The Full Facts Book of Cold Reading: A Comprehensive Guide to the Most Persuasive Psychological Manipulation Technique in the World

by Ian Rowland

A comprehensive guide to the most persuasive psychological manipulation technique in the world and its application to psychic readings. Cold reading can loosely be described as 'how to talk to a complete stranger as if you have known them all your life'. This definitive yet easy-to-read guide explains every aspect of cold reading in detail. Although the book focuses on how cold reading is used within the psychic industry, many cold reading principles have applications in other fields such as selling, negotiation, management and therapy. This is a 'must read' book for anyone interested in the psychology of persuasion.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Magic, Science, Communication, Self Help, Social

237 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Darrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, if you're interested in this book, buy it directly from the author's website. The prices on Amazon are ridiculous. It's still pricey to get it from the author directly, but much less so. Another complaint in addition to the price is the amount of typos, which I wouldn't have expected from a book in its fourth edition, but this is a minor point.

Rowland clears up the misconception that cold reading is simply a combination of vague statements and keen observation. In fact, he lists 38 different techniques at a fake psychic's disposable which work equally well for the tarot reader, astrologer, or spiritualist. He also includes a section in the back explaining how many of these techniques can be used to help in sales, romance, and criminal investigation. In another section, he tells us how to sabotage a psychic's attempts to read you. I wouldn't say there are any big revelations here, since all the techniques seem like common sense once you know what they are. In fact, Rowland acknowledges that some people are natural cold readers, but for the rest of us who are curious as to how its done, this book is a must read.

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This is apparently the most in-depth and comprehensive book on cold reading. Rowland is an experienced practitioner, but does not claim to have psychic ability.

It's supposed to teach you both how it's done (whether it be by a psychic, a salesman, friends, family, work colleagues, whoever) and how to be immune to the technique.

Once I've finished reading this, watch out when you encounter me. I will manipulate the shit out of you! :P

[Ben Daghir · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stumbled upon this book when I was reading Malcolm Gladwell's "What the Dogs Saw." I was fascinated with the mental approach to Cold Reading, the science behind the process, and the basic communicative strategies which follow.

What have I learned from this book?

1.) I certainly continue to believe psychic reading is absurd
2.) Listening skills are of utmost value
3.) Manipulation, much like other forms of evil, always turn inward on themselves
4.) The attentive listener, not the speaker, is always in the driver's seat
5.) Now, much more than before, I can see why the Catholic Church is so opposed to psychic powers. It's a manipulative lie, a twisting and turning of the client, and an intelligent form of manipulation.

I respect the art, but certainly not the act.

[Barack Liu · Rating 4 out of 5]

088-Cold reading-Ishii Hiroyuki-Psychology-2007
Barack

"Cold, is "no preparation, on the spot ..." meaning, Reading is "occupied, read the heart" meaning, two words together, that is, in the absence of any preparation, for the first meeting of the person fortune-teller, immediately speculated the other side's psychology, that is, a word has not heard and never met the person, his present past and future. ."

Cold Reading, published in 2007, is a psychological book. It refers to the absence of defense or even the first meeting to see through the minds of others, to better communicate with people, often used by psychologists in psychotherapy. It advocates learning about the psychological activities of others through eye observation, talking and acting, and throwing your hands and feet. It's even a common social way to influence the other person through verbal or behavioral actions. But The Skeptic's Dictionary, an internationally renowned anti-counterfeiting website, criticizes the pseudoscience of cold reading as based on subjective experience.

Hiroyuki Ishii, published in Tokyo, Japan, in 1963. He is a psychotherapist. Reps: Cold Reading, Why You Believe in Fortune Tellers, etc.

Part of the directory.
1. Why is cold reading effective?
2. Anyone can use the basic skills of cold reading.
3. What kind of person are you? We type or Me type.
4. Lectures on cold reading practice for daily life.

Social skills, though not necessarily applicable to everyone, are more or less valuable as a summary. I do not think it is a deception, after all, in real life, in the end, is a happy lie more popular? Or is the truth that makes people angry more likable? With a little life experience, it's easy to know the answer.

Cold reading means " insinuations, reading the mind ", two words together, that is, without any preparation in advance, fortune-teller for the first person to meet, Immediately speculate on the other side's psychology, that is to say, a person who has not heard or met in a word, his present past, and future. ."

I do not understand the logic and principles behind fortune-telling, so it is not convenient to judge, but I guess, to achieve a customer subjectively think of a more accurate fortune-teller, in addition to theoretical knowledge, should also need to be combined with the performance of the person at the time of the meeting, to make auxiliary judgments. Then this technique of auxiliary judgment can probably be considered a cold reading technique and so on. Even if we don't know the technology in detail. Humans naturally have some of these basic capabilities.

For example, after 10 minutes of a simple conversation with a stranger, we can have a rough idea of his personality and hobbies. Although this certainly may be quite biased from the actual situation, it is enough for us to establish a preliminary impression of a stranger.

"In the cold reading process, it seems that the reader can tell the consultant what is happening now and in the past, to speculate on his inner thoughts, and to predict his future, but in fact, it is not so much that the reader knows everything about the consultant as that the reader convinces the consultant that what he is saying is more correct."

So when we chat with a person, we must beware of such a trap, that is, self-talking, say their happiness, as the most important thing. In this case, we are likely to ignore the audience's feelings. We need to keep a close look at the audience's response. and adjust the content and manner of our conversation according to his reaction.

"Any form of meeting, whether it is to visit customers or attend a formal meeting, usually the conversation will not immediately enter the topic, how much will have a short period, let everyone gossip homely, easy to chat a few words, the average person will take this time as a warm-up of the active atmosphere, ignoring that this is the most important communication opportunity to live with the other side's subconscious." The reason is that at this time the other side thought it was just gossip, so there was no caution at all. The state of caution temporarily reduced, called special timing in cold reading, is the best opportunity to release useful messages in the invisible. ."

"When it's fortune-telling, you can use a very effective method of total non-reaction to prevent scams by fake fortune tellers or fake smart people. That is to say, no matter what the other side said, you do not have any reaction, said also do not point, say wrong and do not move, always silently listen to the reader speak. In the process of inebriation, the reader will use a clever way to make you feel that you are not asking questions, pretending to ask you questions without doing anything . ."

In Chinese culture, it is traditionally considered that anger is an excellent virtue. Presumably, because this personality hides what they think, making it difficult for others to know. People are always wary of things they don't know. So if one person feels untested about another, the prestige of this seemingly untested person is easier to build. On the contrary, if everything is seen through, there is a risk that the donkey skills will be poor.

"Ideas that emerge from the subconscious are stronger than mind thinking. This fact does not need psychologists to remind us. Anyone can feel it from everyday experience. Because of this, whether it is a career or personal matter, let the other side in the subconscious to leave a good impression, no reason to convince the other side, more overwhelming effect. ."

So try not to try to convince people directly. And to subtly influence the views of others. Each person has more or less there will be some inverse psychology, which is more obvious in our adolescence. When someone tries to stuff something into our minds, we always have an antipathy like organ excretion. But if the other side does not say, but in the words and deeds of the subtle influence on us. So it's like ink dissolving in water, which seems more natural.

"Since the subconscious is better than the conscious, the best way to be the ideal self if you want to completely change it is to start by changing the subconscious." How to do it, first of all, to understand the subconscious, understand the language is implied, when it comes to suggesting that everyone's first thought is to use words the action of the implied effect is more intense. ."

I think this technique is probably very suitable for counselors to learn. Counselors such as the need for much communication work career, but also need to have good communication skills, to get the trust of the consultant, into the consultant's heart.

"People who read fortune teller columns in magazines shouldn't have too many people think this is true, but if you ask the fortune teller on the street to look at your hands and speculate, even if he says the same thing as he wrote in the magazine, you'll feel right, fortune tellers look at your hand, speculate for you alone, because you feel that way, psychologically involved in the situation of speculation."

I found that some people believed that constellations had something to do with character, so I went to check out the explanations for the constellations I belonged to. I think the explanation is very broad. The material does say a lot of things, but there are also a lot of things that don't. I tend to think that there is not so much a logical relationship between constellations and character as a result of the fact that some of the character traits listed in these inferences always have hits.

People feel very good about the judgment of the hit. And the judgment of missing, but completely ignored. It's like a doctor saying. I'll cure you, if it's cured, I'll take the money, I'll not take the money if it's not cured. Isn't that a steady profit or loss? Will the so- and so-called psychological predictions based on constellations and genus be the same?

"Cold reading is not really about the consultant but lets the consultant think that what is being said the consultant's situation is mostly revealed by themselves, but they do not realize it at all, and mistakenly think it is being said."

Socrates also does not think that he taught others knowledge, he thinks that the other side himself said the answer. He just played a leading role. So the fortune-telling process, more or less, is a Socrates-style way of talking.

"It's just a vague scenario, allowing consultants to get into their situations, participate in this prediction, and reveal their information." In any age, the things that people care most about are not constellations or blood types, but themselves. It can even be said that there is nothing more concerning than yourself. If you're a rookie salesman, you'll find out why customers don't care about our company's products. No one cares about your product.

Everyone cares about himself. That is, ， if you just try to get the other person to say something about yourself or the company, he or she will get caught up in your sales pitch. Their things, their work, their own company's affairs, ， are people love to talk about the topic. ."

So a good talker must first be a good listener. He doesn't have to say a lot throughout the conversation, but he has to be good at directing the topic to the other person's interest. And at the same time let the other side feel that he in the process of expression, he can get their full attention to listen to and praise. Even if it's not that easy. A person often talks too much about himself. ignoring the audience's feelings.

And a person may end up at the end of one topic, failing to just right cause another topic, resulting in a cold field. To gain a person's trust, first of all, draw his feelings. Therefore, even a wise man is easily deceived whenever he has a feeling. And even a fool, as long as he is ruthless, he is hard to deceive.

"Not many people are deceived by flattery that goes straight into a single knife, but it is the universal human psychology to be deceived by flattery without a trace." I have done a poor job at this point, and for a long time, I didn't like to praise the strengths of others, I just liked to point out the shortcomings of others. This is very annoying. Now I'm trying to learn to praise others, but praise is very stiff, which makes me feel that I can't help but feel false. It's not as simple as you think to make your audience happy to accept your compliments.

"People will deliberately only remember the part of their interest, people's memory is ambiguous, this is the trap of selective memory." I've found that this happens all the time in my life. For example, ， when I'm not interested in information about something, I feel like I've never had that information in my life. And once I'm slightly interested in a certain aspect, or pay some attention to it, I feel that life is full of information about it, as if they suddenly pop up from the ground up.

Now I think about it, just because when I'm not interested in it, even if I see it, it's automatically ignored by my brain. It is impossible for the human brain to store all the information we receive, but only selectively stores a small portion of memory. This part of the content is either subjectively of interest to us or objectively significant.

"For consultants, it is not because the fortune teller is very accurate, the charges are expensive, but because the charges are expensive, so the fortune teller is very accurate, not because the fortune teller is very good, so he waits in line, but because he has to wait in line, so he thinks the fortune teller is very strong. " Hunger marketing also somewhat uses this logic. By raising the price or restricting the sale of the way to reflect the high-level sense of the product, so that customers are more eager to get this product.

"Memory is only recalled after processing, and what affects the effect of processing is selective memory. The reader is relying on this selective memory, even if made wrong or made false speculation, not afraid that they know, even if there is 80% wrong, as long as 20% let the consultant surprise the accuracy of more than enough, the consultant's mind will also leave an impression in a word, so the reader always tries their best to try to perform that two percent accuracy. ."

Memory ambiguous one step further, that is, we tend to forget unpleasant things, and remember happy things. Like three years of high school life, can not be 、said to be pleasant, but now in retrospect, those who feel stressed, very anxious feelings, it seems difficult to experience. On the contrary, the most memorable are the few scenes in which a small number of people feel genuinely happy.

So in dealing with people, perhaps the most impressive is the ， few excellent impressions, rather than, in most cases, mediocrity. Of course, once a few very bad impressions appear, it is difficult to correct this sense of evil.

"People's psychology is inherently contradictory, do not need to move out of the psychological contradictions of this term,， you can know that anyone has two sides, for example, the stronger the will of the people, can not be satisfactory to carry out the will, the greater the frustration, the more likely to feel that their will is ， weak." The gentler and considerate the person, ， the easier it is to be angry about the selfishness of others, feel that the other person is a badass, and then blame themself for the thought, I am not kind. A person's personality in one respect is particularly prominent, while the other side coexists to maintain the overall balance. ."

"When people make friends, the Metropolis chooses people who have similar personalities, but to become more likely to make friends, usually with some people who are the opposite of themselves, this is also one of the manifestations of ambivalent psychology, in our subconscious, are hidden with the external performance of the opposite of their own, and people tend to hide this hidden in the subconscious of their own choice to make friends."

On the other hand, people who are too similar to themselves can sometimes even cause their disgust. Like two creatures, if they are too similar to each other, it means that what they value may be similar, which is bound to increase competition between them. If two people are the opposite, it may indicate that they value different things, so that each can get along with each other.

2016/09/25
2020/04/11

[Richard]

It would be nice to take a look at this book, but the prices at Amazon...

2 new from $134.99; 1 used from $135.55

That's too rich for my blood.

I learned about it from Malcolm Gladwell, who referred to it in his essay Dangerous Minds (reprinted in his collection What the Dog Saw circa page 351). Apparently Rowland enumerates and details the different tricks an astrologer or psychic will use to seem clairvoyant. For example, the "Rainbow Ruse" is a "statement which credits the client with both a personality train and its opposite". Quoth the schemer: "I would say that on the whole you can be rather a quiet, self-effacing type, but when the circumstances are right, you can be quite the life and soul of the party if the mood strikes you." Then there's the Jacques Statement, the Barnum Statement, the Fuzzy Fact, the Greener Grass Technique, the Diverted Question, the Russian Doll, and Sugar Lumps, Forking, the Good Chance Guess, and the Vanishing Negative.

Sounds fascinating. Ah, well.
­

[Antonio Pizzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Se siete curiosi (e dovreste esserlo) di scoprire i mezzi e i mezzucci utilizzati da medium, astrologi, cartomanti e altra brutta gente per farvi credere di avere capacità superiori a quelle delle persone normali, grazie a questo libro potete scoprirli. O, per lo meno, scoprire quelli di tipo psicologico che rientrano nell'alveo della cosiddetta cold reading (sono esclusi perciò trucchi di prestigio e altro genere di macchinazioni). Stupisce la semplicità delle tecniche (semplicità concettuale, perché l'applicazione sistematica ed efficace richiede sicuramente pratica e talento), il che non fa che confermare come il primo vero complice di questi "operatori dell'occulto" sia chiaramente il cliente stesso, che ha voglia di credere, che ricorda solo i "colpi a segno" e non gli svarioni, che ci pensa da solo a colmare i vuoti di informazione di chi, invece, queste informazioni dovrebbe fornirle. Per fortuna, l'autore fornisce anche una serie di strategie per "neutralizzare" la cold reading. Niente di complicato nemmeno qui, a conferma di quanto detto prima. Prezioso.

[Luk Worknik · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read for anybody who wants to learn more about Cold Reading!

[Craig Dickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting material about Cold Reading and techniques used by fake psychics and mediums etc to provide seemingly accurate information about people's lives. This was a re-read after many years, and the techniques all still seem relevant. Some of the writing is a little cringey, but the detailed information is stuff I've never seen online or anywhere else. Definitely worth a read if you have an interest in psychics, or wish to develop your bullshitting skills!

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the better books on cold reading. And aimed at the want to be mentalist, so it is not a cheap book. Very few of the good mentalist books are.
This is a very basic beginners book & is probably the best book in that catagory, but do not expect to be able to be able to set up as a psychic entertainer after reading just this one book.
A great starting point & certainly heads & shoulders above most of the other beginners books, but only the best when it comes to it's class.

[William Mego · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was exactly what the opening sections say it will be. However, it wasn't what the title seems to claim it will be. I suppose that, in and of itself, is one of the methods described in the book. So it wasn't for me.

[Serena Mello · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Rowland describes in a funny way what goes on inside the mind of a psychic whenever a client walks into their magic realm. The explanations of the techniques and the examples are very good. Spoiler alert: psychics are tricking you.

The book gets a little boring when he starts showing us transcripts of readings he has done in the past for TV. We get it, people fall for this. A short reading would have sufficed for this section.
The borefest of the aforementioned section is saved by the last section when Rowland describes how these techniques can be used for sales, flirting and in the confession room. That's great; I actually think expanding this section would have been better, adding guided challenges for the reader to practice this tricks or similar would have been cool too.

The book is ok; not bad, not terribly interesting (hard to make it very interesting given the subject), that's why this score is not higher.

Mischievous people, here's and idea: I wonder what would your aunt or (female) cousin think of this book if you were to give it to them for Christmas. It would be world shattering for them.
If you do give them a copy, please comment below if they still consider you their family.

[Mohammad Ali Abedi · Rating 4 out of 5]

To me, this book is as much as of a self-improvement book as the ones that are titled as such. If not more. The author tries to dismantle cold readings (psychic readings and such) to show how there is no supernatural elements in them. Or were, to be more specific, he doesn’t try to prove that supernatural readings don’t exist, his focus is more on how the readings can be explained logically, and even more importantly, how you can do them yourself.

To me, to be able to replicate certain aspects of a psychic readings means that you can just communicate better with people. Those that can successfully implement such as a technique need to have skills that can be very useful for everyday life. They need to be able to understand the human condition, to be able to have full empathy for others, and also, crucially, to really be able to carefully listen to the person they are communicating with, so that the smallest detail or body language can be used to get into the mind of the person.

[Clint Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is hilarious in that way that you spend the entire time thinking, "oh wow, that's all there is to it?"

I didn't read it as a "how-to" book precisely, more just out of that same curiosity people have about how magic tricks are done. It lays everything out precisely, even providing scripts from actual encounters done by the author on television and radio. Rowland does a great job of keeping everything down to earth, and in the form of Houdini and James Randy, really makes a clear line between what is entertainment and what is purely taking advantage of others.

I could see myself flipping back to this over and over in the future, as it is basically a really entertaining textbook. If you've ever been curious about this odd "business," it does a great job of laying everything out clearly and simply.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have not tried these techniques myself, but it seems as if it is a very good informational book covering different aspects of cold reading.

It starts with setting the proper atmosphere, before going through methods to discuss the client's personality, past, present, and future in a way they'll agree with, in a variety of ways to make it difficult to ever being wrong, while helping people remember your fortune telling as if you directly said perfectly accurate statements out of the blue (and various other pr/customer retention/acquistion tricks.)

If you've done any background reading in cognitive biases, you'll also see some instances where an idea in the book is linked to some cognitive bias, and you could perhaps infer more methods to try from there.

Overall, a very interesting book if you're interested in the subject matter.

[Denis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cold reading techniques and concepts neatly organized in a well-put-together book. Helpful advice on how to create the right conversation atmosphere. Very down-to-earth, funny and first and foremost definitively not psychic.

Particularly enjoyed the sections on character readings:
- rainbow ruse
- fine flattery
- psychic credit
- sugar lumps
- jacques statements
- greener grass
- barnum statements

And the win-win game:
- persist, wonder and let it linger
- I am right, but you have forgotten
- I am right, but you do not know
- I am right, but nobody knows
- I am right, but it's embarrassing
- etc..

The sections on "non-psychic" contexts was good to make the knowledge transferable, although the book was very tailored to the specific context of psychic readings.

[Aidan Hart · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first section of the book, as well as the third section on romance I found to be very good, however, the rest seemed to be quite lacklustre, hence the 3-star rating. That does not in any sense mean it was a bad book however, I would highly recommend you read this if you either have an interest in Psychology, relationships, or politics. I believe this to be one of the best criticisms that the Freudian psychoanalytic theory has ever gotten whilst never even mentioning Sigmund Freud once. It is also a great criticism of psychotherapy and psychoanalysis.

[Oliver Ho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glad to have re-read this one, and I can see reading it a few more times. I wish I had these skills, or just a way to practice them often. There was a moment at the end of the book where he semi-embraces the pick-up artist community, which is gross and hard to read without wincing. Except for that, I still enjoyed the thinking that went into the book, and appreciated the clarity with which he breaks down methods and strategies for cold reading. I also enjoyed his emphasis on skepticism.

[Keith Blakemore-Noble · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting and comprehensive examination of the various Cold Reading techniques used by psychics, mediums, astrologers, etc.
Goes into detail about the different techniques, explaining what they are, how they work, and giving useful examples.

Including some wonderful examples of readings given by the author to recipients who are most effusive about their accuracy (despite being completely made up!).

Also offers various methods for blocking Cold Reading.

Well worth studying.

[Syed Nouman Hasany · Rating 4 out of 5]

All in all, in order to execute this rather elaborate scam (as the author quite blatantly states), you need to have excellent observational skills, remain up-to-date with interesting and useful statistics, and are willing to take chances based on probabilities. While the author does a fairly good job of explaining the cold reading process, the length of the book, in my opinion, was unnecessarily long and could have been around 30 to 40 pages shorter.

[Sarthak Gautam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book. Everything I expected from a book on this topic. Immensely comprehensive and instructive on the use of cold reading with insight into using the technique in real life. Has no redundant or unlikable sections either. 5/5 for a book about practical psychology.

[Vadim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Отличное пособие для тех, кому хочется быть экстрасенсом, но не позволяют данные. При некоторой практике вы сможете гадать по руке, составлять гороскопы или вызывать умерших людей.

[Blundell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wasn't as interesting as I thought it was me, less insights on the psychology and more just listing off things that work as a psychic, which is practically interesting but a bit boring to read tbh

[Misha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for those who are interested in communication and those who have been to a "psychic" to learn more about how hard the "psychic" had to work so the client could get her/his money's worth.

[Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most informative and enlightening books I've recently read. Condescending in tone, but rightfully so, and without being too hard on the victims, unlike, say, Randi.

[Michiel Tummers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introductory text to cold reading. Anybody interested in the subject , interested in communication techniques, would be psychics and true believers should at least do the effort to read this.

[Jaq Greenspon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really wonderful book!

[Robertson Kunz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative text on the art of cold reading in terms of psychics. I would have liked to have seen more in the sections on its uses in other areas like seduction.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ian Rowland gives a witty, detailed overview of how cold readings work, how to "block" them, & how they are used in other parts of daily life. An enjoyable read. Highly recommend!

[Cristian Soto · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the firt part it seems like the autor teaches about how to make fraud but it improved in the last part with the advices about how to not be deceived. It's a good book

[Adam Ashton · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I don’t intend to become a fortune teller, I can see applications of these concepts and tactics to all areas of life and relationships