It took me a long time to read this book, because much of the information was dated. He also listed and described so many examples of the various ways depth-probers were working.

I am glad I read it through, because the end was just fantastic!

I kept thinking about how all this MR is being used on the internet. Really, one can't even go to a website anymore without a pop-up window asking you to complete a survey of your satisfaction or non satisfaction with the services and products provided. A survey mind you right at the beginning when I haven't even started doing what I meant to do on the site.

If information was flowing "fast" through media back then, the internet has obviously sped up the flow to a ridiculous velocity. Consumerism itself has become an American neurosis. "Am I buying too much? Have I not bought enough? Do I really need to buy this or that or the other? Please, I need to see my therapist before I get this brand of peanut butter."

I remember after reading this around 1969 I scruntinized every print ad trying to decipher how it 'worked'. Especially the alcohol ads, which Vance insisted had death heads images secreted in the photos. I never found them.
In high school journalism class we learned about advertising strategies. I was both fascinated and appalled by advertising. Ten years later I was a promotion copywriter and I felt...powerful...lol. Gee whiz, trying to make some boring book marketable to the common reader! Nothing like Madison Avenue and the big bucks but I had a small glimpse.
It is mind boggling what is being done today with the Internet. Ads of something I looked at pop up in the strangest places. But really, Amazon, don't try to sell me books I reviewed!
I am still appalled and fascinated by advertising.

Dated but great.

beginning and end weren't so interesting, but the middles reminded me of Mythologies

Slightly dry but highly informative, and still very relevant considering its age

Alternate title: “Maybe don’t buy so much crap?”

Packard's landmark tell-all of the 1950's marketing machine presents one unbelievable anecdote after another. "The Hidden Persuaders" tells of the early days of motivational research and public relations, using stories from both private industry and public life. Most of what Packard discusses about the advertising industry is probably already known to everybody, on some level; but it's amazing to read the details of famous campaigns and agencies.

Me parece un libro sobre la manipulación que surgió a raíz de las marcas de hace varios años. Con el auge de la tecnología y las redes sociales la propaganda a tenido un cambio de paradigma dentro de nuestras mentes. La lectura de este libro me abrió más el panorama de los orígenes de la propaganda y su evolución a través del tiempo.

Very insightful and disturbing book. A look into the psychology of the human mind, in particular where it involves our shopping habits and behaviors, but goes even beyond that mere point. An eye opener, even though published in 1957, that still resonates and is still very much relevant even today. Everyone owes it to themselves to read this. It should disturb and anger the reader with its implications, especially when reflected upon in context to our current societal existence. Some of the observations and ideas shared may be a bit much in our world today, but overall the truly disturbing aspect of this book is that it still applies today every bit as much as it did then, to us, as consumers and more importantly, as human beings.

Decent enough with some interesting examples, but on the whole one would not be surprised by the insights being mentioned by the author in 2019. We now live in the era of fake news and manufactured consent, so it is hardly surprising to know the story of its genesis.

What stood out most to me was the chapter on the manufacturing of political messaging, and how the marketing of the political icon began with the Esisenhower-Stevenson election. Again, it seems to inevitably point to the world we see around us today.

More than half a century old, but still relevant. Makes you think, where are we going to stop (consuming )?

Testo interessante nonostante il tempo trascorso, che ho letto sulla scia del meno specifico ma più onesto “the Persuaders” di James Garvey.