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Buyology: How Everything We Believe About Why We Buy is Wrong
 
 
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Buyology: How Everything We Believe About Why We Buy is Wrong (Paperback)

by Martin Lindstrom (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Random House Business Books; Airport / Export ed edition (23 Oct 2008)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1847940129
  • ISBN-13: 978-1847940124
  • Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 15.2 x 2.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 538,919 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #88 in  Books > Business, Finance & Law > Sales & Marketing > Market Research

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Product Description

Review

Lindstrom brings together a great many strands of research to build a fascinating case. The writing is snappy and the book s a page turner --BBC Focus November 2008

A must-have for those involved with marketing and advertising --ReFresh --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.


Review

'... thorough and persuasive ... rewarding reading not just for marketing professionals, but for anyone interested in the way we behave.'
--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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Customer Reviews

38 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (38 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars Not much new; yet very conceited, 4 Jan 2009
By A. Christoffersen - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
buyology presents a few interesting insights, but mostly the narrative is marred by the authors irrelevant and boastful ego trip. Also - I find the book lacking in nuance. E.g. Lindstrom often reports that X has an effect on Y - but not how big an effect, and alternative explanations are not given much thought nor space.

Mostly the book fails because it does not tell us why we react in certain ways. In that respect the book simply shows us that brainscanning can tell us which advertising schemes works. But brainscanning can't tell us in advance how or why this works and that does not. Also the book lacks a discussion of how the brainscanning set-up is different from real-world advertising. E.g. It's all fine that mirror-neurons get credit for the ipod fad, but why only the ipod? Why not all other products?

A better book, with focus on the brain, would be A Mind of Its Own: How Your Brain Distorts and Deceives. Also The Political Brain: How We Make Up Our Minds Without Using Our Heads is highly reccommended.
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35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars Mediocre - don't waste your time, 26 Dec 2008
By J. Erlank (London, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Buyology: How Everything We Believe About Why We Buy Is Wrong (Hardcover)
This is a pretty lightweight book, and self-indulgent as well.

Most people will learn very little of interest that they probably don't already know. The possible exception to this is facts about the author himself, which are sprinkled throughout the text. Did you know he has an "extremely young, boyish-looking face"? Or that he has "raked-back blond hair"? Do you care?

So anyway, what I have learned is that we don't remember most of the advertisments we see; and we mostly buy stuff for irrational, unconscious or emotional reasons. And by scanning people's brains, you can see how different parts respond to brands and logos. This gives you a bit of insight into hard-to-explain human behaviour, such as smokers who smoke heavily despite the dire health warnings on cigarette packets.

Other amazing things I've learned include the fact that the smell of coffee makes you want to drink coffee.

As far as the book itself goes, Lindstrom fails to produce a decent narrative - it's just a jumble of loosely-connected facts, heaps and heaps of padding, repetition and irrelevant personal details. Plus I spotted a couple of dubious-looking "facts" which I easily found to be incorrect with a quick search of the web.

And as for the author himself - well, after a while he just comes across as egotistical, if not mildy delusional. He's just puffing up a few fairly obvious bits of science into a book he can use to promote his own personal brand.

Oh, and he claims to be responsible for egg yolks being bright yellow. I kid you not.
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25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Some interesting facts but too wordy, 6 Dec 2008
This review is from: Buyology: How Everything We Believe About Why We Buy Is Wrong (Hardcover)
This book talks about research which has been carried out to determine what makes us buy things. Paco Underhill wrote "Why we Buy" but his approach has been to study people in supermarkets and understand behaviour that way. This book uses the latest in technology - eg MRI - to assess reactions to things. So there is a kind of bizarre fascination in reading how we really do not understand why we react to things in a particular way - it is all determined by the subconscious. Some very interesting findings are presented. My problem is that reading this book is a bit like going on a treasure hunt. There are some wonderful grains of genius, but there is a lot of fluff around it. I got the impression that this author was padding it out so that he could produce a decent length book and make a lot of money. He repeats himself a lot and engages in a lot of "Did you think X? Well, the next chapter will show you how wrong you were" or "I thought Y, and I set out to prove it". OK, I can see the author is some kind of genius, but this book really should provide more for your money than a few interesting facts dressed up in a long and rambling tale.

If you're interested in marketing then by all means buy this book but be prepared to be bored at least half of the time.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars yawn.
As a brand marketer who has lost confidence in traditional research methods I am very keen to find new methods that might offer just a little bit more truth in return for the vast... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Richard

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic!
I've never written a review for Amazon before but on this occasion I thought I'd really must. Buy-ology is amazing and I would recommend it to anyone. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Mr. J. L. Holmes

5.0 out of 5 stars Differentiates the good, the bad and the ugly in terms of advertising techniques.
A friend recommended this book to me, so i took his word for it and bought it. As small business owner myself, i found the book to be a good guidelines as to what advertising is... Read more
Published 6 months ago by L. Ford

5.0 out of 5 stars Mind Blowing!
This book is mind blowing. Lindstrom uses stories and anecdotes to separate the working techniques from the bad ones, truly remarkable. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Nathan Shore

5.0 out of 5 stars I really enjoyed this book!
If you enjoy informative and consise books then you will surely enjoy Buyology by Martin Lindstrom, its perfect. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Ben Cocksworth

5.0 out of 5 stars Oh what a book!
Martin Lindstrom's book buyology gives its readers a real view of the consumers mind. This book separates the techniques of advertising which work and the ones that don't, so... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Caleb Johnston

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfectly written!
To any business considering a change in direction in their advertising methods then don't do anything until you have read this! Read more
Published 6 months ago by J. O'Connor

5.0 out of 5 stars Provides insight as to why consumers make irrational decisions.
This book has something to tell. The modern techniques of advertising have exposed by Martin Lindstrom. He raises many interesting facts such as... Read more
Published 6 months ago by TIm Michael

5.0 out of 5 stars Definately worth the read
Lindstrom has really nailed this one. His writing style is controversial, surpising and easy to understand. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Norman Lee

5.0 out of 5 stars A real eye opener!
I wasn't expecting much from this book, perhaps a few statistics and a brief explanation in boring scientific mumbo jumbo. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Josh Kovac

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