Author: David J. Liberman

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Pub. in: May, 2001

ISBN: 0312270178

Pages: 208

Measurements: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches

Origin of product: USA

Order code: BA00549

Other information: 1st St. Martin's Griffin Ed edition

The author is an internationally renowned leader in the field of human behavior. This book is a New York Times bestseller with impressive performance on Amazon.com.

David J. Lieberman, Ph.D., holds a degree in psychology and is the creator of Neural-Dynamic Analysis, a short-term therapy technique. He is a speaker and consultant. He has also written two other books: Never Be Lied To Again, and Instant Analysis.

This 185-page book has no index, but it does have a bibliography. It is divided into five main sections: (1) how to get people to like you; (2) how to avoid being manipulated and lied to; (3) how to get anyone to do anything; (4) how to win in competitions; (5) how to get the upper hand in difficult situations.

Dr. Lieberman writes in a clear, direct, easy-to-understand style. While he doesn't provide any footnotes for the studies he refers to, the suggestions he offers are for the most part very valid according to other sources I've read discussing similar topics.

There are plenty of techniques here to try in order to improve personal and professional relationships in which you feel powerless in some way; most are not complicated, and they are very likely to work.
However...there is a vital issue lurking behind the idea of getting anyone to do "anything" that I must bring up: the information in this book can just as easily be used for destructive purposes as constructive ones. That is, if you learn the methods it suggests very well, you will become a master at conniving in order to fulfill your needs at other people's expense. There is zero discussion in this book of the need for ethics when using persuasion. In fact, the only value Dr. Lieberman seems to espouse is the complete egocentrism of "looking out for number one" at all times.

Further warning: in my opinion, the people who are most likely to devour this book are salespersons since it is very much in the tradition of the bible of sales, How To Win Friends and Influence People. Imagine how much more easily someone who studies Dr. Lieberman's ideas will be able to steamroll the unsuspecting into buying things they don't need or want!

I also worry what anti-social types could do with this knowledge. In particular, if a predator were to combine what is contained in the section on getting people to like you and the section on getting people to do what you want, they could greatly increase their chance of "success" at victimizing others without use of violence. In particular, this is a crucial issue in the matter of date rape. In this country, if violence is not used when a man induces a woman to have sex against her will, it is very difficult for her to establish legally that she was raped. Tragically, surrendering to callous manipulation and engaging in emotionally non-consensual sex (sex a woman does not truly want) can destroy her self-esteem and lead to depression. Often so deep, the woman becomes suicidal.

In short, a man who "persuades" a woman this way has achieved a sense of personal power by completely destroying the personal power of another human being.

Having said all that, I think that realizing how dangerous this information could be in the wrong hands is not a reason to run from this book. On the contrary, it gives a potential reader a strong motivation to buy it: it behooves all of us to not only understand how to use these formulas for healthy purposes, but to know how destructive people could apply them to hurt us and the people we love.

(From quoting Kate McMurry, USA)

Target readers: Recommended for professionals, parents, young graduates, and anyone who want to improve their interpersonal skills.

Better with Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (Collins Business Essentials) :

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