Alchemy

Rory Sutherland

ISBN 10: 0753556529 / ISBN 13: 9780753556528

Published by Ebury Publishing, GB, 2021

About this Item

Discover the secret power of irrational thinking to create magic in branding, business, and life, with the breakthrough book from the advertising legend.AS SEEN ON THE DIARY OF A CEO PODCAST'Revelatory and entertaining' Sunday Times'Sutherland uses his decades of experience to dissect human spending behavior in an insanely entertaining way.a must read' Entrepreneur, Best Books of the Year'One of the leading minds in the world of branding' NPR--------------Why is Red Bull so popular - even though everyone hates the taste? Why do countdown boards on platforms take away the pain of train delays?And why do we prefer stripy toothpaste?The answer? Humans are, in a word, irrational.In his groundbreaking book, TED Talk superstar and Ogilvy advertising icon Rory Sutherland reveals why abandoning logic and casting aside rationality is the best way to solve any problem.Based on thirty years of field work, his unconventional and relentlessly curious approach has led him to discover that the most compelling secrets to human decision making can be found in surprising places:What can honeybees teach us about creating a sustainable business?How could budget airlines show us how to market a health-care system?Why is it better to be vaguely right than precisely wrong?What might football penalty kicks teach us about the dangers of risk aversion?Better "branding," Sutherland reveals, can also be employed not just to sell products but to promote a variety of social aims, like getting people to pay taxes, improving public health outcomes, or encouraging more women to pursue careers in tech.In his mission to turn us all into idea alchemists, Sutherland blends cutting-edge behavioural science with jaw-dropping true stories to show that the problems we face, both as an individual or in society, could very well be solved by thinking less logically.To be brilliant, you have to be irrational. This book shows you how.

Seller Inventory # LU-9780753556528

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Alchemy
• Publisher: Ebury Publishing, GB
• Publication Date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0753556529
• ISBN 13: 9780753556528
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: New
• Weight: 260 grams

About this title

Synopsis

‘A breakthrough book. Wonderfully applicable to everything in life, and funny as hell.’ Nassim Nicholas Taleb

To be brilliant, you have to be irrational

Why is Red Bull so popular – even though everyone hates the taste? Why do countdown boards on platforms take away the pain of train delays? And why do we prefer stripy toothpaste?

We think we are rational creatures. Economics and business rely on the assumption that we make logical decisions based on evidence.

But we aren’t, and we don’t.

In many crucial areas of our lives, reason plays a vanishingly small part. Instead we are driven by unconscious desires, which is why placebos are so powerful. We are drawn to the beautiful, the extravagant and the absurd – from lavish wedding invitations to tiny bottles of the latest fragrance. So if you want to influence people’s choices you have to bypass reason. The best ideas don’t make rational sense: they make you feel more than they make you think.

Rory Sutherland is the Ogilvy advertising legend whose TED Talks have been viewed nearly 7 million times. In his first book he blends cutting-edge behavioural science, jaw-dropping stories and a touch of branding magic, on his mission to turn us all into idea alchemists. The big problems we face every day, whether as an individual or in society, could very well be solved by letting go of logic and embracing the irrational.