The Popularity Illusion

Why status is toxic but likeability wins all

By: Mitch Prinstein

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eBook | 21 June 2018

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320 Pages

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Who doesn't want to be more popular? Popularity expert Professor Mitch Prinstein shows that perhaps we should be careful what we wish for ...

Surely a person's popularity, be it at school, work or on social media, is the best predictor of how happy and successful they will be? The truth is actually much more complex and is based on millennia of human evolution. In this impeccably researched and highly entertaining book, Professor Mitch Prinstein reveals that there are two very distinct types of popularity: the first based on status and the second based on likeability. Whilst we may be hardwired to crave status, only one of these types will really get you where you want.

Based on two decades of research into the human psyche and genetic make-up, The Popularity Illusion reveals the science behind what popularity is and why we care about it so much - even if we don't think we do. Investigating social media phenomena, playground cliques and work place politics, Professor Mitch Prinstein explores how popularity taps into our basic need to survive and examines the surprising links to our health and lifespan, offering important insights for all of us about how we can cultivate the right kind of popularity of ourselves and our children.

An enlightening read on a topic that has fascinated us for centuries, The Popularity Illusion will show you how popularity influences your life in unexpected ways.

First published in hardback as Popular: Why Being Liked is the Secret to Greater Success and Happiness.

Industry Reviews

"It turns out that there's more to popularity than status. This book didn't just capture my attention; it also helped me to understand why I wasn't cool as a kid, why I'm still not today, and why I shouldn't care."