Reviews

An optimistic, illuminating and even inspiring read.

-- Guardian

Fascinating.

-- Daily Mail

The concept that, with more knowledge, long-held hypotheses can be disproved isnt likely to be news But it doesnt make McRaneys book any less interesting [McRaneys] writing is a tonic for those who might scratch their head at how others could be so nonsensical.

-- New Scientist

David McRaney is one of our finest science communicators and How Minds Change is his greatest achievement yet. Brilliantly smart, continually entertaining and utterly timely, it will change the way you see the world and help you change others.

-- Will Storr, author of Selfie and The Science of Storytelling

How Minds Change brings us face to face with the radically weird science of how our thoughts, perceptions, and beliefs are actually formed, and how they can, for better or worse, be modified. The sensation this book creates of being a bit of a stranger to ones own mind is not entirely comfortable, but it is surely worthwhile.

-- Jordan Ellenberg, author of Shape and How Not to Be Wrong

A riveting read on the art and science of persuasion. David McRaneys brilliant book will force you to rethink your views about how to motivate other people to rethink theirs. In a time when too many minds seem closed, this is a masterful analysis of what it takes to open them.

-- Adam Grant, author of Think Again

When I first talked to David McRaney about How Minds Change, I found myself taking mad notes on everything he was explaining to me! Thank goodness he wrote the book so I can relax and just soak it all in!

-- Simon Sinek, author of Start with Why and The Infinite Game

If you join David McRaney on this journey a spirited tour that ranges from activists to scientists to cultists youll arrive in an unexpected place. He shows us how generous conversations can replace zero-sum debates and how genuine empathy can close deep divisions. How Minds Change is the ideal book for our perilous moment.

-- Daniel H. Pink, author of To Sell is Human and Drive

McRaneys topic in How Minds Change couldnt be more important, and hes the perfect guide to it: warm, witty, and powered by an infectious curiosity.

-- Julia Galef, host of the Rationally Speaking podcast and author of The Scout Mindset

Filled with the kinds of captivating real-life stories that you cant wait to tell your friends and the latest scientific insights from psychology and beyond, McRaneys book provides a surprising glimpse into why changing human minds is so damn hard but also the good news that it can in fact be possible with the right strategies.

-- Laurie Santos, professor of psychology at Yale University and host of The Happiness Lab podcast

McRaneys the best science writer I know at this complex, fascinating subject the fabric of our thought and beliefs. How Minds Change is a page-turner, filled with remarkable reporting and stories.

-- Clive Thompson, author of Coders

How Minds Change explores why some worldviews seem so stubbornly immune to reason and why people will nevertheless change their minds in the right circumstances.

-- Tim Harford, FT Weekend

Author Bio

David McRaney is a journalist, author and podcaster. His blog exploring how we delude ourselves laid the groundwork for his first book, You Are Not So Smart, which became an international bestseller and was translated into fourteen languages. He lives in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. @davidmcraney davidmcraney.com