Coercion: The Professional Persuaders and Why We Listen - Softcover

They say that human beings only use ten per cent of their brains. They say the corner office is a position of power. They say you can earn #10,000 a week in your spare time. But who, exactly, are "they"? And why do we listen to them? We each have our own "theys" - bosses, experts and authorities who seem to dictate our lives and create our futures. Like parents, in the best of circumstances they can make us feel safe. But where power and profit are at stake, they can try to make us do what they want: buy their product, vote for their party, support their cause. This is a manual for survival in a demanding age. Covering everything from the coercive power of casino and shopping-centre design to how door-to-door salesmen employ CIA interrogation techniques, the book shows what "they" do and how they do it.

Douglas Rushkoff writes a column about technology and culture for the NEW YORK TIMES and is a regular contributor to TIME and the GUARDIAN. He lectures and consults about the media all over the world and is Professor of Virtual Culture at New York University.