NICE GUYS FINISH FIRST

by Jard DeVille ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 24, 1979

Anyone who's inclined to focus on the ""Nice Guys"" portion of the title should be warned: the emphasis here is definitely on finishing first. The book simply replaces the techniques of intimidation and power-mongering with calculated niceness: ""people. . . will cooperate with you when you can help them feel good about doing so."" The author claims that it took him 20 years of psychological practice to develop his ""persuasion"" techniques; some of them, like his central ""Law of Reciprocity,"" sound anything but unique: ""The way you want people to act toward you is the way you must first treat them."" (Golden Rule, anyone?) DeVille goes on to introduce specific methods for inducing cooperation: positive reinforcement (""payoffs""); understanding the ""four basic personality patterns"" (Controlling, Entertaining, Supporting, and Comprehending); using praise to tactical advantage, listening well, etc. Another artificial contribution to the tote-board school of psychology, where ""winning and losing are the only options that are open.

Pub Date: May 24, 1979

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Morrow

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1979

Categories: NONFICTION