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 Limited in scope, unengaged in style
Howard Gardner is no expert on changing minds. That becomes clear in this book, which offers a long and uninteresting pile of lecture stories.
Like his theory of multiple intelligences, Gardner sees no difficulty in simply adding and removing different categories, elements, and stories as he rambles on.
He discusses a confounded theory on the 80/20 rule (I still don't get it), his oh-so-uninteresting tales as a professor in the field of cognitive psychology, and recalls tales of his old-school behaviorist colleagues who couldn't change...
...somewhere in the middle of his book, he decides to introduce his thoughts on heterogeneous and homogeneous audiences, giving examples of how difficult it is for a leader to cross distinct bounds, including Margaret Thatcher (who faced sharp criticism from many people), Bill Clinton (for whom there is no clear analysis), and Newt Gingrich (who also is not well-developed)...the chapters are not well-focused, and much of the book remains unoriginal and uninteresting.
He does pick up steam when discussing his good friend, Mr. Freedman, the President of Dartmouth College. The perspective feels fresh and relevant, and Gardner writes it with a greater feeling of triumph and insight.
I was left disappointed, as if I was held up by a man desperate to tell stories, without any specific goal. Even his talk on educational psychology was weak. I finished this book with little to no new insight.
 Changing minds is (usually) a slow process
I like Howard Gardner's step by step explicatory writing. I respect the crucial role he played in breaking open the complexities of intelligence, and I like the way he continues to apply his theories in contexts different from their origin. I thought him disingenuous in his foreword?preface? when he said he hadn't anticipated the interest shown...within political and advertising circles...but whatever reason you have for selecting this book, I think you will find much to reflect on for application to your own particular circumstance. I have not read other works in this field and selected it because of the author, whose absence of breathless zeal I particularly appreciate. I found it relevant to my work in education, my life in a new, small, community, and even to my grappling with the personal dimensions of more healthy living.
 Change the Job Interviewer's Mind
The power to influence another persons thought process or even break free of our own rigid thinking is a highly advantageous skill to have in work and life.
In `Changing Minds' Harvard psychologist, Howard Gardner, demonstrates seven levers that effect mind change. He then teaches us how to align these levers in order to effect the perception and behavior of others. Gardner uses examples on all levels, from the mass influence of a political campaign to influencing the thoughts of individuals.
Naturally mastering this ability can greatly increase our chances of climbing the corporate ladder or landing the job and salary we desire in the first place. Imagine having the tools to be in control of your job interview, to effortlessly tip the balance in your favor. This is a good book for anyone, and it's great for job-seekers!
Danny Iny
Author of the free eBook "Forget Everything You Know About Looking For a Job... And Actually Find One!"
HuntingToHired, www.HuntingToHired.com
Science of Persuasion
This is one of my favorite books on persuasion and psychology of changing other people's (as well as your own) mind.
It provides good frameworks for understanding how and why people change their views on a matter. The tools and understanding of decision making contained in the book are a good reference for understanding the psychology of persuasion which could be useful in any type of negotiation, from one on one negotiation to complex multi-party negotiation. I highly recommend this book.
It is excellent and an easy read - but more importantly - it's ideas are readily applicable and useful in your everday life and understanding of complex behavior.
Limited examples, has little respect for the changee
I agree with many of the unenthusiastic reviews. The book could be much shorter and more effective if the author and editors had cut some of plentiful Harvard family stories. A few more peeves, as well. The author tries to be both a pundit (a word he uses too many times) and just 'ordinary folk'. He's trying to charm you with his folksiness and wonder with the world, and simultaneously wow you with his immense knowledge and insight. I'd rather he simply gave me information. The book seems targeted at people in business (it's published by the Harvard business school) who apparently can only remember things if they rhyme or all start with the same letters, (in this case "re-") like some slogan for a car commercial. Snippets of talk of 'integrity' are thrown in, to compensate for the condescension he seems to have for whoever's mind you're trying to change. One 'piece of advice' is to 'establish common links...In addition to their both being professors and intellectuals, Summers might have emphasized that he and West were the same age...' Good grief! I would hope that 'ordinary folk' (which I assume means non-professors and non-intellectuals) don't fall for such shallow tactics. Some style issues, which may or may not bother you: he has pet words, like 'amalgam' and 'pundit', which are used on every other page. The text in the paperback edition is a bit small, as if they just shrank the hardback pages, instead of re-typesetting the book.
Some useful ideas, but I recommend browsing the appendix, in your library first. Or you can have my copy. :-)
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