This book on one hand attempts to show how it is possible for someone to be led to do something they do not like, without benefiting from it or having the excuse of being pressured or threatened to do it. On the other hand, it aims to teach its readers what one must do to force others, any others, to behave in the way that they want. In other words, it is a book that tries to explain how each and every one of us, without having special scientific knowledge, power, or authority, without being particularly charming, smart, and witty, without hiding any gift or having a strong personality, can simply, without much effort, shouting, and fuss, make anyone else, friend, colleague, relative, partner, or just a passerby, behave in the way we want them to.

Essentially, it is a book that raises the issue of manipulation [...] but also does something much more: it talks about manipulation, demonstrates and teaches manipulation, without fear and without passion, in a vivid, pleasant, and entertaining way. The authors do not indulge in moralistic aphorisms, do not enjoy lengthy tedious descriptions of intricate scientific research, nor do they get lost in obscure analyses of sometimes contradictory scientific findings. Joule and Beauvois rely on theories and experiments from social psychology and explain in a simple but not simplistic way the hidden logics of various manipulation techniques that allow some to get from others what they want...