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  • Alchemy

  • The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life
  • Written by: Rory Sutherland
  • Narrated by: Rory Sutherland
  • Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (90 ratings)

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Alchemy

Written by: Rory Sutherland
Narrated by: Rory Sutherland
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Publisher's Summary

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 Influence

Why 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 this audio) 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.

©2019 Rory Sutherland (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers

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Rory Sutherland's narration is truly special

This book is great. An easy 5-star rating. One of my very favourites.

Rory's narration is equally fantastic. Not only did he narrate it himself, but he's also a truly engaging speaker, and he even went through the trouble of adding extra jokes to help the writing flow properly in audio format.

This is the best narration I've ever listened to. Truly great.

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Mind-expanding

This book will open up a world of opportunities by changing the way you think. Every chapter was filled with fascinating insights, countless aha moments.

I only have one gripe: What the author frames as “anti-rational thinking” is really *expanded* rationality; a rationality that is broad enough to encompasses the the strange, counter-intuitive quirks of human psychology.

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Unleashing the Power of Irrational Thinking

A mind-expanding journey into the art of irrational thinking. Brilliantly crafted, it inspires innovation, challenges norms, and reveals the magic in embracing the illogical.

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Fascinating and full of examples

Full of dozens of fascinating examples of seemingly irrational consumer behaviors and why they make perfect sense. It’s these examples that are valuable in conversations with stodgy nonbelievers. Big bonus: read by the author in his charming British voice.

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brilliant

what a fantastic book! one great insight after another. Rory Sutherland has a brilliant way of looking at things.

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A blind purchase, well worth it

Thoroughly enjoyed this, I couldn’t “put it down!” Clever insights backed by relevant and entertaining anecdotes and superb storytelling. A must listen.

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Excellent

Lots of knowledge and clever insights no one is thinking about or considers, all while narrated in a fun and engaging style.

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Entertaining with unexpected insights

It's a humorous repudiation of mainstream academic ways of thinking about human nature. Rory reads it well.

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A Royal Gem- just too good to miss!

This book is a Royal gem! Love the view over time! Real life examples come alive!
The author narrates so there are parts not found in the written book. His add lib is fabulous. “OMG, I’m talking about bees again!” Loved the first part so much I started audio listening and with the book highlighting the pearls of his practice. I have a new view of marketing, advertising and communicating with people and nature environments. Love the snake oil salesman and Shakespeare reference. “Something isn’t good or bad, only what you think makes it so!” Just too good to miss! A reread again and again!

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Best of Rory!

A cohesive continuum or Rorys thinking, read by himself with quarks and oops included.

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