Techniques of Persuasion: From Propaganda to Brainwashing

Attempts to change the opinions of others are as old as human speech, but in recent years we have come to fear that our thoughts and feelings are open to manipulation by new methods and hidden techniques. To the pressures of the 'admen' are added a whole battery of hsi nao (literally ‘wash brain') techniques. Here is a timely and much-needed survey of the whole area of persuasion. Dr Brown, the author of “Freud and the Post-Freudians”, ranges from political propaganda, religious conversion, and commercial advertising, through a detailed appraisal of the intentions and effects of the mass media, to a cool look at case histories of indoctrination and confession. But Techniques of Persuasion is more than the only available review of the phenomena of persuasion: it also contains a lucid analysis of the concept of personality itself. Only if we understand first the development of the central personality can we understand the importance of attempts to change it.

Published 1967, Pelican Book.

Binding of book is intact. Slightly darkened covers with moderate foxing, shelfwear, some creasing and fraying. Sticker on front cover. Stamp on top edge of book. Some tanning and foxing on edges of book. Some foxing and creasing on insides of covers. Annotations in pencil, some foxing, creasing and few stains on certain pages.