The power paradox - Dacher Keltner

A revolutionary rethinking of everything we know about power

It
shapes every interaction we have, whether we're trying to get a
two-year-old to eat green vegetables or ask for a promotion at work. But
how do we really gain power? And what does it do to us?

As
renowned psychologist Dacher Keltner reveals, the new science of power
shows that our Machiavellian view of status is wrong. Influence comes
not to those who are ruthless, but to those with socially intelligence
and empathy. Yet, ironically, the seductions of success lead us to lose
those very qualities that made us powerful in the first place. Keltner
draws on fascinating case studies to illuminate this 'power paradox',
revealing how it shapes not just companies and elections but everyday
relationships. As his myth-busting research shows, power - and
powerlessness - distorts our behaviour, affecting whether or not we will
have an affair, break the law, drive recklessly or find our purpose in
life.

In twenty original 'power principles', Keltner shows how we
can retain power by maintaining a focus on others. By redefining power
as the ability to do good, The Power Paradox turns everything we know about influence, status and inequality upside down.