FUD: The 37 Power Tactics of Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt

by William Lidwell

Learn the dark secrets of social engineering How did IBM decimate its competitors in the 1970s? Why do politicians always go negative, when nobody likes negative campaigning? How can leaders unite and rally people to solve the most intractable problems with virtual certainty? One FUD. FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt) demystifies the practices used by those in power—advertisers, lobbyists, pundits, politicians, and others—to covertly shape our perceptions and influence our decision making. Citing decades of behavioral science research, William Lidwell shows how our brains are wired to respond to these three behaviors, and then explains step-by-step the methods used to exploit this fact. An amazing wake-up call on today's down-and-dirty tactics of influence and manipulation, FUD will open your eyes to a shadow world of social engineering where fright makes right . After reading this book, you'll never see an ad, hear a political speech, or make a consumer choice the same way again.

304 pages, Hardcover

First published May 15, 2012