Moment 207: CIA Spy Reveals How To Read Anyone Like A Book!

Successful victory during conflict requires more than just cunning and brawn. Whether you are involved in an individual conflict or are leading a group of people through a competition, the strategies required to prepare for and engage in battle are the same.

The Art of War by ancient Chinese warrior and philosopher Sun Tzu provides the essential elements that must be considered to develop strategic conflict resolution tactics. Sun Tzu’s principles guide you through the steps required to become a competent leader and fighter. They teach you how to determine victory, when to engage in combat, and when to use intelligence and intimidation to dissolve conflict without confrontation. With these teachings, you'll understand how to read conflict and opponents to determine the best course of action.

What is the secret to achieving your dreams, overcoming life’s challenges, and living the most fulfilling life possible? In her New York Times best seller, entrepreneur Marie Forleo contends that the secret is to transform your mindset and live your life by the philosophy that “everything is figureoutable.”

In this guide, we’ll share what “everything is figureoutable” means, why it works, and how Forleo used this philosophy to transform her own path—from being a lost young woman with no idea what to do with her life to becoming a self-made millionaire with her own weekly web show, MarieTV. We’ll discuss how to apply Forleo’s philosophy to your life—for instance by focusing on only one goal at a time—so you can achieve your dreams and overcome all obstacles. We’ll also explore how Forleo’s advice reflects and differs from that of other self-help authors and even ancient Stoics. .

Effective communication, according to Peter D. Andrei, is more of a science than most people think. Persuasive speech is a complex craft that can be studied and learned, and its strategies can be broken down and used by anyone. In How Highly Effective People Speak, he shares the basic strategies of powerful communication, teaching you how to speak with eloquence and persuasion by tapping into patterns of thinking that affect human behavior and perception.

In our guide, we’ll examine Andrei’s argument that if you understand cognitive biases (how people tend to receive information and make decisions), you can convey your message in the most efficient and effective way possible. To do this, we’ll explore some of the most powerful and influential biases you can use to make your communication more persuasive. Then, we’ll explain Andrei’s strategies and how to practice them, and we’ll compare them to those of other communication experts.

Thinking is the key to improvement in all areas of your life—but what if it’s your thinking that needs to be improved? In The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking, award-winning educators Edward B. Burger and Michael Starbird provide a guide for maximizing your thought process to achieve the greatest success possible in the classroom, the workplace, and your personal life.

In our guide, we’ll explore the five principles Burger and Starbird recommend for learning to think effectively, which they structure around five elements: earth, fire, air, water, and change. We’ll also examine how these principles relate to established theories of learning and educational psychology, and we’ll compare them to works from other authors on how to change your thinking and mindset to improve your life and achieve your goals.

A great speech has the power to inspire and change the world, but most people believe that public speaking is an innate talent. As curator for TED since 2002, Chris Anderson knows better—he has seen hundreds of speeches succeed and fail, and he has figured out the secret formula. Published in 2016, TED Talks is a nuts-and-bolts guide to public speaking that takes you from the initial idea to your final bow.

In this guide, we go through Anderson’s advice piece by piece and explain what works in public speaking and what doesn’t. From scripting to wardrobe, and everything in between, we compare his advice to that of other public speaking experts and supplement his ideas with actionable methods.

Does the idea of attending a wedding solo or standing in a room full of strangers make you cringe? If so, best-selling author Vanessa Van Edwards has a message for you: You got this! In Captivate, she provides strategies to help you become a social superstar. Van Edwards argues that by taking control of social situations and presenting your best self, you can dazzle the people you want to know and forge meaningful relationships.

A self-proclaimed “recovering awkward person,” TEDx Talk presenter, and blogger on how to master interpersonal skills, Van Edwards has drawn on the research of social psychologists and counselors to develop strategies to make yourself magnetic, bring out the best in other people, and build strong partnerships and relationships at home and work.

In this guide, we’ll explore Van Edwards’s strategies for establishing connections and deepening your relationships and compare her ideas to that of other relationship and social behavior experts. Along the way, we’ll suggest additional ways to apply Van Edwards’s strategies.

Imagine you have a product or service that can change people’s lives—one that can help them reach their most ambitious goals financially or personally. If you don’t know how to effectively market it, your idea won’t make a difference in anyone’s life. Russell Brunson, who made his name selling online marketing tools and advising startups on building a brand, aims to solve this problem with Expert Secrets, a how-to guide for creating excitement for your idea that turns potential customers into lifelong buyers.

In this guide, we’ll give an overview of the main “secrets” Brunson discusses, focusing on how you can tap into your audience’s emotions to create loyal customers. Along the way, we’ll examine the human instincts that drive purchasing decisions and how other sales experts advise you to close a sale.