How You Get What You Want: Dreams Can Change the World

By Luigi Carlo De Micco

ENGLISH SUMMARY:
The book will show you how to use communications strategically, tactically and specifically to achieve your personal, professional, political or business objectives faster and more efficient. "How you get, what you want" is about the powerful tools of communication and their mechanisms and laws. And of course, the amazing results that can be achieved if one understands and masters the tools of communication. The author with much humor practically takes you ever deeper into the world of communication and shows you how you can use it to get, what you want. Whether it involves communicating with friends or family members, business partners, customers or politicians, even with gangsters, such as racketeers - who ever masters the keys of communication, will always be able to convince his or her counterpart easier and more effectively.


For more information please go to http://www.businessuniversities.org



GERMAN SUMMARY:
In Wie Sie bekommen, was Ihnen zusteht geht es um die mchtigen Instrumente der Kommunikation, um ihre Mechanismen und Gesetzmigkeiten. Und natrlich um die erstaunlichen Ergebnisse, die sich erzielen lassen, sofern man die Instrumente der Kommunikation versteht und beherrscht. Der Autor fhrt Sie praktisch und mit viel Humor immer tiefer in die Welt der Kommunikation und zeigt Ihnen, wie Sie mit ihrer Hilfe das bekommen knnen, was Ihnen zusteht. Ob es sich dabei um Kommunikation mit Freunden oder Familienangehrigen, mit Geschftspartnern, Kunden oder Politikern, ja sogar mit Gangstern, wie etwa Erpressern, handelt wer die Klaviatur der Kommunikation beherrscht, wird stets sein Gegenber leichter und effektiver berzeugen knnen.

Das Buch wird Ihnen zeigen, wie Sie Kommunikation strategisch, taktisch und ganz gezielt einsetzen, um Ihre privaten, beruflichen, politischen oder geschftlichen Ziele schneller und effizienter zu erreichen.

Fr weitere Informationen bitte gehen Sie zu http://www.businessuniversities.org

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris UK
• Release date: Aug 20, 2010
• ISBN: 9781453546390

Luigi Carlo De Micco

LLuigi Carlo De Micco ist Jahrgang 1964 und lebt seit 2001 in seiner Wahlheimat Monte Carlo. Luigi ist heute mit seinem Beratungsunternehmen De Micco & Friends, welches er mit über 500 assoziierten Partnern zu einer der führenden Kanzleien in Europa ausgebaut hat, international als Berater für Investoren engagiert. (www.demicco.ch) Weitere Publikationen: "How You Get What You Want" Fachpublikation (Bestseller in den USA) zum Thema zwischenmenschliche Kommunikation. Erschienen in Deutsch, Englisch, Spanisch.

Book preview

Contents

An African Impasse (1)

THE KIDNAPPING

A TWIST OF FATE

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

The Search for the Best Solutions

THE FATAL ERROR

The Unknown Aspect of Psychology

THE PRACTICE OF PSYCHOLOGY

PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORY

PSYCHOLOGY AND MANIPULATION

SUGGESTION AND HYPNOSIS

Communication Research

WATZLAWICK’S LEGACY

Behind the Scenes: How Wars Start

WHY WARS START

EXPERIMENTS IN COMMUNICATION

PEACE AND CONFLICT RESEARCH

BUSH’S WAR

The Unseen Causes of War

TWO SYSTEMS

COMMUNICATION MODALITIES

SYSTEMS (AGAIN)

The Power of Systems

NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH

THE THING ABOUT SYSTEMS

THE RULES OF THE GAME

THE CLASH OF SYSTEMS

SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE

The Head Scarf Scandal and Other System Wars

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SYSTEM ACTORS

THOU SHALT NOT STEAL

SYSTEM PRESSURE

A BRIEF VISIT TO HELL

SYSTEM ACTORS (2)

DOES AN EX REALLY MATTER THAT MUCH?

ABSURD MANIFESTATIONS OF A SYSTEM

The Mafia, or Systems Seen from Without and Within

THE FIGHT FOR RULES AND PRINCIPLES

A TELLTALE EXAMPLE

A RENOWNED MANAGEMENT COACH’S MISSTEP

SYSTEMS MANIFESTED BY BODY LANGUAGE

HOW SYSTEMS MANIFEST THEMSELVES

THE GOTHIC SCENE

Attacks on a System

PROPRIETARY RULES

VALUE SYSTEMS: UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

SELF-PROTECTING SYSTEMS

The Fight for a Personal Reality

KILLING SPREES

KNOW THY SYSTEM

ADVERTISING: A GIANT WASTE OF MONEY

The Genius of Christopher Columbus

A BRIEF HISTORICAL FLASHBACK

OVERCOMING THE SYSTEMS

COLOMBUS THE PETITIONER

STUDYING THE SYSTEM

BREAKING INTO THE SYSTEM

The Communication System or Attempts to Exercise Influence in the Political Sphere

THE 2008 DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES

THE REPUBLIC PRIMARIES

THE PRIMARY CAMPAIGNS

THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN

Dealing with Systems Intelligently

THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF KEEPING ABOVE THE FRAY

A New Way of Thinking—Particularly about Communication

SUBJECTIVE ASSESSMENTS

DIFFERENTIATION AT THE RELATIONSHIP LEVEL

THE REAL TRUTH

HOW IT WORKS IN REALITY . . .

THE UNKNOWN

PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

THE ART OF PROBLEM SOLVING

NEW MIND-SETS

Thinking Outside the Envelope

WHAT CARLZON DID RIGHT

People Always Communicate Whether They Want to or Not

The Just Be Spontaneous Paradox

THE MEANING AND MEANINGLESS OF ADVERTISING

POLITICIANS’ POTBOILER UTTERANCES

THE RESULT

THE IMPACT OF PARADOXES

HOW PEOPLE PURPORTEDLY THINK

THE DYSFUNCTIONAL EMPLOYEE

A DEAD-END STREET

The Communication Double Bind

HOW DOUBLE BINDS ARISE

Who Runs a System?

THE ART OF PERSUASION

THE ART OF PERSUASION IN ELECTION CAMPAIGNS

ADVERTISING PSYCHOLOGY

Are Men Really from Mars? Are Women Really from Venus?

The Pease Position and Other Dubious Theories

THE MALE-FEMALE SYSTEM

THE BIRTH OF GENE IDEOLOGY

THE ART OF STANDING REALITY ON ITS HEAD

A FEW DEFINITIONS

WHAT DOESN’T WORK

WHAT WORKS

A COMPLETELY NEW APPROACH

How to Change People’s Minds

OPENING UP SYSTEMS BY DISCONCERTING THEM

POLITICS AND HISTORY

The Teachings of the Zen Masters

THE POWER OF STRATEGIC DISORDER

THE COLD WAR AS A SYSTEM

WAR OF THE SYSTEMS

A BRIEF ANALYSIS

Resolving Conflicts

HOW WARS ARE ENGINEERED

THE PROBLEM WITH CRITICISM

HEY, GUESS WHAT: I’M RIGHT!

Jealousy

JEALOUSY: A CASE STUDY

DISMISSING EMPLOYEES

The Problem with Criticism

CRITICISM AND SYSTEMS

MALLORCA FOR THE MALLORCANS

FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD

SUBJECTIVE REALITIES

Dominance through Subdominance

JOB INTERVIEWS

BUYING A USED CAR

THE JOY OF COOKING

THE MEANING AND MEANINGLESSNESS OF BEING

BORDERLINE CASES

POOR AL CAPONE

HOW TO RISE ABOVE SYSTEMS

Communication in History

THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE’RE UNDER ATTACK

THE BATTLE OF THE SEXES, PART 2

A POSSIBLE WAY OUT: META-COMMUNICATION

CAUSES ARE IRRELEVANT

WHAT’S BECOME OF CONGENIALITY?

OH VANITY!

HOW THE SECOND WORLD WAR COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED

THE ALTERNATIVE

How to Turn Criticism to Your Advantage

WHY YOU SHOULD LEARN TO LOVE CRITICISM

HOW TO INFLUENCE PEOPLE

FREE WILL

THE RULES OF COMMUNICATION

THE MCCARTHY ERA

THE CASE OF AKBAR THE GREAT

Theory and Practice

DO WE REALLY NEED TO SELL OURSELVES?

SCARS, SUFFERING, AND TALES OF AMAZING FEATS

STRATEGY AND TACTICS

HOW TO OPERATE TACTICALLY

How to Win Friends and Influence People

Practical Examples

ASKING POSITIVE QUESTIONS

VISUALIZE THE DESIRED BEHAVIOR

PEOPLE LIKE FEELING IMPORTANT

PERSUASION TECHNIQUES

USING SYSTEM THINKING IN HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SETTINGS

DECISIONS: THE CIRCUMSTANTIAL AND IDEAL LEVELS

GOOD CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

HOW TO HANDLE COMPLAINTS

THE ADVANTAGES OF INDIRECT COMMUNICATION

MALE-FEMALE RELATIONSHIPS

CONFLICT AVOIDANCE

SEIZE THE INITIATIVE WHEN CRITICISM’S IN THE OFFING

ELICITING EMPATHY THROUGH EMOTIONS

DECISION MAKING

SHOWING AND GAINING UNDERSTANDING THROUGH EMPATHY

EXPRESS YOUR WISHES IN TERMS OF THEIR ADVANTAGES

LOVE

CHILD REARING

DREAMS CAN CHANGE THE WORLD

Is Everything Manipulation?

THE INDUSTRIAL REVOULTION

SCIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE

THE POLITICAL REALM

MANIPULATING MANIPULATION

An African Impasse (2)

THE KIDNAPPING

Acknowledgments

About the Author

DE MICCO & FRIENDS

INVESTMENT CONSULTING AND TRANSACTION MANAGEMENT

MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS:

INVESTMENTS, STRATEGIC PARTNERS, AND CLIENTS

CONSULTING SERVICES

GOVERNMENT AND INSTITUTIONAL CONSULTING SERVICES

Footnotes

I.  

An African Impasse (1)

I wrote this book with a view to familiarizing you with a new communication method that I feel yields amazing results. By amazing, I mean that this method can totally transform a person’s life, open new horizons in the personal domain, and bring relationships to a higher level. And what’s more—and above all—this method can potentially bring about heretofore unimagined changes in the working world, and even in international relations.

On reading this, you might wonder, Is all this really possible just by means of communication? I think it is; I also feel that I have proven via numerous examples in this book that my proposed method actually works.

My method will empower you to get what you want, and I honestly feel that this is an absolutely reasonable and completely truthful claim. For this method provides you with the tools you need to change people’s attitudes—toward yourself for example—and ideally to convince people to adopt the attitudes that suit you. This is quite a potent instrument, as I’m sure you can imagine.

As I said, I’ve tested this method out repeatedly, including in life-or-death situations that I happened to find myself involved in—situations that moved me deeply and which, to tell you the truth, have remained with me to this day.

THE KIDNAPPING

I’d now like to completely change the subject, if I may.

However, the matter I will now discuss is different in appearance only, for the central issue here is likewise communication—more precisely a specific communication method.

One of the most unforgettable and tragic events I have ever experienced, and at the same time a perfect illustration of how communication can be a weapon—an event that changed some of my most ingrained attitudes and behavior patterns—was the abduction of a close friend of mine. Please note that some details of the story that follows have been changed out of respect for my friend’s family.

My friend, whom I shall call Tom Smith, was the victim of an abduction. Normally such events are the stuff of detective novels, but I can assure you that the emotions you experience when you yourself are suddenly confronted with such a situation bear no resemblance to what you may feel when reading a fictional account of a kidnapping. Tom traveled to an African country in pursuit of a very plausible-sounding and lucrative business opportunity that turned out to be fraudulent (I feel it is best to refrain from naming the country in question and shall refer to it as Country X). When Tom was abducted, the Smiths immediately contacted the local German consulate, which refused to provide any assistance on the grounds that, as they saw it, the abduction was a legal matter that had nothing to do with human rights.

After two weeks of anxious waiting, the Smiths made contact with Tom’s abductors, who indicated their willingness to negotiate. Tom’s captors, who demanded a $500,000 ransom, also indicated their willingness to negotiate with two attorneys the Smiths had retained and who, for a very high fee, came to Africa and met with Tom’s captors. The attorneys of course advanced legal arguments, i.e., they cited international law, threatened Tom’s captors with severe legal consequences, and tried to bluff by claiming that the government was supporting their efforts to free Tom. But unfortunately, after an only twenty-minute meeting with Tom’s captors or their representatives, they sent the Smith’s attorneys packing.

It wasn’t until a month later, when Tom’s wife, Anne, called to tell me what had happened, that I learned of the ensuing tragic events. At the time, Tom was suffering from a very severe medical condition—probably an acute case of tropical fever—for which his captors failed to provide adequate treatment. Anne was very worried about Tom and urgently asked for my help and had already done all she possibly could.

The last time she’d spoken to Tom on the phone, he’d mentioned my name a number of times and asked Anne to contact me. So she pleaded with me to help, and to try to negotiate with Tom’s captors. Anne told me that she was willing to pay a ransom, but that there was no way she’d ever be able to find the $500,000 Tom’s captors had demanded. However, with the help of friends and family, she had managed to get together $120,000.

Notifying the authorities was not an option, since this would not yield the desired results. In fact, people in the know had warned us against involving the authorities, as they might try to get a cut of the action, which would make it even more difficult to obtain Tom’s release.

So needless to say, this was a pretty horrendous situation for all concerned. There was no question in my mind that I would of course do everything I could to obtain Tom’s release. But at the same time, I unexpectedly found myself shouldering a type of responsibility that was new to me: responsibility not for a business deal, but for a human life, and the life of a close friend to boot.

First off, I reflected deeply on what had happened thus far and what missteps might perhaps have been made. Then I gathered all information I could about Country X and the type of abduction scenario we were facing here. I discussed the situation extensively with the Smith’s lawyers, whom, as noted, Tom’s captors had sent packing. The attorneys advised me to bring this outrageous event to the attention of the competent international authorities, as well as the media, so as to focus public attention on the case and perhaps even get government officials involved. The attorneys also advised me to exert greater pressure on Tom’s captors, whom the attorneys felt were clearly supported by higher-ups.

I vehemently objected to this plan, for I felt it was obvious such measures would have no effect whatsoever on Tom’s captors, and might in fact make things worse; for the captors had in fact unceremoniously told the two Swiss star attorneys to get lost and, in so doing, had demonstrated their power. I also felt that a press release would be unlikely to make much of an impression on Tom’s captors, since such a document would probably be ignored as it would reflect badly on Country X, would reinforce obvious prejudices, and might in fact have the reverse of the desired effect. For a press release about Tom might make his captors revel in their power even more, since such press releases are issued seldom, if ever, and criminals adore the limelight and the attendant fifteen minutes of fame.

With Tom’s captors, the two attorneys had assumed their accustomed role of prominent legal experts who clearly charged very high fees. But what they had failed to reckon with was that they might be strengthening Tom’s captors’ position, since the latter must have realized that they’d captured a big fish, for (they probably reasoned) anyone who could afford such fancy attorneys must be loaded.

But unfortunately quite the opposite was true. Tom had suffered financial and business reverses in recent years, and in all likelihood, it was the need for money that had prompted him to get involved in such an obviously very risky situation that he presumably would have steered clear of under different circumstances.

In short, the situation had gotten off on the wrong track, since Tom’s captors were under the totally false impression about their victim’s financial situation—an impression that could not of course have been significantly altered by what had transpired thus far. To some extent, the structures were fossilized. And what’s more, Tom’s captors had indicated that they would only allow further contact if the ransom was paid.

The ransom being demanded by Tom’s captors was, as previously mentioned, completely unreasonable in view of Tom’s financial situation; but for his captors, the demand made perfect sense based on what they knew—or thought they knew—plus time was of the essence in view of Tom’s deteriorating health. And because of the way things were in Country X, normal legal channels could not be used. Thus this was genuinely a life-or-death situation.

So I got right down to work, as there was no time to lose. First I spent an entire night googling similar cases. Then I called every friend and acquaintance I could think of and asked them if they were familiar with such situations. In short, I gathered all information that I felt could be relevant or helpful in any manner whatsoever. I also decided to travel to Country X and have a look around in the city where Tom had been abducted.

Virtually everyone I spoke to about Tom’s abduction said that he was probably being held in the city where he’d been abducted. My plan was to get a feel for the place and the people, to plan a possible escape if I could secure Tom’s release, find hospitals or physicians, and obtain information concerning bodyguards or private security services.

But unfortunately, I was unable to carry out this plan. The first time I arrived in Country X, I was told that my visa was invalid and that this matter could not be resolved at the airport. After a very brief discussion, two officials escorted me back to the very aircraft on which I’d arrived—truly a nightmare scenario. I flew back to Spain (my base of operations at the time) and immediately went to the embassy of Country X in Madrid, where I had a very congenial conversation with the ambassador. He promised me that I would be given a new, valid visa within three days.

So I waited in Madrid for three days—needless to say, on tenterhooks the whole time. I then went back to the embassy, where I was told that I could not be issued a visa on the grounds that certain information appeared to be missing. When I asked what information that might be, I was told none too politely to submit the information in writing. Despite my insistence, the person I spoke to refused to tell me which information was missing. I was merely told to submit the missing documents. And needless to say, the congenial ambassador I’d met with previously was travelling on the day of my visit and could not be reached.

The situation seemed hopeless. So I gritted my teeth and decided to try my luck at Country X’s embassies in Paris and Berlin; but of course I ran up against the same brick wall there as I had in Madrid—presumably, I surmised, because my name had been placed on some kind of blacklist. This surmise turned out to be correct, for as I later found out one of Tom’s lawyers had mentioned my name to Tom’s abductors, thus dooming my efforts to assist him. But then fate stepped in.

A TWIST OF FATE

I’d gotten to the point where I was just about ready to throw in the towel when I unexpectedly came across a newspaper article about abductions in Latin America, a region whose culture I was very familiar with thanks to my numerous trips there. In Latin America, abductions are more or less a daily occurrence. The article in question was about a company which, in the event of an abduction, acts as a mediator between the abductors and the victim’s family (or the relevant company whose employee has been abducted). In other words, a kind of real estate agency for abduction.

Suddenly I felt totally energized, as this struck me as a smart approach that merited further consideration.

Of course the two attorneys had also tried to act as go-betweens but had never really assumed the role of mediators, since they were the paid representatives of one of the parties and would thus be regarded by Tom’s captors not as neutral, but rather as having aggressive intent.

The article also said that hostage situations are generally conducted by phone or radio. Prior to my attempt to enter Country X, I had thought of contacting his captors by phone to be on the safe side, but I later abandoned this idea on the grounds that there’s no substitute for face-to-face contact. But the fact that it is nonetheless possible to resolve such situations via phone or radio communication gave me renewed hope, and so I began imagining how such conversations might go.

This gave me the idea of making verbal contact with Tom’s captors in such a way as to broker a deal between the parties—and thus to some extent act as an advocate for the captors. I realized that in order for me to convince Tom’s captors to make a deal—which was far from being their original intention—they would have to regard me as a plausible interlocutor.

I thought about what go-betweens normally do and what’s expected of them, which made me increasingly aware of the advantages of the role of a party that acts solely as a go-between in a business setting. For such a person intervenes between two parties and normally has a stake in the outcome—namely, earning as high a commission as possible. In other words, go-betweens have a vested interest in closing a deal, since their commission depends on it. Thus go-betweens, unlike attorneys (who always collect a fee even if they lose the case), need to close deals in order to earn a paycheck. This success is dependent on the go-between not being a party to the deal, while at the same time he must give both parties the impression that he’s on their side.

A few days after I had chewed this over some more and had imagined possible conversations with the abductors, I managed to make contact with them. I had instructed the attorneys to tell the abductors that they would be withdrawing from the case effective immediately due to the fact that (a) Tom’s family was in arrears on their payments to the attorneys and (b) the family had decided to retain a professional negotiator to handle the case. This plan was greatly aided by the fact that no precise ransom for Tom’s release had been negotiated, and thus I would be able to position myself as robustly as possible as a neutral go-between.

In our first conversation, which like all subsequent conversations, were conducted via Skype; so as to avoid traceable local phone calls, I gave Tom’s anonymous abductors very little information about myself. I merely said that my name was John, that I was based in Latin America, and that I was a professional go-between.

Early on in the conversation, I asked my interlocutor (who amazingly spoke perfect, accent-free English) how much he wanted and, in so doing, indicated that I wanted to know this for the simple reason that I was working on a commission basis. This tactic quickly established, for my interlocutor, that he could trust me to at least some extent (I gathered that he was representing Tom’s abductors but was not one of them). My interlocutor indicated that the ransom was $500,000. To this I responded that my commission was 30 percent and that I wouldn’t go any lower than that. I also made it clear that I expected payment to be effected in cash only and, at the latest, by the time Tom was handed over.

My interlocutor then said that he needed to look into all this, whereupon I requested that the next conversation be held with someone with the authority to make a decision on the spot, since, I told him, any other approach would be an unfortunate waste of time and that time, after all, is money. My interlocutor then asked me if I wanted to know how Tom was doing, to which I answered that I didn’t care one way or the other since I didn’t know him and didn’t want to meet him either. I said that all that interested me was whether Tom was still alive, since of course payment would only be effected for live goods. And, I added, since I assumed that he too would only get paid if live goods were involved, this issue was moot for both sides.

Before ending the conversation, I set up a time with him for our next Skype interaction.

This strategy worked. Clearly the other side had bought my cold-hearted go-between persona with no agenda of his own or emotional axe to grind. I had successfully created the impression in my interlocutor’s mind that all I was interested in was my commission. In my next three conversations, I made a point of only talking about my commission, the payment modality, and what would happen next. During the second conversation I talked to the same person, but he was authorized to provide an immediate response to any decision-related matters. This made me realize that there must be another person involved who had the authority to make decisions on the spot. Up to this point I had deliberately avoided any discussion of the exact amount of the ransom. But if the truth be told, at the outset I didn’t have the foggiest idea how I was going to convince Tom’s captors to reduce their demand from $500,000 to $120,000.

That being said, I had accomplished one main goal of my plan, which was that by presenting myself as a cold-hearted go-between, I had wormed my way into kidnappers’ system and had clearly demonstrated to them that I was on their side. We all had the same goal—namely, to make a deal as quickly as possible and with the best possible conditions. As Tom’s abductors saw it, my sole aim was to obtain the highest possible ransom so as to guarantee myself a big fat commission, in whose regard I allowed my interlocutor to bargain me down to 20 percent, thus giving him an advantage and at the same time making him feel powerful.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

In order for the methods I describe in this book to make sense, it is essential that I first discuss the matter (mentioned at the outset) of communication skills.

In negotiating the ransom for my friend Tom, I had in fact applied certain communication paradigms that I had learned in college from extensively studying communication and system theory. For years I had concerned myself with communication know-how and had sought to develop methods that enable people to get what they want through communication. I had also studied numerous theories of communication, written research papers on this subject, and had analyzed countless communication theories to determine how to apply them in practical situations.

It was precisely this process that led me to adopt certain views that I feel are of extremely great interest and that I shall now describe in detail before proceeding with the main thread of my narrative.

II.  

The Search for the Best Solutions

As I have always been fascinated by the phenomenon known as communication, in the interest of avoiding communication pitfalls in this book, I shall forego one of the standard procedures and not bore you with a second introduction. Book introductions are a two-edged sword. People purchase a book for all sorts of reasons. Perhaps the person is interested in the topic or wants to become better informed or has heard of the author and wants to learn more about him or finds the title and cover so seductive and provocative that the person simply must have the book. Nonetheless, most introductions are burdensome for the reader, since he wants to cut to the chase. So here we go.

This book is basically about the success you can achieve using a very special communication method.

My last book, Kommunikationsmarketing (1.1), concerned itself with modern advertising strategies from a communicative standpoint rather than—as was customary ten years ago—a communication psychology standpoint.

The response to this book took even me by surprise. All I had done in the book was to investigate the effectiveness of current ad campaigns, and particularly their impact on their target audiences, from the perspective of businesspeople and advertisers who place ads via messages that are driven solely by communicative elements using the essentially weak medium of advertising, with a view to influencing consumers’ purchasing behavior.

In view of my many years of research on the endlessly fascinating phenomenon of human communication and its use in advertising, I felt it would be worthwhile to apply the knowledge I’d gained to a completely different matter, namely people who strive for success. In other words, I was looking for peak performances and recipes for success in the communication sphere that had yet to be discovered in this manner; or to put it more modestly, that had not been systematically applied as regards the magic word success.

Needless to say, much ink has been spilled on the subject of success. But fear not: the present book is not yet another tome of the How to get rich quick ilk. I will also spare you patent recipes along the lines of The Power of Positive Thinking and the countless offspring thereof. Nor, rest assured, will you find in these pages anything about the virtues of walking over hot coals, group bungee jumping or other such extreme activities; nor will I be discussing any of the dubious manager-employee relationship improvement techniques or new ways to find your true inner creative self. I will also be sparing you any didactic specimen dialogues that aim