Book · recommended on 4 episodes
Influence
Robert Cialdini ISBN 9781863501569
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Robert Cialdini ISBN 9781863501569
Find it on AmazonAffiliate link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
This book by Robert Cialdini has come up 4 times across 2 different shows: Diary of a CEO, Tim Ferriss. 4 of those mentions were genuine on-air recommendations, not just passing references. The people who brought it up: Charlie Houpert, Desmond O'Neill, Max Levchin, Tim Ferriss. The earliest mention we indexed is from 2020-06-15 and the most recent from 2026-06-10. Every occurrence below links to the episode page and to the exact second it was said on YouTube.
Influence, the classic book on persuasion, explains the psychology of why people say "yes", and how to apply these understandings. Dr. Robert Cialdini is the seminal expert in the rapidly expanding field of influence and persuasion. His thirty-five years of rigorous, evidence-based research along with a three-year program of study on what moves people to change behavior has resulted in this highly acclaimed book. You'll learn the six universal principles, how to use them to become a skilled persuader, and how to defend yourself against them.
“if you're trying to start a business, you should read Influence by Cialdini because that is probably the most important social science book”— Max Levchin
The guest here is Max Levchin: Cofounder of PayPal and founder/CEO of Affirm; Soviet-Ukraine-born engineer-turned-CEO, cryptography enthusiast, obsessive cyclist, and prolific tech investor (sci-fi.vc). Affirm and PayPal cofounder Max Levchin on marriage, cycling, fighting socialism, building buy-now-pay-later, and his obsessive coffee philosophy.
“so it's Robert Cialdini. Oh, yeah. We teach that, right? It's one of those where you can understand why influence works”— Desmond O'Neill
The guest here is Desmond O'Neill: Former Secret Service agent and polygraph examiner with 30+ years in law enforcement (corrections, SWAT, internal affairs). Trained with the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group and now teaches communication via the Beyond Bulletproof platform. This was his first-ever podcast appearance. A former Secret Service interrogator reveals his PLAN framework for staying in control during emotionally charged, manipulative conversations.
“Back in the day, influenced by Chelini was was huge. Outstanding book. Still classic.”— Charlie Houpert
The guest here is Charlie Houpert: Founder of Charisma on Command, a YouTube channel and online education business (Charisma University) teaching social confidence and communication; former management consultant turned solo entrepreneur. Charisma on Command's Charlie Houpert traces his journey from broke consultant to multimillion-dollar online course creator, course-correcting through burnout and a painful co-founder split.
“rave reviews of the books sapiens poor Charlie's Almanac influence and man's search for meaning among others”— Tim Ferriss
The guest here is Derek Sivers, BJ Miller, and Christopher Sommer: A compilation of three Tools of Titans profiles: Derek Sivers, the introverted musician-turned-philosopher who founded and sold CD Baby; BJ Miller, a triple-amputee palliative care physician who has guided roughly 1,000 deaths; and Christopher Sommer, a former US National Team gymnastics coach and founder of the Gymnastic Bodies strength-training system. Tim Ferriss narrates his Tools of Titans intro plus profiles of Derek Sivers, BJ Miller, and Christopher Sommer.
26× recommendedTom O'Neill
17× recommendedSteven Pressfield
17× recommendedS.C. Gwynne
16× recommendedMarcus Aurelius
16× recommendedViktor Frankl
15× recommendedBrian Muraresku