It is impossible to write a book about the importance of the unconscious mind and our inability to recognize its role in shaping our behavior without accepting that you will do a lousy job of acknowledging the people who have contributed to that book’s development. Nevertheless, I reserve the right to take a well-intentioned stab at thanking the people who I feel have influenced this project in one form or another.
Jay Wright showed me by example that the secret to writing a book is to say that you’re going to write one and then go ahead and do it. It sounds obvious, I know, but seeing someone I admire so much accomplish this almost certainly triggered an unconscious desire in me to copy him.
I consider myself most fortunate to have stumbled over Kevin Hogan’s book The Science of Influence at Amazon, and even more fortunate to have been mentored by him subsequently. That my own book resides in a subdirectory on my computer beneath his name says much about his contribution to my starting, finishing, and getting it published. I’m also greatly honored that he has written the foreword.
Consumer.ology would almost certainly not have found its way into the world without the guidance and encouragement of Francis Bennett, whose involvement was further evidence of my good luck. When I asked my parents-in-law, Adam and Annabel Ridley, if they knew of anyone I could solicit publishing advice from, I hoped that they might be acquainted with someone who would share a few minutes of their time with me in a phone call. I could never have dreamed that they would put me in touch with someone who had such vast experience of the publishing industry and who would be so generous with his assistance. To have Francis on hand to answer any question has made the process of going from having written a book to having it published, one that I’m sure is fraught for most writers, positively enjoyable.
While I was writing Consumer.ology, the encouragement, first reading of chapters, and the “what’s that word that’s another way of saying” telephone helpline service from my father were incalculably valuable. Similarly, my immediate family made the space and allowances I needed to get on and write. Despite having only recently started school, my children, George and Martha, set a wonderful example by producing several books of their own far more quickly and with far less fuss than me (although, in my defense, their Puffle stories are considerably shorter).
Numerous other people have contributed to this project in ways too diverse to detail (and by being nonspecific there’s less chance that I will demonstrably overlook aspects of their contributions): Stephen Barnes, David Barlow, April Braswell, Steve Chambers, Dean Chance, Duane Cunningham, Richard Graves, Bryan Griffiths, J.P. Harrop, John Ho, Catherine Rickwood, JJ Jallopy, Lynn Lane, Lisa McLellan, Rob Northrup, Darryl Pace, David Parnell, Mitch Rehaume, Bob Seymore, Hugh Terry, Nathan Whitehouse, and Michael Wright.
Nick Brealey, Erika Heilman, and Sally Lansdell had the gifts of recognizing what I wanted to say and helping me to express it better. It was usually easy for me to see why their advice was perceptive and beneficial, and on the occasions when I didn’t appreciate it immediately this was invariably my failing not theirs.
Finally, to the clients who have employed me to help them or invited me to speak to their organizations, and the psychologists and neuroscientists who are exploring the complex world of the human mind and whose work I have referenced, thank you – this book wouldn’t have been possible without you.