Changing Minds

Insights into One of the Greatest Mysteries of Human Behavior Minds are exceedingly hard to change. Ask any advertiser who has tried to convince consumers to switch brands, any CEO who has tried to change a company's culture, or any individual who has tried to heal a rift with a friend. So many aspects of life are oriented toward changing minds-yet this phenomenon is among the least understood of familiar human experiences. Now, eminent Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner, whose work has revolutionized our beliefs about intelligence, creativity, and leadership, offers an original framework for understanding exactly what happens during the course of changing a mind-and how to influence that process. Drawing on decades of cognitive research and compelling case studies-from famous business and political leaders to renowned intellectuals and artists to ordinary individuals-Gardner identifies seven powerful factors that impel or thwart significant shifts from one way of thinking to a dramatically new one. Whether we are attempting to change the mind of a nation or a corporation, our spouse's mind or our own, this book provides insights that can broaden our horizons and improve our lives.

Howard Gardner is the John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Senior Director of Harvard Project Zero.