The Charisma Myth

How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism

By: Olivia Fox Cabane

Narrated by: Lisa Cordileione

Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

What if charisma could be taught? For the first time, science and technology have taken charisma apart, figured it out and turned it into an applied science: In controlled laboratory experiments, researchers could raise or lower people's level of charisma as if they were turning a dial. 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 hard 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.

Please note: The accompanying workbook for this title is available at AskOlivia.com/book/exercises/.

©2012 Olivia Fox Cabane (P)2012 Gildan Media, LLC

Critic reviews

"Fox Cabane's distinct writing style...makes listening to each chapter both informational and fun. Each exercise is practical and easy...If you are interested in increasing your ability to be charismatic in your unique setting or employment, this audiobook will give you direct skills to use" ( PsychologyToday.com )

This Generations Dale Carnegie....This is a Must!

Amazing Book. This book breaks down how we can fix certain self-sabotaging thoughts and behaviors. This book will grow your confidence, self-esteem, and re-duce stress. Really an effective life changing book.
Everyone should have this book. It is a fun read and truly beneficial. And guess what once you pick this book up you will read it...unlike the other self-help books you eventually give up on.
.

Didn't dispel the charisma myth

Despite the title, the book didn't dispel the myth that charisma can be learned. If you've read articles or books on public speaking, you'll find many of the same recommendations in this book -- be authentic, really listen to people, be willing to be vulnerable and reveal something personal about yourself, practice and visualize your presentations, and mirror the person whom you want to build a rapport. There were a few suggestions that were new for me: divide and conquer (convince your detractors separately, not when they're all together in a big, important meeting), dress well and comfortable (look good but not go overboard that you're uncomfortable and give off a negative body language), and reframe stressful situations into positive ones (such as instead of thinking about how you might mess up a presentation, think about how you got this assignment because your boss has such confidence in your abilities).

While the author may have helped her clients become charismatic, I don't think it's something that can simply be learned from a book. It probably requires a coach understanding what you're facing and giving advice that specifically address your problems. If charisma could be gained through authentically wanting to connect with the person, listening intently, and mirroring, we would have learned it in high school.

A little robotic

What did you like best about The Charisma Myth? What did you like least?

I feel as though some of the information in this book is a little robotic and unnatural. I fully admit that doing any kind of new activity is going to feel a little unnatural at first but this is to a strange extreme. For instance the author suggests living life at times "method acting". This is where a person thinks of a scene which brings up feelings that you want to convey. For instance, if you want to convey warmth, think about something before hand that makes you feel the feelings of warmth. This to me is phony.

There are however very good and extremely practical applications which can be easily done without feeling fake. An example would be to take a full second or two before speaking to ensure that you absorb what the other person is saying. That isn't being fake, that is just good, common people skills.

For the reason that the book is scattered with some hints of genuinely good advice and applications, I don't give the book a terribly negative review. This book however is by no means perfect. I don't like criticizing but if you go to the books website and watch the author speak, she kind of lacks the very same warmth she purports to be able to project. I think this has to do with the fact that in the book she talks about deciding which kind of charisma to turn on and which ones to turn off. She was probably trying to turn on the "authority charisma" and turn everything else down... but I just don't buy it. I didn't see it working from her and I frankly can't see it working for me. The most charismatic people are the ones who are most interested in other people, genuinely. That in mind, go read the go-giver or the go-giver sells more. Not as much science, not as many hours but all of it is solid, good, applicable advice.

Solid information but nothing new

Book starts out with solid information about Charisma. But ends up being a compilation of good advice about emotional intelligence in general. In the middle of the book I lost interest because there was nothing really new.

Game changer

As a medical professional, creating and breaking personal connections is a critical skill that never is taught, and rarely spoken of. Each person should feel cared for, heard, and know that their situation is uniquely considered. This book is for business professionals, but in it I have found a new set of skills and new ways of sharing myself with my patients. It also addresses some of the collateral damage of being exceptional, and helps you understand better when colleagues suddenly become prickly. Each medical professional knows well, that virtually no one fully recover until they believe they can. This book offers tools to help each patient have a little more faith in themselves, their body and the healing process.

The best Charmisma Coach

Where does The Charisma Myth rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

The presentation is logical and easy to follow. It answers many of the questions many of us have but do not know where to go to find the answers.

Who was your favorite character and why?

There are no characters in this book.

What about Lisa Cordileione’s performance did you like?

The rate of speech is excellent. It is easy to listen to and comprehend.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I learned so much from this book and would highly recommend it.

excellent book

loved it!!! practical and helpful on every level. recommend this book highly for desired improvement

Boring but informative

Boring but informative. I implement the concepts, I see results. I'm disappointed the author didn't narrate the book because I would've liked to gauge her charisma level.

Come back to this time and again

Ms. Cobane's understanding of the topic is deep and insightful. She breaks down Charisma to small steps that are easy to understand, from visualization of alternative scenarios, zooming your focus out, to the timing of your speech. Love it. I listen to this book every few months to keep the tactics fresh in my mind and reinforce the habits. Great book.

Very insightful book

I learned a lot about myself and the ways I interact with others. I'm a very introverted person, and I'd always believed that charisma was something extroverts naturally acquired. However, after employing some of the techniques suggested in this book I noticed that peoples reactions to me changed and my conversations because more engrossing. This book is definitely worth a read.