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Basically American as for the data he analyzes, out of date for the most of it, but still interesting in some parts
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The Hidden Persuaders
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Originally published in 1957 and now back in print to celebrate its fiftieth anniversary, The Hidden Persuaders is Vance Packard’s pioneering and prescient work revealing how advertisers use psychological methods to tap into our unconscious desires in order to "persuade" us to buy the products they are selling.
A classic examination of how our thoughts and feelings are manipulated by business, media and politicians, The Hidden Persuaders was the first book to expose the hidden world of “motivation research,” the psychological technique that advertisers use to probe our minds in order to control our actions as consumers. Through analysis of products, political campaigns and television programs of the 1950s, Packard shows how the insidious manipulation practices that have come to dominate today’s corporate-driven world began. Featuring an introduction by Mark Crispin Miller, The Hidden Persuaders has sold over one million copies, and forever changed the way we look at the world of advertising.
Vance Packard (1914-1996) was an American journalist, social critic, and best-selling author. Among his other books were The Status Seekers, which described American social stratification and behavior, The Waste Makers, which criticizes planned obsolescence, and The Naked Society, about the threats to privacy posed by new technologies.
288 pages, Paperback
First published April 1,1957
This edition
- Format
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288 pages, Paperback
- Published
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June 3, 1984 by Pocket
- ISBN
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9780671531492
- ASIN
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0671531492
- Language
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English
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Reading this book in 2023 --- almost 70 years after its first publication --- is such a wild read. Where do I even start.
The Hidden Persuaders describes the very beginnings of western consumption-driven economies and societies: more, bigger, better. Never happy, always consuming. The machine must keep running.
From products we use to products we use-up; planned obsolescence; ads addressing our insecurities and fears. It's all there in this book documenting it's very beginnings.
By now in 2023 we have perfected this consumption machine and it's running at an unimaginable speed and impact on our lives.
It's no longer paper ads and pickles in a jar for sure: It's the internet running on ads, big tech like Facebook and Google running on ads. We have influencers, and the emergent LLMs who --- no surprise --- are getting used to make us consume consume consume.
The last 50 years have seen the ideas and thoughts outlined in this book taken to the extreme.
Reading this book in the context of its publication date (the 1950s), with morbid curiosity I can't wait to see what the next 30 years will have in store for us.
The Hidden Persuaders describes the very beginnings of western consumption-driven economies and societies: more, bigger, better. Never happy, always consuming. The machine must keep running.
From products we use to products we use-up; planned obsolescence; ads addressing our insecurities and fears. It's all there in this book documenting it's very beginnings.
By now in 2023 we have perfected this consumption machine and it's running at an unimaginable speed and impact on our lives.
It's no longer paper ads and pickles in a jar for sure: It's the internet running on ads, big tech like Facebook and Google running on ads. We have influencers, and the emergent LLMs who --- no surprise --- are getting used to make us consume consume consume.
The last 50 years have seen the ideas and thoughts outlined in this book taken to the extreme.
Reading this book in the context of its publication date (the 1950s), with morbid curiosity I can't wait to see what the next 30 years will have in store for us.
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Great insights into commercialism and advertising! A must read for young adults in particular who are still maturing their attitudes.
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Superbly written and a warning to the future, which we are now living in.
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"The history of America since the Civil War is, in large part, a history of conquest by commercial advertising." - from the intro by Mark Crispin Miller.
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dated but.....
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It was interesting...
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Officially obsessed with Mad Men.
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