Herd
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Review
"Earls has a beguiling and an irrepressible intellectual curiosity, so the book becomes a very enjoyable and allusive compendium…” (The Guardian, March 2007)
"Bold in its conception and engaging in execution, offers the most radical new theory of consumer behaviour in a generation" (Gulf Business, March 2007)
"…brain–stretching stuff, looking at economic patterns, investment history and behavioural psychology to help the reader become a shrewder investigator." (Securities and Investment Review, March 2007)
"It will change the way you think about marketing. It will also change the way you think about yourself." (Marketing Direct, November 2007) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Review
‘The PM′s advisers would do well to consult the work of Mark Earls, whose book, Herd, explores the extent to which "the physics of mass behaviour" are governed by imitation more often than ideological purpose’ Matthew D’Ancona, Evening Standard
‘As the riots spread throughout London and the rest of the country, I grabbed for my edition of Herd to see what it held to explain behaviour such as this. Author Mark Earls talks about how people’s behaviour can be influenced by a “system that is primed”’ Research
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book was totally compelling - my copy is now completely covered in crib notes - having devoured it at some speed I now want to go back and read the whole thing again. Not just interesting for people working in marketing, but also for those, like myself, working in small businesses, or, frankly, anyone interested in social psychology. Put simply (although there's nothing much simple about this book) Mark investigates how we are less driven by independent thought than we would like to believe, and more by peer influence; more than simply recapitulating that word-of-mouth is the best form of marketing (something we already knew) he gets right down to the roots of how it occurs, who perpetuates it and what it actually consists of, throwing up some fascinating insights into human behaviour in the process. He then strips back many existing marketing assumptions and presents some compelling new ideas as to how these theories should affect marketing in the modern world. Marketing tips aside, the book leads you to re-examine your choices, decisions, preferences, taste and even identity. It's immaculately researched and a totally absorbing read. Steven Poole in the Guardian compares him to Malcolm Gladwell on speed; I'm thinking more Robert M Pirsig with a point.
11 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I've just finished reading Herd. Actually, I devoured it in two sittings. And I urge you to go and read it if you want to think about how to better trigger changes in mass behaviour.
Unlike most business or marketing books it's not a set of case studies or a 'how to' process guide to mechanistic thinking.
Rather, it's an excellently written analysis of the new thinking (and the forgotten old thinking) about how people think, act and behave. It doesn't give you answers or tell you what to do, but rather raises questions in your mind about the principles on which most communications thinking is built.
Already, it's made me question a lot of the assumptions I have been taking for granted, made me think differently about some of the problems I'm trying to solve and helped me ground some of the different thinking I've been doing over the last couple of years.
The new paperback version adds fresh content and argument to further strengthen a strong argument and make it a worthwhile purchase for existing readers.
Whether you agree with all the conclusions or not, we need more stuff like this that brings fresh, challenging, provocative thinking into the far too conservative world of marketing and communications.
Unlike most business or marketing books it's not a set of case studies or a 'how to' process guide to mechanistic thinking.
Rather, it's an excellently written analysis of the new thinking (and the forgotten old thinking) about how people think, act and behave. It doesn't give you answers or tell you what to do, but rather raises questions in your mind about the principles on which most communications thinking is built.
Already, it's made me question a lot of the assumptions I have been taking for granted, made me think differently about some of the problems I'm trying to solve and helped me ground some of the different thinking I've been doing over the last couple of years.
The new paperback version adds fresh content and argument to further strengthen a strong argument and make it a worthwhile purchase for existing readers.
Whether you agree with all the conclusions or not, we need more stuff like this that brings fresh, challenging, provocative thinking into the far too conservative world of marketing and communications.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is an intersesting book on herd mentality and how to influence people or sell them something or an idea. It wasn't quite as scientific as I was hoping- more a marketing/management slant due to the author- but there are some references in it so you can follow up the background stuff if you want. His writing style is a nice and easy to read and his humour is great; and there are lots of interesting asides from the examples, for example discussing the Join-Me movement who enact Random Acts of Kindness to strangers. Although you might expect a book about influencing the masses to be a bit of a downer, in fact one of the things that comes out is that we are a super-social species and work best in our herds- or troupes I guess as we are apes- and some positive thoughts about society and the future. A good and thought-provoking read.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Glad to get to the end!
This is probably the first book I have read when I was glad to stop reading it. Let me clarify that:
I read books like this during my lunch at work, as it provides a... Read more
I read books like this during my lunch at work, as it provides a... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Pete
Worth a read, whether in the field or not.
Im not in marketing or even business but I still found this to be a great read that was very interesting, I found it well thought out and learnt alot about us as the pink monkeys... Read more
Published 17 months ago by N. B.
Brilliant new thinking that will turn your world upside down
I enjoyed this book more than any other I have read in the last two years.
HERD is a fun, awe-inspiring outing. Read more
HERD is a fun, awe-inspiring outing. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Brian McCarter
Essential reading for all humans
Mark's book has had a dramatic effect on not only the way I approach advertising but how I navigate my personal life as well. Read more
Published 19 months ago by John Burke
A bit of a disappointment...
"Although there were a few interesting things, this was a bit of a disappointment considering all the positive feedback this book has been receiving. Read more
Published 22 months ago by taupe5
A triumph of style over substance
I'm not quite sure how the author succeeded in being compared to Malcolm Gladwell - well done for that - but I would think very seriously about buying this book. Read more
Published on 7 Jan 2010 by Mr. Will S. Phipps
Unusual, special and fascinating
Here's the thing. I work in research & development (R&D), so a book like this is clearly not aimed at me. Read more
Published on 3 Nov 2009 by A. Gundle
Good read for anyone who works in marketing
Mark is a well known regular on the conference circuit in the world of marketing. This book gives you a great insight into peoples' decision making process when they're in groups. Read more
Published on 1 Nov 2009 by R. Yakob
Surprisingly boring
I struggled to get through this book and for me it turned out to be totally useless, as I expected some kind of advise I could apply to my life, not just theoretical thinking. Read more
Published on 1 Jan 2009 by Natalie Kjaergaard
Feed your head and provoke your thoughts
Loved it! I bought this book a while ago and hoped that somehow osmotically its contents would seep into my brain from the table beside my desk (along with a few others). Read more
Published on 26 Jan 2008 by Merry Baskin
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