Changing Minds

Imagine you’re trying to persuade someone to change their minds about something important: a voter’s political beliefs, say, or a spouse’s decorating taste. Chances are you won’t succeed—in fact, as Howard Gardner explains in his book Changing Minds (Pocket Books), you are unlikely to alter that person’s beliefs in any way. This is because we don’t usually change our minds overnight but only in gradual stages that can be powerfully influenced along the way. (Gardner offers ways to influence that process. ) I really like reading this book because it broadens my horizons and shapes my life.