Influence vs The Art of Persuasion: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Persuasion, Influence, Communication
Influence
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Influence, the classic book on persuasion, explains the psychology of why people say "yes"—and how to apply these understandings. Dr. Robert Cialdini is the seminal expert in the rapidly expanding field of influence and…
The Art of Persuasion
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The Art of Persuasion teaches you how to get what you want when you want it. You would love to have that ability, right? After studying some of the most successful men and women in modern history, author Bob Burg…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Art of Persuasion has the widest readership — 944 ratings behind its score.
Scores by source
| Influence | The Art of Persuasion | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | — | 4.0 (944) |
| Hardcover | 4.2 (253) | 4.5 (2) |
| Google Books | 4.0 (15) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (11) | 5.0 (26) |
Reception
| Influence | The Art of Persuasion | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 253 | 944 |
| Editions | 28 | 5 |
| Want to read | — | 5373 |
| Reading it now | — | 529 |
| Written reviews | — | 79 |
| Wikipedia attention | 640 | — |
| Pages | 302 | 231 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Influence or The Art of Persuasion?
Influence has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Influence 4.1/5, The Art of Persuasion 4.0/5).
Which is shorter to read: Influence or The Art of Persuasion?
The Art of Persuasion is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Art of Persuasion (231 pages, ≈ 4 h 17 m); Influence (302 pages, ≈ 5 h 36 m).
Which is harder to read: Influence or The Art of Persuasion?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Influence: Moderate; The Art of Persuasion: Moderate.