Alchemy

The Magic of Original Thinking in a World of Mind-Numbing Conformity

By: Rory Sutherland

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Paperback | 13 July 2021 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Paperback
384 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
2.3 x 12.6 x 19.6

Paperback

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Product Description

The hugely anticipated first book from the TED Talks star and advertising legend

Why is Red Bull so popular - even though everyone hates the taste? Why do countdown boards on platforms take away the pain of train delays? And why do we prefer stripy toothpaste?

Discover the alchemy behind original thinking, as TED Talk superstar and Ogilvy advertising legend Rory Sutherland reveals why abandoning logic and casting aside rationality is the best way to solve any problem.

In his first book he blends cutting-edge behavioural science, jaw-dropping stories and a touch of branding magic on his mission to turn us all into idea alchemists. He shows how economists, businesses and governments have got it all wrong: we are not rational creatures who make logical decisions based on evidence. Instead, the big problems we face every day, whether as an individual or in society, could very well be solved by thinking less logically. To be brilliant, you have to be irrational.

About the Author

Rory Sutherland is the Vice Chairman of Ogilvy UK and the founder of the behavioural science practice. He writes the Spectator’s ‘Wiki Man’ column, presents series for BBC Radio 4, serves on the advisory board of The Evolution Institute, and is former President of the IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising). The IDM (Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing) awarded Sutherland an Honorary Life Fellowship.

His TED talks have over 6.5 million views. He authored a collection of blog posts, interviews, tweets and reference materials, The Wiki-Man, in 2011, and his first book Alchemy was published in 2019.

Industry Reviews

'A breakthrough book. Wonderfully applicable to everything in life, and funny as hell.'
Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Revelatory and entertaining
The Sunday Times

Deeply original
Robert Trivers evolutionary biologist and author of Deceit and Self-Deception

Sutherland's book touches on many facets of life, but all come down to the importance of "psycho-logic", or non-rational factors, in how we make decisions and how problems can be solved
CAMPAIGN magazine

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