Influence
by Robert B. Cialdini
A social psychologist lays out the principles that make people say yes, from reciprocity to scarcity, with research and vivid examples. A staple for marketers and skeptics alike. Read the full description
Best for: Marketers, founders, and curious skeptics
Influence is #72 on BookWard's Top 100 books for September 2026, with a BookWard Score of 55 out of 100.
Influence: reading interest over the past 12 months
Sources: Open Library’s public reading-log and ratings data (dump of 2026-08-31), Wikipedia page views and Wikidata. Monthly counts are exact; they show relative interest among readers of these public sources, not total readership.
Ranked against the other books on this list, Influence’s reading interest has run from #68 to #100 over these 12 months. Interest rank blends shelf adds, Wikipedia page views and rating activity, each compared with the other 99 books that month.
Shelf adds by month
Influence was added to Open Library readers’ shelves 372 times in the past 12 months, peaking in August 2026 with 48 (55% above its monthly average of 31). Over the latest three months (Jun 2026 to Aug 2026) shelf adds were up 39% on the three months before. 89% of the adds were “want to read”, 7% “currently reading” and 4% “already read”.
Want to read Currently reading Already read
Wikipedia page views
Its Wikipedia article was viewed 29,803 times in the past 12 months, peaking in January 2026 with 2,951 views. The latest three months were up 1% on the three before.
Source: Wikimedia monthly page views for the article Influence: Science and Practice.
What the data says about Influence
- Moderate swings. Monthly shelf adds averaged 31 with some ups and downs.
- Busiest and quietest months. August 2026 was its busiest month (48 adds), about 5.3 times its quietest, December 2025 (9).
- Attention and shelf adds move independently. Its Wikipedia views and its shelf adds did not rise and fall together over these 12 months (correlation -0.07).
- Against its genre. It had 57% fewer shelf adds than the average Psychology book on this list.
- Share of the list. It accounts for 0.4% of all shelf adds recorded for the Top 100 over these 12 months, #91 of 100.
- Its age. First published in 1983 (43 years ago), it is older than 73% of the books on the list.
Each finding is computed from the public data above and shown only when the numbers support it.
Influence on the Top 100: rank history
First charted in September 2026. The chart gains a point with every monthly update, so its peak, climbs and falls will show here as they happen.
| Month | Rank | Score |
|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | #72 | 55 |
Is Influence rising or falling?
Holding steady Its weekly, monthly and yearly ranks are close together, so interest is steady rather than spiking.
On Open Library, Influence ranks #65 this week, #49 this month, and #137 over the past year. A longer bar means a higher position. Comparing the three windows shows whether readers are arriving faster than the book's long-term pace. Readings as of 2026-09-30.
Why Influence made the Top 100
Influence made the list mainly on momentum (+27.2 points) and being read right now (+10.7 points). Its smallest contribution is rising (+3.1). The BookWard Score blends five public signals, each scored from 0 to 100 and weighted as shown.
The reading-now, rating and rank signals come from Open Library’s public data, not from BookWard’s own readers. The score measures reading interest, not quality or sales. How the score works.
Open Library reader stats for Influence
Source: Open Library public reading logs, as of 2026-09-30. BookWard’s own monthly snapshots are added to the picture, and anonymous BookWard reader data will be layered in as the community grows.
More readers have Influence open right now than 10% of the other books on this list. These counts come from one public source, so they show relative interest rather than total readership.
Where it sits among Psychology books
It is #4 of the 6 Psychology books on this month’s list.
About Influence
A social psychologist lays out the principles that make people say yes, from reciprocity to scarcity, with research and vivid examples. A staple for marketers and skeptics alike.
Why it’s here: It changes how you see ads, sales pitches, and your own choices.
Best for: Marketers, founders, and curious skeptics
At a glance
- First published
- 1984
- Genre
- Psychology
- Length
- about 287 pages (the median across its editions)
- Original language
- English
- Languages
- editions in 2 languages listed on Open Library
- Editions
- 28 on Open Library
From Open Library and Wikidata public records. Missing rows mean the records do not list that fact.
Themes
- Reciprocity
- Social proof
- Persuasion
What reading it is like
Clear, research-based and full of examples.
At about 287 pages it is a medium-length read: roughly 6 hours at an average reading pace (about 250 words a minute, 300 words a page). Audiobook and edition lengths vary.
Good to know
Built around six principles of persuasion. Updated editions exist.
The premise
Psychologist Robert Cialdini describes six principles that make people say yes, such as reciprocity and social proof, and shows how to recognize and use them ethically.
What you’ll get
- Research-backed persuasion principles
- Memorable real-world examples
- Insights for marketers and consumers
You might skip it if you want a quick, light read.
Pairs well with: Thinking, Fast and Slow · How to Win Friends and Influence People
Keep exploring the chart
Also on the chart at #71 and #73
Questions about Influence
What rank is Influence on the Top 100 books?
Influence is #72 on BookWard's Top 100 books for September 2026, with a BookWard Score of 55 out of 100.
Is Influence rising or falling?
Holding steady. Its weekly, monthly and yearly ranks are close together, so interest is steady rather than spiking. On Open Library, Influence ranks #65 this week, #49 this month, and #137 over the past year.
Why is Influence on the Top 100?
Influence made the list mainly on momentum (+27.2 points) and being read right now (+10.7 points). Its smallest contribution is rising (+3.1).
How many people are reading Influence right now?
Open Library's reading logs show 134 readers currently reading Influence, 1,447 who want to read it and 91 who have logged it as read (as of 2026-09-30). These are counts from one public source, not all readers.
How much interest has Influence had over the past year?
372 Open Library shelf adds in the past 12 months (peak August 2026, 48); latest three months up 39% on the prior three; 29,803 Wikipedia views in the past 12 months (up 1% over the latest three months). Figures come from Open Library and Wikipedia public data.
Who is Influence best for?
Marketers, founders, and curious skeptics.
Ask a question about Influence
Ask about this book's chart history, reading interest, or who it is for. Answers come from this page's data and can be wrong.
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How we know
This page is built from public data: Open Library’s dated reading-log and ratings dumps, Wikipedia page views, Wikidata, and BookWard’s own monthly Top 100 snapshots. The interest rank blends shelf adds (45%), Wikipedia page views (30%), rating activity (10%) and, for months where a snapshot exists, BookWard’s own score (15%), each as a percentile among the Top 100 books. Every month shown is real data; nothing is estimated. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Last updated September 2026. Read the full methodology.
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