How many times a day do you think someone tries to persuade you? Twenty? Thirty? Actually it's more like four hundred. Psychologist Kevin Dutton has identified a powerful strain of immediate, instinctual persuasion, an elixir of influence that can immediately help you disarm skeptics, win arguments, close the deal.

Mapping the cutting-edge psychology and neuroscience of this incisive new influence, he introduces us to the natural super-persuaders in our midst — Buddhist monks, magicians, advertisers, con men, hostage negotiators, even psychopaths.

He shows us which hidden pathways in the brain lead us to believe something even when we know it's not true; how group dynamics can make us more tolerant or deepen our extremism; what we can learn from newborns about winning arguments; and the five simple elements of instantly effective persuasion:

SIMPLICITY: Keep your message short, sharp, and simple, and we're more likely to think it's true.

PERCEIVED SELF-INTEREST: Con men agree it's the key to getting us to do something we didn't think we wanted to.

INCONGRUITY: Surprise people — tell them your cupcake is 400 cents rather than four dollars and they're far more likely to buy it.

CONFIDENCE: The more confident you are, the more we believe you're right — even when we know your facts are wrong.

EMPATHY: Look people in the eye, nod when they nod, tell them you're from the same small town they are — we trust people like ourselves.

With a combination of streetwise methods and in-depth scientific research, Dutton's fascinating and provocative book will help anyone tap into the power of split-second persuasion.