The Persuaders

At the Front Lines of the Fight for Hearts, Minds, and Democracy

By: Anand Giridharadas

Narrated by: Anand Giridharadas

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An insider account of activists, politicians, educators, and everyday citizens working to change minds, bridge divisions, and fight for democracy—from disinformation fighters to a leader of Black Lives Matter to Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and more—by the best-selling author of Winners Take All and award-winning former New York Times columnist

“Anand Giridharadas shows the way we get real progressive change in America—by refusing to write others off, building more welcoming movements, and rededicating ourselves to the work of changing minds.” —Robert B. Reich, best-selling author of The System

The lifeblood of any free society is persuasion: changing other people’s minds in order to change things. But America is suffering a crisis of faith in persuasion that is putting its democracy and the planet itself at risk. Americans increasingly write one another off instead of seeking to win one another over. Debates are framed in moralistic terms, with enemies battling the righteous. Movements for justice build barriers to entry, instead of on-ramps. Political parties focus on mobilizing the faithful rather than wooing the skeptical. And leaders who seek to forge coalitions are labeled sellouts.

In The Persuaders, Anand Giridharadas takes us inside these movements and battles, seeking out the dissenters who continue to champion persuasion in an age of polarization. We meet a leader of Black Lives Matter; a trailblazer in the feminist resistance to Trumpism; white parents at a seminar on raising adopted children of color; Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; a team of door knockers with an uncanny formula for changing minds on immigration; an ex-cult member turned QAnon deprogrammer; and, hovering menacingly offstage, Russian operatives clandestinely stoking Americans’ fatalism about one another.

As the book’s subjects grapple with how to call out threats and injustices while calling in those who don’t agree with them but just might one day, they point a way to healing, and changing, a fracturing country.

Thought Provoking

I enjoyed this, found it to be thought provoking and insightful. Also always appreciate solution focus versus screaming into the void!

Solid techniques and examples

I appreciated the techniques and various real-world examples. Very well thought-out and delivered as a whole.

I had to pause several times to absorb ideas and the affect they could haveI would have appreciated a quick recap of those key techniques at the end so this could more easily be used as a guide or training assistant. There were a lot of profound things in this book, but the lessons are delivered in close proximity, making it dense and tougher to recall. I would have appreciated a quick recap of those key techniques at the end so this could more easily be used as a guide or training assistant.

If anyone is looking for impartial examples, it should be noted that the examples used are predominately from left-leaning politics or progressive movements.

Fantastic!

A great and worthwhile listen that offers hope for bridging a world of extremes. Clear narration and compelling stories.

Enlightening and timely.

Thanks to the author for his keen eyes and ears in bringing these persuaders to our attention. Much needed understanding and hope in our difficult times.

This book is good 👍

loved this book. couldn't stop listening to a very informative concept of changing hearts