Influence - The Psychology of Persuasion, Revised Edition by Robert B. Cialdini - Summary Book Guide – this is not just a classic of psychology, but its principles have been used in marketing and sales, to name just these two – you find another look at this and other quintessential magnum opera on my blog, where the best I could do is https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/2025/02/is-this-unique-could-it-make-money.html - 10 out of 10

 

Influence - The Psychology of Persuasion, Revised Edition by Robert B. Cialdini -  Summary Book Guide – this is not just a classic of psychology, but its principles have been used in marketing and sales, to name just these two – you find another look at this and other quintessential magnum opera on my blog, where the best I could do is https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/2025/02/is-this-unique-could-it-make-money.html

 

10 out of 10

 

 

 

The other review of Influence is at https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/2025/02/influence-by-robert-cialdini.html and the old look is probably better, especially given that today I will focus on one of the principles

 

-          The Principle of Respect for Authority

 

For what is on my mind now, the fall of the stock market and the rest of the chaos that is plain to see, there would have to be the Principle of Social Proof brought in here, but we will see…that is, if you stay in this corner

 

For about a week now, the NASDAQ, and other indexes have fallen, especially yesterday, when there has been a more than 3% correction – Tesla lost about 15%, and all I have to say for this is good – and the outlook is grim

Which brings us to the Principle of Respect for Authority and what calamitous consequences it can have, in Influence you get to read about the mass suicide that was caused by this extreme deference to an idiot who had a mass following

 

Today, we have the Orange Cult Leader, who promised that on day one he will bring peace in Ukraine, before he got elected, the stocks went up because they knew he would be coming, and now, look at the ‘very stable genius’

The alleged great businessman, who will bring so much prosperity, ‘winning so much your head will spin’, proves to be just a Confidence Man https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/2025/01/confidence-man-making-of-donald-trump.html

 

-          He told Congress that his first month has been the ‘best in American history, and you know who was second?

-          George Washington!

 

This idiot is not just a fool, he is crazy and the hoi polloi have been duped, following the false authority, this made me remember The Stanford Experiment https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/2025/03/my-note-on-stanford-experiement.html

In this study, they had some students play the role of guards and then other voluntaries take the position of inmates, and it all became a horror show, just like now, when the MAGA and acolytes have brought this maniac to the fore

 

We all have to watch, laugh at the preposterous painted monkey – and to think that they hate drag queens, and they worship a heavily made up drama queen – but also suffered the consequences, just like Mencken said https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/2025/03/notes-on-democracy-by-hl-mencken.html about democracy

‘On some great and glorious day, the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron… Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard. Democracy is also a form of worship. It is the worship of Jackals by Jackasses…’

 

Now for my standard closing of the note with a question, and invitation – maybe you have a good idea on how we could make more than a million dollars with this https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/2025/02/is-this-unique-could-it-make-money.html   – as it is, this is a unique technique, which we could promote, sell, open the Oscars show with or something and then make lots of money together, if you have the how, I have the product, I just do not know how to get the befits from it, other than the exercise per se

 

 There is also the small matter of working for AT&T – this huge company asked me to be its Representative for Romania and Bulgaria, on the Calling Card side, which meant sailing into the Black Sea wo meet the US Navy ships, travelling to Sofia, a lot of activity, using my mother’s two bedrooms flat as office and warehouse, all for the grand total of $250, raised after a lot of persuasion to the staggering $400…with retirement ahead, there are no benefits, nothing…it is a longer story, but if you can help get the mastodont to pay some dues, or have an idea how it can happen, let me know

 

As for my role in the Revolution that killed Ceausescu, a smaller Mao, there it is http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/03/realini-in-newsweek-participant-in.html

 

Some favorite quotes from To The Hermitage and other works

 

‘Fiction is infinitely preferable to real life...As long as you avoid the books of Kafka or Beckett, the everlasting plot of fiction has fewer futile experiences than the careless plot of reality...Fiction's people are fuller, deeper, cleverer, more moving than those in real life…Its actions are more intricate, illuminating, noble, profound…There are many more dramas, climaxes, romantic fulfillment, twists, turns, gratified resolutions…Unlike reality, all of this you can experience without leaving the house or even getting out of bed…What's more, books are a form of intelligent human greatness, as stories are a higher order of sense…As random life is to destiny, so stories are to great authors, who provided us with some of the highest pleasures and the most wonderful mystifications we can find…Few stories are greater than Anna Karenina, that wise epic by an often foolish author…’