Noah Goldstein, Steve Martin, & Robert Cialdini (2008). Yes! 50 scientifically proven ways to be persuasive.
As the title suggests, this book consists of 50 short chapters (3 to 6 pages each), each describing a different idea about how to be persuasive. Each idea is supported by social psychological research, and each is accompanied by a little story illustrating its use. You will recognize some of the ideas that have to do with normative influences, uses of cognitive dissonance, making connections (however trivial), and reciprocity. The book is a treat to read and it may help you become more influential.
Stanley Milgram (1974). Obedience to authority: An experimental view. New York: Harper & Row.
This is a fascinating, firsthand account of one of the most famous series of experiments in social psychology. Milgram describes his reasons for initiating the research, his findings in many variations of the basic experiment, and his interpretations of and reactions to the findings.
Dario Maestriperi (2012). Games primates play: An undercover investigation of the evolution and economics of human relationships. New York: Basic Books.
Dario Maestriperi is a major contributor to the scientific literature on human and nonhuman primate social behavior. He is also a wonderful writer and in this book presents a look at many aspects of human social behavior from an evolutionary perspective. It is as entertaining as it is informative.
Michael Tomasello (2009). Why we cooperate. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
In this short book, Michael Tomasello provides a concise and highly readable review of his group’s research with both children and great apes, all pointing to the importance of social cognition in the development and evolution of human intelligence.
Cialdini, R. Big Think (2009). Robert Cialdini Explores the Neuroscience of Influence. http://bigthink.com/videos/robert-cialdini-explores-the-neuroscience-of-influence
In this short video, leading expert on social influence and persuasion, Robert Cialdini tells how neuroscience has affected his research. Discussing brain imaging, Cialdini explains how your brain can trick you and influence your decisions.