How Minds Change: The Surprising Science of Belief, Opinion, and Persuasion

David McRaney

A myth-shattering exploration of the science and the secrets of changing minds faster than we ever thought possible

Why do people suddenly join cults? How can you flip someone’s stance on birth control in twenty minutes or less? Why does cultural change sometimes take generations, and sometimes just a few years? In How Minds Change, David McRaney, host of the popular podcast "You Are Not So Smart," explores what’s actually going on when individuals or societies rapidly switch their worldviews, and zeros in on the keys to transforming almost anyone’s thinking.   
     Scientists now know that facts don’t change minds. Empathy and understanding are crucial to making this transformation. McRaney meets a host of fascinating people who help prove his point, including a former member of the Westboro Baptist Church, and a man who, after making a career out of denying 9/11, came to realize that he was wrong. By explaining the mysterious mechanisms behind personal and cultural shifts like these, How Minds Change provides an arsenal of counterintuitive, powerful new tools we can all use to change the world around us for the better.