Cover of Influence

Book · 1983 · Compliance

Influence

How and why People Agree to Things

by Robert B. Cialdini · Recommended by 21 people on 14 podcasts

#91 of 16,685 books, ranked by how many different people bring it up on podcasts

mentions
48
people
21
podcasts
14
episodes
41
critical mentions
0

We earn a commission if you buy through the store links below, at no cost to you.

I am sure it's in your list and everyone's list, but if you haven't read it, if you're trying to start a business, you should read Influence by Chelini because that is probably the most important social science book published in the last 50 years.
Max Levchin · The Tim Ferriss Show · Jun 2026

What they say about it

Grouped from 48 mentions
  • Discusses principles of persuasion“the half dozen basic principles by which human beings”
    5
  • Calls it an important book“one of the most important books I've ever read”
    3
  • Mentions the rule of reciprocity“the rule of reciprocity”
    3
  • Rereads the book“I was rereading a book”
    3

The best things said about it

5 of 48 · every mention
Recommended
If I gave Raymond the best advice I think it would be go read influence by Bob chalini and I know you and I have both read influence and were both big fans the reason I suggest that is that what Bob chalini as a psychologist did was to document the half dozen basic principles by which human beings persuade.
Angela Duckworth No Stupid Questions · Aug 2024
Recommended
There is a book by Cialdini called Influence that just changed the way I thought about how I interact in the world and influence is the basis of negotiation.
Alan Donegan ChooseFI · Aug 2021
Recommended
That book changed my life.
Shaan Puri My First Million · Mar 2020
Discussed
He is interesting because he says that he wrote the book influence so that we all of us civilians could be hip to the tricks.
Stephen Dubner No Stupid Questions · Jun 2021
Discussed
Years back, Cialdini wrote a book that became a classic in business circles. It's called Influence.
Stephen Dubner Freakonomics Radio · Jun 2012

Where and when it comes up

Mentions per year

Counted mentions by episode date. Our archive is deeper for recent years; 2026 so far.

How it comes up

Recommended means the speaker tells listeners to read it.

Most mentions, by podcast

Top 9 of 14 shows

21 people who brought it up

Most recommendations first

Also: Guy Spier · B.J. Fogg · Candace Owens · Chris Williamson · Dan Shapiro · Jim O'Shaughnessy · Richard Thaler · Scott Adams · Warren Cass

Why people recommend it

Influence by Robert B. Cialdini is a foundational social science text that examines the psychological principles of persuasion, compliance, and why people say yes. The book receives frequent praise from entrepreneurs, psychologists, and media figures across various podcasts. On The Tim Ferriss Show, Max Levchin recommended the work for anyone starting a business, calling it one of the most critical social science books published in recent decades. Sam Parr mentioned on My First Million that he was rereading the classic text to refresh his understanding of persuasion. Angela Duckworth discussed the book on No Stupid Questions alongside Stephen Dubner, noting that Cialdini's documentation of human behavior principles directly inspired her to pursue a career in psychology and praising the updated editions. Andrew Wilkinson shared on Modern Wisdom that reading the book provided him with a broad overview of common human misjudgments, and Brad Barrett brought up the title on ChooseFI to illustrate the psychological power of fundamental persuasion techniques. Across these appearances, speakers emphasized the enduring utility of Cialdini's research in navigating everyday negotiations, avoiding scams, and understanding human decision-making processes.

Every mention

48 counted mentions · 1 passing or ad reads below
Shaan Puri So that's called the law of reciprocity. So there's been a lot of studies on this and if you read the book… 8
Discussed
“We discussed Robert Cialdini's Influence, The Psychology of Persuasion.”
Discussed
“like I have this book up here, Pre-Suasion. You know who wrote that? Of course. Uh Robert Cialdini. His book Influence, like I read that when I was going through my period”
Discussed
“There was um Have you read the book Influence by Robert Cialdini? No.”
Discussed
“he he read the book Persuasion by Robert Cialdini or whatever. The I forgot what the exact title is. But I think it is called Influence.”
Recommended
“So that's called the law of reciprocity. So there's been a lot of studies on this and if you read the book influence by Robert Cialdini, it's a it's basically been proven through a lot of different studies.”
Recommended
“or go and read um influence by robert exactly somebody who who gets into this stuff and is nonjudgmental”
Recommended
“there's this great book by Robert Chow Dini called influence maybe just google influence book you'll see it seems Robert Chow Dini read that it's it's that book changed my life”
Recommended
“so another thing I would do to run this company is I would go to is it it was a book called influence by Robert Chow Dini”
Angela Duckworth I also by the way love the new version of influence the original version of influence is why I became a psy… 3
Recommended
“If I gave Raymond the best advice I think it would be go read influence by Bob chalini and I know you and I have both read influence and were both big fans the reason I suggest that is that what Bob chalini as a psychologist did was to document the half dozen basic principles by which human beings persuade”
Recommended
“if I gave Raymond the best advice I think it would be go read influence by Bob cialdini and I know you and I have both read influence and we're both big fans and the reason I suggest that is that what Bob cialdini as a psychologist did was to document the half dozen basic principles by which human beings”
Recommended
“I also by the way love the new version of influence the original version of influence is why I became a psychologist in the first place”
Andrew Wilkinson I read a book called influence by Robert seini which kind of it's kind of a broad overview of all of the mo… 2
Recommended
“I read a book called influence by Robert seini which kind of it's kind of a broad overview of all of the most common um causes of human misjudgment”
Recommended
“I spent a couple years actually just reading and rereading books on psychology to try and Hammer this stuff into my brain my favorite book on it is influenced by Robert cialdini it's amazing”
Lewis Howes and i would say there's a book that just popped in my mind called influence by robert cialdini 2
Recommended
“and i would say there's a book that just popped in my mind called influence by robert cialdini”
Recommended
“And I would say there's a book that just popped in my mind called Influence by Robert Cialdini. Which I've never read that!”
Stephen Dubner his book is called influence the psychology of persuasion we were discussing the new and Expanded Edition w… 8
Discussed
“and it's so interesting if you've read his book which I know you have and I know I have and I'm guessing many other people have it's called influence he's written few”
Discussed
“he is interesting because he says that he wrote the book influence so that we all of us civilians could be hip to the tricks”
Discussed
“but in this case cialdini did ship in the form of a book he wrote about this research it was called influence the psychology of persuasion it was published in 1984.”
Discussed
“he identified cialdini like a character in some ancient fairy tale has found himself advising both sides of the bargaining table now he has released a new and aggressively Expanded Edition of his book”
Discussed
“you get the sense that the world has finally caught up to Robert cialdini the author of the classic book influence the power of persuasion”
Recommended
“his book is called influence the psychology of persuasion we were discussing the new and Expanded Edition which has just been published”
Discussed
“I was reading his soon to be published new version of influence and how we persuade each other and he says that people take these mental shortcuts”
Discussed
“Years back, Cialdini wrote a book that became a classic in business circles. It's called Influence. His research career has been dedicated to the power of social norms.”
Brad Barrett and my mind went immediately to a book called influence by Robert cialdini which uh if I know you've read i… 4
Discussed
“like sometimes I'm thinking back to like the Robert chini's book influence and like I think the psychological study was something silly”
Discussed
“where that's most significantly featured is in Robert cialdini's book influence”
Recommended
“and my mind went immediately to a book called influence by Robert cialdini which uh if I know you've read it because I can see you nodding yes for anybody in the audience who hasn't read it this is one of the most important books I've ever read and it just talks about the the five principles of persuasion”
Discussed
“I've been recently I went back to Robert cialdini's famous book influence and there are the different rules of influence and one of them is the law or the rule of reciprocity”
Sam Parr I was rereading a book that I read when I was younger. Uh I think it was like Robert Chowini's influence, y… 3
Discussed
“So what you're saying by the way is like a world famous uh it's the rule of reciprocity. It's Robert Chaini's book, Influence”
Recommended
“I was rereading a book that I read when I was younger. Uh I think it was like Robert Chowini's influence, you know, it's all about persu persuasion.”
Discussed
“Well, in that book Influence, they say they say if you if you if you give someone a reason for why you're doing something, they're more likely to do it.”
Alan Donegan there is a book by cialdini called influence that just changed the way I thought about how I interact in th… 1
Recommended
“there is a book by cialdini called influence that just changed the way I thought about how I interact in the world and influence is the basis of negotiation”
Max Levchin I am sure it's in your list and everyone's list, but if you haven't read it, if you're trying to start a bu… 1
Recommended
“I am sure it's in your list and everyone's list, but if you haven't read it, if you're trying to start a business, you should read Influence by Chelini because that is probably the most important social science book published in the last 50 years.”
Rory Sutherland didn't if you've read his great book influence he's in many ways the sort of godfather he's at the Universi… 1
Recommended
“didn't if you've read his great book influence he's in many ways the sort of godfather he's at the University of Arizona he's kind of the Godfather of a virile science in many ways”
Steven Bartlett I was thinking about that. Is it Carnegie? What's that book? But it's probably behind me somewhere called i… 3
Discussed
“I was thinking about that. Is it Carnegie? What's that book? But it's probably behind me somewhere called influence and it talks about the the five pillars of influence. Things like it gets you to so it's Robert Cialdini.”
Discussed
“In those situations, I'm hearing many of the things that I read in that book Influence by Robert Cialdini. Cialdini. I'm hearing reciprocity.”
Discussed
“well there's a book called influence which and one of the five principles of influence is this idea of scarcity”
Chase Hughes And Bob Chaldini, he wrote the book called Influence. And he wrote another book called Persuasion. 2
Discussed
“And Bob Chaldini, he wrote the book called Influence. And he wrote another book called Persuasion.”
Discussed
“uh Robert chalini who wrote influence and persuasion wonderful human being wrote about this where a few weeks before they go ask somebody to put a giant ugly sign in their yard that says drive safe”
Guy Spier And around that time, and this is not from Anthony Robbins, I'd read the um psychology of influence. 2
Discussed
“And around that time, and this is not from Anthony Robbins, I'd read the um psychology of influence.”
Discussed
“So, in the Cialdini book, there is a story of the person who was the most successful car sales person for the longest time.”
B.J. Fogg after running a series of experiments the um social influence dynamics mostly i was taking robert cialdini'… 1
Discussed
“after running a series of experiments the um social influence dynamics mostly i was taking robert cialdini's work that great book influence and taking those principles”
Candace Owens The book that SCOP uses as a manual of influence is is influenced by Rob Chelini. Rob Shielini is spelled C… 1
Discussed
“The book that SCOP uses as a manual of influence is is influenced by Rob Chelini. Rob Shielini is spelled C I A L D I N I for people that are listening to this. And he continues and those influencers are using a framework right out of that book. So yes, that is a psychology book that my producer”
Chris Williamson so his book persuasion I believe it's true that Charlie and Warren love that book so much I think it probab… 1
Discussed
“so his book persuasion I believe it's true that Charlie and Warren love that book so much I think it probably made a sold millions of copies”
Dan Shapiro the other thing that I didn't give your fan of I think is a Bob C eldini the guy that wrote the influencer… 1
Discussed
“the other thing that I didn't give your fan of I think is a Bob C eldini the guy that wrote the influencer book basically says that for creative expansive type of tasks giving people explicit compensation is actually really counterproductive”
Jim O'Shaughnessy and uh it's in the book influence and everybody knows about it 1
Discussed
“and uh it's in the book influence and everybody knows about it”
Richard Thaler And the team just started experimenting writing different letters. So there's a simple trick from Bob Ciald… 1
Discussed
“And the team just started experimenting writing different letters. So there's a simple trick from Bob Cialdini, the great social psychologist, author of the book Influence, that if you tell people truthfully, most people pay their taxes on time, that helps a little bit.”
Scott Adams Robert Chini who wrote the book influence 1
Discussed
“Robert Chini who wrote the book influence”
Warren Cass you've got their psychology of persuasion by child Eenie a brilliant book written in the 1980s and he has d… 1
Discussed
“you've got their psychology of persuasion by child Eenie a brilliant book written in the 1980s and he has done some work since there”

Also mentioned in the same episodes

Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
Plugged
“so we end um our the book that that I wrote together with my co-author Kasin we end that with a chapter that's called experiments in living”

Portraits from Wikimedia Commons: Max Levchin, Morgan Sherwood (flawedartist) from San Francisco (CA), USA / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0); Angela Duckworth, GRuban / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0); Stephen Dubner, Audrey S. Bernstein / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0); Andrew Wilkinson, University of the Fraser Valley / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0); Lewis Howes, Lewis Howes / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0).