Alchemy, Rory Sutherland
Alchemy, Rory Sutherland
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Alchemy
The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life

Author: Rory Sutherland

Narrator: Rory Sutherland

Unabridged: 9 hr 38 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HarperAudio

Published: 05/07/2019


Synopsis

HOW DOES MAGIC HAPPEN? The Ogilvy advertising legend—“one of the leading minds in the world of branding” (NPR)—explores the art and science of conjuring irresistible products and ideas.""A breakthrough book. Wonderfully applicable to about everything in life."" —Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author of The Black Swan“Veins of wisdom emerge regularly and brilliantly from these pages. Don't miss this book.”  —Robert B. Cialdini, author of InfluenceWhy is Red Bull so popular, though everyone—everyone!—hates the taste? Humans are, in a word, irrational, basing decisions as much on subtle external signals (that little blue can) as on objective qualities (flavor, price, quality). The surrounding world, meanwhile, is irreducibly complex and random. This means future success can’t be projected on any accounting spreadsheet. To strike gold, you must master the dark art and curious science of conjuring irresistible ideas: alchemy.Based on thirty years of field work inside the largest experiment in human behavior ever conceived—the forever-unfolding pageant of consumer capitalism—Alchemy, the revolutionary book by Ogilvy advertising legend Rory Sutherland, whose TED talks have been viewed nearly seven million times, decodes human behavior, blending leading-edge scientific research, absurdly entertaining storytelling, deep psychological insight, and practical case studies from his storied career working on campaigns for AmEx, Microsoft, and others.Heralded as “one of the leading minds in the world of branding” by NPR, Sutherland is a unique thought leader, as comfortable exchanging ideas with Nobel Prize winners Daniel Kahneman and Richard Thaler (both interviewed in these pages) as he is crafting the next product launch. His unconventional and relentlessly curious approach has led him to discover that the most compelling secrets to human decision-making can be found in surprising places:What can honey bees teach us about creating a sustainable business?How could budget airlines show us how to market a healthcare system?Why is it better to be vaguely right than precisely wrong?What might soccer penalty kicks teach us about the dangers of risk-aversion?Better “branding,” Sutherland reveals, can also be employed not just to sell products, but to promote a variety of social aims, like getting people to pay taxes, improving public health outcomes, or encouraging more women to pursue careers in tech. Equally startling and profound, Sutherland’s journey through the strange world of decision making is filled with astonishing lessons for all aspects of life and business.

About Rory Sutherland

Rory Sutherland is vice chairman of Ogilvy. His TED Talks have been viewed more than 6.5 million times. He lives in London.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Phil

A whirlwind of hot air Rory Sutherland really wants you to know how smart he is. Not only that, but he also wants you to know how stupid everyone else is. Consultants, accountants, economists, stock market analysts: all idiots. According to Mr. Sutherland, only creative people like him who don't succ......more

Goodreads review by Rishabh

Delightful read. Breezy and irreverent. The author talks about scenarios where a purely "logical" approach can lead to worse outcomes for business. Had some thought-provoking points. But wasn't particularly well structured. My key takeaways were: 1. Economic theory is an insufficient way to identify va......more

Goodreads review by jasmine

3x longer than it needs to be, and nothing new if you’ve read any pop/business psychology before (or have a humanistic background). the tips are better for life hackers and marketers than attempts to improve the world, so i’d disregard his comments on social/governance issues, which he comes off as......more

Goodreads review by Nika

Важко точно визначити ЦА - якщо для раціоналістів та прихильників економічної теорії, то чи прислухаються? Якщо для маркетологів - то й наче і так це знаємо. Є цікаві ідеї, але, oh man, знецінюючи і відкидаючи важливе😑 Кейси і унікальні випадки важливі для ринку так, але не вони його драйвлять......more

Goodreads review by Jim

I had a difficult time getting into this book, an uncorrected proof received for review from the publisher through LibraryThing. Barely forty pages over a miss and miss (as opposed to hit or miss) month and a half. As the illogic would have it, 3.5 hours spent waiting for the chance to be told the d......more