Unlocking the Magic of Ideas That Don't Seem to Make Sense: Rory Sutherland's Alchemy

Beltran: Me leí el libro en un fin de semana, esta muy bien escrito y las historias que cuenta son una maravilla. Recomendable a cualquiera que le guste el marketing

Spain on Nov 10, 2023

Michael: Big fan of Rory’s work and having a copy of Alchemy is a must for anyone working in the marketing space in my opinion.

United Kingdom on Oct 28, 2023

Aki Kalliatakis: Brilliantly written this book is an enthralling and spellbinding masterpiece that will leave you with a sense of wonder and completely new perspective in the world of marketing and customers. From page 1, I was captivated by Sutherland's enchanting storytelling and delightful thought-provoking insights. But he also blends these with humour and wit that makes it so entertaining, offering a fresh perspective on the art of persuasion and the power of human perception.

Through his personal and often shrewd anecdotes, historical examples, and cutting-edge research, he creates a chronicle that feels both informative and deeply human. Through his astute observations, he challenges readers to question their assumptions and explore the untapped and hidden magic that surrounds us in everyday life. We can potentially change the world around us for the better. How? By looking beyond the obvious, embracing ambiguity, and finding imaginative and inspired innovative solutions to age-old problems.

Most of his work is based on solid theoretical research, but what truly sets Alchemy apart is Sutherland's ability to impeccably blend interdisciplinary insights into a coherent narrative....

United States on May 25, 2023

Cliente Amazon: Molto formativo, il mio scoop era quello di aprire la mente ad una visione non tradizionale del business development

Italy on Sep 17, 2022

Verena Lunkenheimer: I gave this book to several people as a gift.

United States on Aug 13, 2022

RC: Excellent read!

United States on Aug 05, 2020

Anantha Narayan: Rory Sutherland is the vice-chairman of Ogilvy UK and uses his vast experience and trove of interesting anecdotes to put together a book on how irrational thinking often works better, which is interesting even for a logical thinking reader such as me. Right at the outset, Sutherland lists downs his 11 rules of alchemy. These are basically all variations of each other and Rule #6 encapsulates the direction that the book will take: The problem with logic is that it kills off magic.

Sutherland's basic premise is that rational analysis is based on big data that comes from the past and cannot account for an unexpected event. Which is why irrational thinking creates alchemy. Also, humans do not behave rationally all the time. Why else would perfectly sane people pay $5 for a drink that they can make for pennies at home (Starbucks) or why would a coarse uncomfortable fabric that takes ages to dry and popular with labourers become fashionable (jeans)? He gathers his argument in six well-structured sections and then follows that up with a seventh where he lays out his recommendations. While a large part of what he writes is related to the advertising or marketing fields in some way...

India on Jul 07, 2020

Brian LaRocca: A refutation of the calculating, rational model economists view the world in, Rory Sutherland's book is a paean to the seemingly illogical choices consumers make. While not the first examination of heuristics or behavioral economics, this is certainly an interesting ride. Marketing exists because it is effective or as the author puts it "a flower is a weed with an advertising budget."

Some "illogical" topics discussed:
A) New creations are often the work of weird consumers. The sandwich was conceived for a compulsive gambler too lazy to get up.
B) Buying the more expensive of two options is not irrational; it may just be "second-order intelligence applied to an uncertain world."
C) Brands provide a useful indicator of quality (ie "which is the best hoverboard to buy?"). As Sutherland notes, "people don’t buy brand A over brand B because they think a is better, but because they are more certain that it is good." He also introduces Herbert Simon's term "satisficing" (satisfy + suffice) to explain consumption decisions.
D) Sometimes offering fewer items is better. The Walkman removed the record button from its initial launch to make it easier to understand.
E)...

United States on Dec 17, 2019

Rene: Even if you already seen a lot of Roys work, you will still find some gems in here. I think specially in politics it would be great if we start to see more that kind of thinking implied.

In some sense it is also connected to “Think like a freak”.

Don’t assume or think you all figured it out, experiment and learn.

Germany on Sep 02, 2019

Kevin Kelly, Advertising Professor: For an ad man like myself it’s a revelation. And a delightful read. Sutherland is brilliant and witty.

United States on Jun 02, 2019