I have long championed the power of hunches and the irrational. For me its the human dynamic that makes the world a more fun place.

This single page review from Kevin Duncan highlights the usefulness of this theory in business as set out in the book Sway “…We usually think we are rational beings but the science of decision-making would suggest otherwise. Logical thought can be subverted or ’swayed’ in many ways…”

“…The thesis is a useful complement to, and development of, many other social theory books of recent times: Freakonomics, Nudge, Herd, and The Tipping Point A shorthand for separating them is:

• Freakonomics: patterns of social behaviour can be rooted in linked causes
• Herd: huge numbers of people simply copy each other because they are social
• The Tipping Point: little things can make a big difference
• Nudge: providing different options or small incentives can change mass behaviour
• Sway: irrational behaviour can affect even the best-trained and the most experience people

More of this style of reducing business advice to single pages at Greatest Hits, top idea for the time poor from speed reader Kevin Duncan