A top Columbia Business School professor’s masterclass in persuasion, illuminating the psychology of changing minds with practical tools and real-world examples.

You’re not as persuasive as you think you are. Few of us are. That’s because much of what we call persuasion is really negotiation or influence: changing incentives, making trades, or nudging behavior. True persuasion changes beliefs.

Drawing on his top-rated courses on negotiation, persuasion, and decision-making at Columbia Business School, Robert Bontempo unveils the psychology of belief formation—how people process ideas, why they resist change, and what ultimately causes them to shift their beliefs.

At the heart of the book is a simple idea: different persuasion problems require different methods. Some problems are resolved through insight, some through evidence and analysis, and others only when identity, values, and emotion are addressed. Bontempo shows how to recognize the problem, read the beliefs, emotions, and personalities in the room, and adapt your approach to change minds.

Through high-stakes real-world examples, Bontempo combines neuroscience and experimental psychology with practical tools readers can use everywhere persuasion matters, from the negotiation table to the kitchen table and beyond.


How Persuasive Are You? reveals:

Why Persuasion is Different: Learn why the tools of negotiation and influence often fail when the real challenge is changing what someone believes.

The Three Minds of Persuasion: Learn to recognize whether you’re facing a Eureka, Analytical, or Judgment problem, and choose the persuasive strategy that fits the mind you’re trying to change.

How to Read the Room: Persuasion depends on more than what people believe. Learn to read the emotions and personalities in the room and adapt your approach to the people you’re trying to persuade.