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Fascinate: Unlocking The Secret Triggers Of Influence, Persuasion, And Captivation (2010)

by Sally Hogshead(Favorite Author)

3.73 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0061714704 (ISBN13: 9780061714702)

languge

English

genre

Nonfiction

publisher

HarperBusiness

review 1: The book is not an intellectual exploration, but a marketing workshop that is somewhat gimmicky. One of the problems is that for all the discussion about fascination, it doesn’t define in any depth what fascination really is. In her attempt to fascinate the reader, the author gets creative to the point of losing some credibility. For example, she says that symmetrical elbow bones improve a male’s sexual success, a somewhat factious claim. True, one researcher has found that symmetrical nonfacial features correlate with mating success. But this is a little different from saying that symmetrical elbow bones (for that matter, there is no “elbow bone”) will magically get you laid. But it is true that having a well-proportioned body will make you more attractive t... moreo the opposite sex. But that’s not to say the book lacks useful information. In a sense, the untold message is “Become who you are.” To help you find out who you are, the author offers an online personality test. The results tell you what the core drivers (she calls them “triggers”) are in your personality. To be more fascinating, you can supposedly exploit your triggers. The valuable message here is that one should not run away from their core personality traits, and not play a role you're assigned or become that which you’re told to be (by your boss, parents, wife, or by social norms). Instead, embrace yourself and learn how to exploit the positive traits of your true self. This also means you’ll have to accept that you won’t please everyone. Unfortunately, though, this message gets diluted in a presentation that sometimes sounds more like astrology that personal understanding.Some interesting and important observations: Fascination short-circuits our evaluation process—when we’re fascinated, we tend to behave irrationally, believe things we don’t agree with, buy things we don’t really want, and make choices and take certain actions without necessarily understanding why (being “in love” is one example). She referenced a survey saying that only 40% of Americans found their lives fascinating in the past year (shouldn’t living a fascinating life be a high priority?) We go to a lot of trouble and buy a lot of products to try to make us more fascinating, but most people don’t feel they are fascinating. When achieved, fascination makes us feel more alive.At the end of the book, fascination is described as an intense captivation that is more than just interesting, distracts you from the things around you, and makes you want to pay complete attention. And it also says that fascination is more than this, but doesn't follow up on that. Which is why this powerful concept needs further unpacking and is where the book fell short.
review 2: This book came recommended in a blog or article I read, and I had high hopes for it as I transitioned into a new position at work that found me considering how best to develop our brand. A colleague and I had planned to work our way through the book a chapter or two at a time. After our first meeting in September, we agreed the book was overhyped. I finally finished it this week only to get it off my dresser and onto a new life at Half Price Books. less

Download links for: Fascinate: Unlocking the Secret Triggers of Influence, Persuasion, and Captivation

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