Unthinking: The Surprising Forces Behind What We Buy

Reminiscent of Gladwell's bestsellers... an approachable primer with an upbeat tone.―Kirkus Reviews


Should not be sold as a book - it should be sold as a secret weapon. Some books are filled with theory. UNTHINIKING is filled with gems and "a-ha!" moments.―Mitch Joel, President of TwistImage and bestselling author of SIX PIXELS OF SEPARATION


Grabbed me from the first page. Harry Beckwith serves up the perfect blend of evidence, deft story-telling, and one useful (and often surprising) tidbit after another.―Dr. Robert Sutton, Stanford University Professor and author of the national bestseller, GOOD BOSS, BAD BOSS

Harry Beckwith is a man of uncommon wisdom who has gotten that way through unthinking. You can too by reading this book.

―Ty Votaw, Executive Vice President, Communications + International Affairs, PGA TOUR

Harry Beckwith's insight into the minds of consumers is compelling, engaging, and masterful.
―Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com and bestselling author of DELIVERING HAPPINESS.

What do Howard Hughes and 50 Cent have in common, and what do they tell us about Americans and our desires? Why did Sean Connery stop wearing a toupee, and what does this tell us about American customers for any product? What one thing did the Beatles, Malcolm Gladwell and Nike all notice about Americans that helped them win us over? Which uniquely American traits may explain the plights of Krispy Kreme, Ford, and GM, and the risks faced by Starbuck's? Why, after every other plea failed, did "Click It or Ticket" get people to buy the idea of fastening their seat belts? To paraphrase Don Draper's character on the hit show Mad Men, "What do people want?" What is the new American psyche, and how do America's shrewdest marketers tap it? Drawing from dozens of disciplines, the internationally acclaimed marketing expert Harry Beckwith answers these questions with some surprising, even startling, truths and discoveries about what motivates us.