Alchemy: The Magic of Original Thinking in a World of Mind-Numbing Conformity

Discover the secret power of irrational thinking to create magic in branding, business, and life, with the breakthrough book from the advertising legend.

AS SEEN ON THE DIARY OF A CEO PODCAST

‘ Revelatory and entertaining’ Sunday Times

‘ Sutherland uses his decades of experience to dissect human spending behavior in an insanely entertaining way…a must read’ Entrepreneur, Best Books of the Year

‘ One of the leading minds in the world of branding’ NPR

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Why is Red Bull so popular – even though everyone hates the taste?
Why do countdown boards on platforms take away the pain of train delays?
And why do we prefer stripy toothpaste?

The answer? Humans are, in a word, irrational.

In his groundbreaking book, TED Talk superstar and Ogilvy advertising icon Rory Sutherland reveals why abandoning logic and casting aside rationality is the best way to solve any problem.

Based on thirty years of field work, his unconventional and relentlessly curious approach has led him to discover that the most compelling secrets to human decision making can be found in surprising places:

What can honeybees teach us about creating a sustainable business? How could budget airlines show us how to market a health-care system? Why is it better to be vaguely right than precisely wrong? What might football penalty kicks teach us about the dangers of risk aversion?
Better “branding,” Sutherland reveals, can also be employed not just to sell products but to promote a variety of social aims, like getting people to pay taxes, improving public health outcomes, or encouraging more women to pursue careers in tech.

In his mission to turn us all into idea alchemists, Sutherland blends cutting-edge behavioural science with jaw-dropping true stories to show that the problems we face, both as an individual or in society, could very well be solved by thinking less logically.

To be brilliant, you have to be irrational. This book shows you how.