Persuasion: The Art of Influencing People James Borg Prentice Hall £9.99
Persuaded? We were. If you want all the basics, or need to brush up your influencing skills before that big board meeting, buy it
Best of its kind
The Five Paths to Persuasion Robert B Miller, Gary A Williams with Alden M Hayashi Kogan Page £14.99
Graduates of Borg's Persuasion should read this book and keep it to hand. It is a research-heavy, convincing and well-written tome that casts new light on the dark arts of persuasion and influence. The authors spent two years interviewing 1,700 execs about the way they make decisions, and have classified managers into five different species - the 'Charismatic' versus the 'Controller' decision-maker, and so on. More important is the authors' clever guide on how to best persuade your specimen. MT dares you to classify your own boss, then work some persuasive magic...
Best of its kind
Life's a Game so fix the odds Philip Hesketh Capstone £12.99
A more populist book than the above, but which is in fact a how-to on selling skills. Nonetheless, consultant Hesketh manages to get under your skin. You'll find yourself unconsciously mirroring others' body language and repeating someone's name back to them, just so that you remember it.
The tone is mildly patronising, as is Hesketh's made-up swearword 'horrocks'.
Could be useful.
