magic words book review

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MAGIC WORDS

What to say to get your way.

by Jonah Berger ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 7, 2023

Perhaps not magic but appealing nonetheless.

Want to get ahead in business? Consult a dictionary.

By Wharton School professor Berger’s account, much of the art of persuasion lies in the art of choosing the right word. Want to jump ahead of others waiting in line to use a photocopy machine, even if they’re grizzled New Yorkers? Throw a because into the equation (“Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine, because I’m in a rush?”), and you’re likely to get your way. Want someone to do your copying for you? Then change your verbs to nouns: not “Can you help me?” but “Can you be a helper?” As Berger notes, there’s a subtle psychological shift at play when a person becomes not a mere instrument in helping but instead acquires an identity as a helper. It’s the little things, one supposes, and the author offers some interesting strategies that eager readers will want to try out. Instead of alienating a listener with the omniscient should , as in “You should do this,” try could instead: “Well, you could…” induces all concerned “to recognize that there might be other possibilities.” Berger’s counsel that one should use abstractions contradicts his admonition to use concrete language, and it doesn’t help matters to say that each is appropriate to a particular situation, while grammarians will wince at his suggestion that a nerve-calming exercise to “try talking to yourself in the third person (‘You can do it!’)” in fact invokes the second person. Still, there are plenty of useful insights, particularly for students of advertising and public speaking. It’s intriguing to note that appeals to God are less effective in securing a loan than a simple affirmative such as “I pay all bills…on time”), and it’s helpful to keep in mind that “the right words used at the right time can have immense power.”

Pub Date: March 7, 2023

ISBN: 9780063204935

Page Count: 256

Publisher: Harper Business

Review Posted Online: March 23, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023

PSYCHOLOGY | BUSINESS | SELF-HELP | LEADERSHIP, MANAGEMENT & COMMUNICATION | MOTIVATIONAL & PERSONAL SUCCESS | ENTREPRENUERSHP | SALES & MARKETING | GENERAL BUSINESS

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by Jonah Berger

THINKING, FAST AND SLOW

by Daniel Kahneman ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 1, 2011

Striking research showing the immense complexity of ordinary thought and revealing the identities of the gatekeepers in our...

A psychologist and Nobel Prize winner summarizes and synthesizes the recent decades of research on intuition and systematic thinking.

The author of several scholarly texts, Kahneman (Emeritus Psychology and Public Affairs/Princeton Univ.) now offers general readers not just the findings of psychological research but also a better understanding of how research questions arise and how scholars systematically frame and answer them. He begins with the distinction between System 1 and System 2 mental operations, the former referring to quick, automatic thought, the latter to more effortful, overt thinking. We rely heavily, writes, on System 1, resorting to the higher-energy System 2 only when we need or want to. Kahneman continually refers to System 2 as “lazy”: We don’t want to think rigorously about something. The author then explores the nuances of our two-system minds, showing how they perform in various situations. Psychological experiments have repeatedly revealed that our intuitions are generally wrong, that our assessments are based on biases and that our System 1 hates doubt and despises ambiguity. Kahneman largely avoids jargon; when he does use some (“heuristics,” for example), he argues that such terms really ought to join our everyday vocabulary. He reviews many fundamental concepts in psychology and statistics (regression to the mean, the narrative fallacy, the optimistic bias), showing how they relate to his overall concerns about how we think and why we make the decisions that we do. Some of the later chapters (dealing with risk-taking and statistics and probabilities) are denser than others (some readers may resent such demands on System 2!), but the passages that deal with the economic and political implications of the research are gripping.

Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2011

ISBN: 978-0-374-27563-1

Page Count: 512

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Review Posted Online: Sept. 3, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2011

BUSINESS | LEADERSHIP, MANAGEMENT & COMMUNICATION | PSYCHOLOGY

More by Daniel Kahneman

by Daniel Kahneman & Olivier Sibony & Cass R. Sunstein

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IN THE NEWS

THE CULTURE MAP

Breaking through the invisible boundaries of global business.

by Erin Meyer ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 27, 2014

These are not hard and fast rules, but Meyer delivers important reading for those engaged in international business.

A helpful guide to working effectively with people from other cultures.

“The sad truth is that the vast majority of managers who conduct business internationally have little understanding about how culture is impacting their work,” writes Meyer, a professor at INSEAD, an international business school. Yet they face a wider array of work styles than ever before in dealing with clients, suppliers and colleagues from around the world. When is it best to speak or stay quiet? What is the role of the leader in the room? When working with foreign business people, failing to take cultural differences into account can lead to frustration, misunderstanding or worse. Based on research and her experiences teaching cross-cultural behaviors to executive students, the author examines a handful of key areas. Among others, they include communicating (Anglo-Saxons are explicit; Asians communicate implicitly, requiring listeners to read between the lines), developing a sense of trust (Brazilians do it over long lunches), and decision-making (Germans rely on consensus, Americans on one decider). In each area, the author provides a “culture map scale” that positions behaviors in more than 20 countries along a continuum, allowing readers to anticipate the preferences of individuals from a particular country: Do they like direct or indirect negative feedback? Are they rigid or flexible regarding deadlines? Do they favor verbal or written commitments? And so on. Meyer discusses managers who have faced perplexing situations, such as knowledgeable team members who fail to speak up in meetings or Indians who offer a puzzling half-shake, half-nod of the head. Cultural differences—not personality quirks—are the motivating factors behind many behavioral styles. Depending on our cultures, we understand the world in a particular way, find certain arguments persuasive or lacking merit, and consider some ways of making decisions or measuring time natural and others quite strange.

Pub Date: May 27, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-61039-250-1

Page Count: 288

Publisher: PublicAffairs

Review Posted Online: April 15, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2014

BUSINESS | PSYCHOLOGY

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Book Review: Magic Words

• July 26, 2023

Book: Magic Words  

By: Jonah Berger 

Reviewed by: Colleen Jones 

The Premise: Known for his previous bestsellers on human behaviour Jonah Berger engages readers with his research on the subtleties and impact of the language we choose to use in everyday communications. Berger’s provocation is that by making small shifts in the words we choose to use, we can make meaningful differences in how we influence, make decisions and even how we think. Berger draws his conclusions from his research extensive research leveraging computational linguistics, machine learning and natural language processing to assess the impact of word choices.  

The Bottomline: In this engaging and easy read, Berger delves into both language and psychology to showcase how specific words can alter our understanding of situations, sway our emotions, and even change our behaviour. Berger offers both real-life case studies and his own research, to demonstrate how the strategic use of words can shape social dynamics and create lasting impressions.  

In Magic Words , Berger offers six different types of word choices that influence the impact and effectiveness of our message: Words that activate Identity and Agency, Words that Convey Confidence, Asking the Right Questions, Leveraging Concreteness, Employing Emotion and Harnessing both Similarity and Difference.   

Each chapter introduces a different strategy and provides examples through compelling scenarios. While sometimes the examples provided may prove to be overly extensive, they offer the reader clear examples of how and why the word choices work.  

What I find most useful about Berger’s Magic Words , is the practical direction, tips and advice it provides to readers. Going beyond a philosophical exploration of how language works, every reader can take away strategies and ideas that they can leverage immediately.

Recommendation: Highly recommend. I am a bit of a language junkie, but I think this book is especially useful for leaders who are working on how to be more persuasive, more explicit in their communication or more compelling in how they are galvanizing their teams.   

Colleen Jones, PCC

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Magic Words Hardcover – March 7 2023

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A NEXT BIG IDEA CLUB 'MUST-READ'

New York Times bestselling author Jonah Berger’s cutting-edge research reveals how six types of words can increase your impact in every area of life: from persuading others and building stronger relationships, to boosting creativity and motivating teams.

Almost everything we do involves words. Words are how we persuade, communicate, and connect. They’re how leaders lead, salespeople sell, and parents parent. They’re how teachers teach, policymakers govern, and doctors explain. Even our private thoughts rely on language.

But certain words are more impactful than others. They’re better at changing minds, engaging audiences, and driving action. What are these magic words, and how can we take advantage of their power?

In Magic Words , internationally bestselling author Jonah Berger gives you an inside look at the new science of language and how you can use it. Technological advances in machine learning, computational linguistics, and natural language processing, combined with the digitization of everything from cover letters to conversations, have yielded unprecedented insights.

Learn how salespeople convince clients, lawyers persuade juries, and storytellers captivate audiences; how teachers get kids to help and service representatives increase customer satisfaction; how startup founders secure funding, musicians make hits, and psychologists identified a Shakespearean manuscript without ever reading a play.

This book is designed for anyone who wants to increase their impact. It provides a powerful toolkit and actionable techniques that can lead to extraordinary results. Whether you’re trying to persuade a client, motivate a team, or get a whole organization to see things differently, this book will show you how to leverage the power of magic words.

• Print length 256 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Harper Business
• Publication date March 7 2023
• Dimensions 15.24 x 2.26 x 22.86 cm
• ISBN-10 0063204932
• ISBN-13 978-0063204935
• See all details

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“Words have power – learn to use them to your advantage and watch your career and life change radically! Packed with practical advice and the latest research, Magic Words is the guide you need to hone your words to persuade, sell, and create the life you want.” — Dr. Marshall Goldsmith, Thinkers50 #1 Executive Coach and New York Times bestselling author of The Earned Life , Triggers , and What Got You Here Won’t Get You There .

Magic Words is astonishing. It delivers an array of tips on how to become a better persuader along with fresh insights into the science of language. This book will fundamentally change how you speak, how you listen, how you write—and maybe even who you are. — Daniel H. Pink, number one New York Times bestselling author of To Sell Is Human , The Power of Regret , and Drive

This book changed how I speak. It’s mind-blowing to see real, scientific research and data that illustrates how we can persuade others, deepen social connections, and increase our impact. Jonah Berger’s research combined with his crisp storytelling style is sure to turn this book into a modern classic in behavioral science. — Guy Raz, podcast host and creator of How I Built This , Wisdom from the Top , The Great Creators , and Wow in the World

I am grateful to be one of the many who have learned from this master teacher. — Jim Collins, author of Good to Great and coauthor of Built to Last

A riveting read on how the words we use shape the impact we have. Jonah Berger has a knack for making science sparkle, and he doesn’t just tell you how to write and speak more persuasively—he shows you. — Adam Grant, number one New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and host of the TED podcast Re:Thinking

There’s a difference between being right and being effective. And a few words make all the difference. If you want to be more persuasive, read this book. — Scott Galloway, New York Times bestselling author of Adrift and The Four

"Language so surrounds us that, sometimes, we forget it’s there. But there are some words that have more power. Magic Words shows us how to use them." — Charles Duhigg, author of bestsellers The Power of Habit and Smarter Faster Better

About the Author

Jonah Berger is a marketing professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and the internationally bestselling author of Contagious , Invisible Influence , and The Catalyst . He’s a world-renowned expert on natural language processing, change, social influence, word of mouth, and why products, services, and ideas catch on. Berger has published more than seventy papers in top-tier academic journals; and popular accounts of his work often appear in publications like the New York Times , the Wall Street Journal , and Harvard Business Review . He frequently consults for companies like Google, Apple, Nike, and the Gates Foundation, helping them leverage language, drive change, and get their stuff to catch on. He’s been named one of Fast Company’s most creative people in business and millions of copies of his books are in print in dozens of languages around the world.

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper Business (March 7 2023)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0063204932
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0063204935
• Item weight ‏ : ‎ 1.05 kg
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.24 x 2.26 x 22.86 cm
• #152 in Sales & Selling Management
• #162 in Psychology of Communication
• #169 in Business Product Management

About the author

Jonah berger.

For more details see: JonahBerger.com

Jonah Berger is a Professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, an internationally bestselling author, and a world-renowned expert on word of mouth, social influence, consumer behavior, and how products, ideas, and behaviors catch on. He has published dozens of articles in top‐tier academic journals, teaches Wharton’s highest rated online course, and popular accounts of his work often appear in places like The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Harvard Business Review. Over a million copies of his books, Contagious, Invisible Influence, and The Catalyst: How to Change Anyone’s Mind are in print in over 35 countries around the world.

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Book Review: “Magic Words”

Book: Magic Words by Jonah Berger Reviewer: Bobby Powers

My Thoughts: 9 of 10 Magic Words is practical and actionable. Berger, a marketing professor at Wharton, conducted years of research to see which words are most persuasive, and he packed all of his best insights into this slim 200-page book. I learned a lot from this book and appreciated Berger's knowledge, stories, and depth of research. If you want to become a better customer service rep, salesperson, public speaker, or storyteller, this book is right up your alley.

What I Learned from the Book

We now have automated text analysis tools that can analyze millions of advertisements, articles, emails, books, and other media to see which words and phrases sell the most products, persuade the most people, and forge the strongest relationships. And those AI text analyzers have shown that subtle differences between words can make a HUGE difference.

For example, asking someone what you could do rather than what you should do tends to generate more creative solutions. And tapping into someone's identity by encouraging them to be a "responsible citizen" or a "voter" ( nouns that convey identity ) causes more people to show up at the polls than asking them to "vote" ( a verb that doesn't tap into a sense of identity ). Words matter, and we now have tools to quantify exactly how much they do.

"By some estimates, we use around sixteen thousand words a day. We write emails, build presentations, and talk to friends, colleagues, and clients...But while we spend a lot of time using language, we rarely think about the specific language we use. Sure, we might think about the  ideas we want to communicate, but we think a lot less about the particular  words we use to communicate them."

Selected Quotes & Ideas from the Book

Analyzing the types of words that work magic.

• Computer programs like Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) can analyze massive blocks of text and gauge emotion, themes, and trends in which types of words are most persuasive.
• "Just as the microscope revolutionized biology and the telescope upended astronomy, natural language processing tools have transformed the social sciences, providing insight into all types of human behavior. We've parsed customer service calls to uncover the words that increase customer satisfaction, dissected conversations to understand why some go better than others, and scrutinized online articles to identify writing that keeps readers engaged."
• "The right words, used at the right time, can change minds, engage audiences, and drive action."

Activate Identity and Agency

• "To try to understand how to persuade kids and others, the scientists [from Stanford] asked a group of four- and five-year-olds to do something kids are particularly reticent to do: help tidy up...Rather than asking the kids to 'help,' the scientists asked them to be a 'helper' instead. This difference seems negligible...And yet, even though the change might seem minor, it made a big difference. Compared to simply asking kids to help, asking kids to be a help er increased helping by almost a third."
• Encouraging people to be the noun ("helper") rather than just do the verb ("help") can tap into a sense of identity and purpose.
• "Category labels often imply a degree of permanence or stability. Rather than noting what someone did or does, feels or felt, category labels hint at a deeper essence: Who someone  is ."
• "The fact that turning actions into identities shapes how people are perceived has a number of useful applications. Describing oneself as a hard work er on a resume, for example, rather than as hard work ing should lead to more favorable impressions. Describing our coworkers as innovat ors rather than as innovat ive should have positive effects on how they're perceived."

Convey Confidence

• "Words not only convey facts and opinions, they convey how confident we are in those facts and opinions, which shapes how we're perceived and our influence."
• "Whether choosing a money manager, listening to a witness, or picking a president, listeners are more persuaded when communicators seem more certain, or confident about what they are communicating. Because when people speak with certainty, we're more likely to think they're right. Which candidate will do the best job? It's hard to know for sure, but if one speaks with certainty, it's harder to believe they could be wrong. After all, they just seem so confident." 
• "While being cautious can sometimes be a good thing, by making communicators seem less confident, hedges (like "might," "could," "probably," "maybe," etc.) undermine their ability to influence others...That doesn't mean we should never hedge, but it certainly means that we should use hedges more deliberately."
• "Speakers who hesitated were seen as less intelligent, less well informed, and less qualified. Listeners thought they had less expertise, and saw them as lower status, regardless of what their title actually was. In fact, a 'lower-status' speaker who didn't hesitate was perceived more positively than a 'higher-status' speaker who did. Style trumped status."

Ask the Right Questions

• After analyzing thousands of first dates, Stanford and UC Santa Barbara researchers found that "asking questions led to a better first impression. It made people feel like they clicked and made them more interested in going on a second date."
• "Similar things have been found in a host of domains. In everyday getting-to-know-you conversations between strangers, for example, people who asked more questions were seen as more likable and fun to spend time with."
• "Asking questions suggests that rather than just talking about ourselves, we're interested in our conversation partner and what they have to say."
• "Asking questions makes us look good, and facilitates positive interactions, but follow-up questions are particularly useful because they show we're interested and care enough to learn more."

Leverage Concreteness

• "Using concrete language significantly increased customer satisfaction. When customer service agents used more concrete language, customers were more satisfied with the interaction and thought the agent had been more helpful."
• "In situations like these, it's easy to fall back on a set of stock phrases. 'I'd be happy to help with that' or 'Sorry about the issue' whether the  that or  the issue in question is a jacket, pants, or anything else. Such abstract, generic responses help save time and effort because they're applicable to almost any situation. But that wide applicability has a downside."
• "Concrete language also makes things more memorable...Not surprisingly, then, using concrete language has a host of beneficial consequences. It holds people's attention, encourages support, and drives desired action."

Employ Emotion

• "While people generally prefer positive personal experiences to negative ones, when reading books or watching movies, endless positivity would be pretty boring. When it comes to stories, tension is key. Will Cinderella and the prince end up happily ever after, or will she be stuck washing floors for the rest of her life? Will Luke and the Rebel Alliance destroy the Death Star, or will the dark side prevail?"
• "Along these lines, many successful stories seem to follow a similar structure (as explained by Kurt Vonnegut in the video below). Characters have to overcome various trials and tribulations before they reach a happy ending...Because interspersing these low points among the high ones does more than just humanize successful people. It builds a better story."
• "Low points, or depths of despair, make the high points that much more powerful." We can leverage this same idea in our business storytelling.
• "When marketing a product, service, or experience, for example, is it more hedonic (based on pleasure, like eating at a restaurant or watching a movie) or more utilitarian (based on functionality, like using a razor or shampoo)? Are people buying it for pleasure or enjoyment, or more functional and practical reasons?"
• Hedonic -> Use emotional words: "If it's more about enjoyment, emotional words like 'awesome' and 'beautiful' fit really well. Saying a movie is 'heartwarming,' a destination is 'inspiring,' or a meditation app is 'fantastic' not only suggests those things are good but does so in a way that encourages purchase and action."
• Utilitarian -> Use less emotional words: "If the product, service, or experience is more about practical functionality, however, those same positive words may backfire. Less emotional words like 'brilliant,' 'flawless,' and 'perfect' will be more persuasive. Calling a dictation app 'brilliant' rather than 'awesome,' for example, should encourage purchase and use."

Harness Similarity (and Difference)

• Scientists analyzed 5 years of communication data between employees at a mid-sized company, including over 10 million emails to gauge the linguistic style of employees (how similarly they communicated). "The results were remarkable. Similarity shaped success. Employees whose linguistic style was more similar to their coworkers' were three times more likely to get promoted. They received better performance evaluations and higher bonuses."
• "Indeed, people with a dissimilar linguistic style weren't so fortunate. They were four times more likely to be fired."
• "Linguistic similarity even helped distinguish between employees who stayed at the firm and those who left to pursue better options."
• "Using similar language can facilitate conversation, make people feel connected, and increase their perceptions that they are part of the same tribe. All of which can increase liking, trust, and a variety of positive downstream outcomes."

Think you’d like this book?

Other books you may enjoy:.

• Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath
• Influencer by Grenny, Patterson, Maxfield, McMillan, and Switzler
• Contagious: Why Things Catch on by Jonah Berger

Other notable books by the author:

• The Catalyst: How to Change Anyone's Mind
• Invisible Influence: The Hidden Forces That Shape Behavior

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