Magic Words: The Science and Secrets Behind Seven Words That Motivate, Engage, and Influence by Tim DavidMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
When I first saw this book, I thought it would be a good place to learn when to use “Shazam” and when to use “Presto”, and if it was polite to use “Abracadabra” in all circumstances. After all, the book is called “Magic Words” and it is written by a magician. But no, this ended up being about my second favorite subject, the impact of the words you use on influencing the way people think. I’ve read quite a few books that cover this topic as part of a larger review of influence, but this book focuses on 7 “words”. There’s actually 6 words and one special “word”, the listener’s name, that is analyzed. The words are all simple, short common words, the longest being “because”, but also including “yes” and “but”. Given just this description, this could have been written as a Hallmark Cards book, with just some advice in adages. But again, no, this book includes research descriptions and describes how the simple word can be used in a powerful way, with examples and anecdotes to illustrate. For example, the author describes the use of the word “but” to, in effect, bury the lead phrase. If you hear “I enjoyed the book but it was too short” you would focus on “it was too short” and may not even register the speaker enjoyed the book. The author suggests a tactic to counter this is to repeat the phrase but rearrange the parts, or in this case “The book was too short but you enjoyed it?” An interesting tactic. I've found myself unintentionally using "but" this way, and I know now why I get a different reaction than I expect. The book has a few other suggestions in a similar vein. I found this very readable and actionable.
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