Influence
Influence by Robert Cialdiniby Robert Cialdini
Tied for most recommended of 9 psychology books
People recommend it as a classic on the psychology of persuasion, one that changed how readers see their own decisions and suits sales work. One critic calls the word influence a euphemism for manipulate.
People recommend it as a classic on the psychology of persuasion, one that changed how readers see their own decisions and suits sales work. One critic calls the word influence a euphemism for manipulate.
8 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 7
- criticize it
- 1
- approval share
- 88%
Recommended in 5 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 7 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 7 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 5 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Framed as manipulation rather than persuasion
““influence” is a euphemism for “manipulate.””
Comment from 4 May 2026 in “Talking to 35 Strangers at the Gym”
Other psychology books people recommend
The four most recommended other psychology books, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Influenceby Robert CialdiniThis page | 7 | 1 | 88% | 5 | — | — |
| The Courage to Be Dislikedby Ichiro Kishimi | 7 | 0 | 100% | 7 | — | — |
| The Inner Game of Tennisby W. Timothy Gallwey | 4 | 0 | 100% | 2 | — | — |
| The Happiness Hypothesisby Jonathan Haidt | 3 | 0 | 100% | 3 | — | — |
| Stumbling on Happinessby Daniel Gilbert | 3 | 0 | 100% | 3 | — | — |
What people said
6 of the 8 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“well-known psychology tricks that you can use to get better outcomes”
“In terms of sales training - help a lot.”
“I've learned this by reading Influence by Robert Cialdini.”
““influence” is a euphemism for “manipulate.””
“the masterpiece on influence”
“Influence in particular made it shockingly clear how our environment shapes not only our decision process, but our personality.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.