Book Titles

Quite a lot of laboratory research has shown that people are more likely to deal with information in a controlled fashion when they have both the desire and the ability to analyze it carefully…

…there is an unsettling tendency in our society to accept unthinkingly the statements and directions of individuals who appear to be authorities on the topic.

It is odd that, despite their current widespread use and looming future importance, most of us know very little about our automatic behavior patterns.

The [reciprocity] rule says that we should try to repay what another person has provided us.

Especially for relatively small favors, the desire to repay seems to fade with time. But when gifts are of the truly notable and memorable sort, they can be remarkably long-lived.

…the pull of reciprocity can be both lifesaving and lifelong.

…little things are not always little – not when they link the big rules of life, such as reciprocity.

…human societies derive a truly significant competitive advantage from the reciprocity rule and, consequently, they make sure their members are trained to comply with it.

…most of us would have guessed that people are more willing to do a favor for someone you like.

…retain (earned) influence by saying something such as, ‘Listen, if our positions were ever reversed, I know you’d do the same for me.’ The benefits should be considerable.