The new book "Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive" does for the printed page what Jack Bauer does for video. You just can't put the thing down.

Each chapter deals with one of the 50 proven ways and they're each about 4 pages in length. And test me on this - IF YOU READ THE HEADLINE OF THE NEXT CHAPTER YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PUT THE BOOK DOWN UNTIL YOU READ THAT CHAPTER.

I received my copy by mail at the office, took it home, had dinner and put the kids to bed and started reading around ten. Next thing I know it's 1am, I'm fightin' my eyelids, I'm flipping the pages fast as I can...and then comes the flashback to all those late nights glued to Jack Bauer on my iPod, for just...okay...just ONE MORE EPISODE tonight.

But never fear, I finally figured it out, it's sorta like the Gremlins - "whatever you do, DON'T FEED THEM AFTER MIDNIGHT." The solution: once you finish a chapter, simply DO NOT TURN THE PAGE to read the next headline. Read the headline, you're cooked. Promise, it's the only way you can put the darned thing down. Try these headlines on for size:

• When does offering people more make them want less?
• Why should restaurants ditch their basket of mints?
• Start high or start low? Which will make people buy? (think eBay)
• What's the hidden danger of being the brightest person in the room? (don't I know it)

Which single word will strengthen your persuasion attempts?

The authors Robert Cialdini, Noah Goldstein and Steve Martin weave a mesmerizing tale based on Cialdini's six universal principles of social influence: reciprocation, authority, commitment/consistency, scarcity, liking and social proof. You know those little signs in your hotel room about "reuse your towels, save the environment" (and pad the hotel's bottom line, wink-wink)? With just two tiny tweaks to the words on the sign, a hotel increased the customer's participation rate by a full 33%. The power of social proof.

This book is packed with so many useful ideas for business that it's hard to figure out where to start using them (so beware Chapter 5 - When does offering people more make them want less?). It's a great reference material for writing ad copy or customer emails -- or even for getting your little league soccer team to shape up (Chapter 20 - When can asking for a little go a long way?). Thumbs up, great job guys.

Finished the book at lunch today, but now I'm having a Bauer hangover. I either need another list of 50 to start on...or I need an afternoon nap. (Chapter 51 -- When can not having enough make you want more?)