// Book comparison
Influence vs Misbehaving
Which should you read? A side-by-side comparison of Influence by Robert Cialdini and Misbehaving by Richard H. Thaler.
Influence
by Robert Cialdini
★ 4.9/5
Misbehaving
by Richard H. Thaler
★ 4.9/5
At a glance
| Influence | Misbehaving | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★ 4.9/5 | ★ 4.9/5 |
| Pages | 320 | 432 |
| Reading time | ~8.0 h | ~10.8 h |
| Published | 1984 | 2015 |
| Author | Robert Cialdini | Richard H. Thaler |
| Category | Personal Effectiveness | Finance & Investment |
| Publisher | William Morrow | — |
Choose Influence if…
- → You're interested in personal effectiveness.
- → You want the higher-rated book (4.9/5).
- → You prefer a shorter read (~8.0 hours).
Choose Misbehaving if…
- → You're interested in finance & investment.
- → You want the more recent perspective (2015).
Key takeaways — Influence
- ✓ Apply the Reciprocity Principle by providing value to your stakeholders first, creating a psychological obligation that significantly increases your future persuasive power.
- ✓ Leverage Social Proof by highlighting the endorsements of your existing customers and industry leaders to reduce perceived risk for new strategic partners.
- ✓ Utilize Commitment and Consistency by asking for small, initial agreements that lead your stakeholders to stay aligned with your larger organizational goals over time.
Key takeaways — Misbehaving
- ✓ Design pricing and incentives around loss aversion — people will work roughly twice as hard to avoid a loss as to capture an equivalent gain.
- ✓ Use default options as your most powerful behavioral lever; whatever you set as the default will dominate, regardless of how trivial it seems.
- ✓ Recognize mental accounting in your customers and employees — money is not fungible in their minds, and your offer architecture should reflect that.
The verdict
If you want the higher-rated, shorter read, start with Influence. If you specifically need finance & investment, Misbehaving is the better fit. Both summaries are free — no signup required.
❓ FAQ
Is Influence or Misbehaving better? +
Influence has the higher reader rating (4.9/5 vs 4.9/5), but "better" depends on your goal. Influence focuses on personal effectiveness, while Misbehaving focuses on finance & investment. See the verdict below.
Which is shorter, Influence or Misbehaving? +
Influence is shorter (320 pages, ~8.0 hours) compared to Misbehaving (432 pages, ~10.8 hours).
Should I read Influence or Misbehaving first? +
If you want the quicker, higher-rated read, start with Influence. Otherwise read whichever matches your current goal — both summaries are free on BookHubs.