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What to expect

Brought to you by Penguin.

What if charisma could be taught?

What you'll find here is practical magic: unique knowledge, drawn from a variety of sciences, revealing what charisma really is and how it works. You'll get both the insights and the techniques you need to apply this knowledge. The world will become your lab, and every person you meet, a chance to experiment.

The Charisma Myth is a mix of fun stories, sound science, and practical tools. Cabane takes a scientific approach to a heretofore mystical topic, covering what charisma actually is, how it is learned, what its side effects are, and how to handle them.

'Engaging, clear, and chock-full of wisdom, practical recommendations, and uncommonly good sense' Stephen Kosslyn, director, Center for Study of Behavioral Sciences at Stanford

'Cabane has done us a big favor. She's woven solid science and engaging narrative into an instructive treatment of the role of charisma in leadership'
Robert B. Cialdini, author of Influence

'If you are interested in increasing your ability to be charismatic in your unique setting or employment, this book will give you direct skills to use' Psychology Today

© Olivia Fox Cabane 2013 (P) Penguin Audio 2022

Critics Review

  • Charisma is not a gift, it’s a tool. Olivia Fix Cabane makes a big promise with this book and delivers on it

    Seth Godin
  • Until I encountered Olivia Fox Cabane, I’d naively believed charisma was an intangible, magical aura…a couple of hours can transform a reasonably personable person into someone magnetic

    The Sunday Telegraph
  • If you are interested in increasing your ability to be charismatic, this book will give you direct skills to use

    Psychology Today
  • An easy read, effectively integrating stories and research, strategies and applications, techniques and practices

    New York Journal of Books
  • Engaging, clear, and chock-full of wisdom, practical recommendations, and uncommonly good sense

    Stephen Kosslyn, director, Center for Study of Behavioral Sciences at Stanford
  • Cabane has done us a big favor. She’s woven solid science and engaging narrative into an instructive treatment of the role of charisma in leadership-a topic that (until now) we only poorly understood

    Robert B. Cialdini, author of Influence: Science and Practice

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