Acknowledgements

I owe the largest debt of thanks to the great many people who have allowed me to interview them – especially to Professor Jonathan Haidt, whose account of confabulation in his amazing book The Happiness Hypothesis helped to inspire what was to become this one, and to Professor David Eagleman, whose Incognito was equally vital to my understanding of some of the principles that form the core of The Unpersuadables.

I also owe thanks to the wonderful editors who commissioned the original work that comprises much of this book. In chapter order, they are: Judith Whelan, Christine Middap, Ceri David, Ross Jones, Charlotte Northedge and Merope Mills, Alex Bilmes and Ruaridh Nicoll.

Thanks also to Ann Eve for the studies, Greg Taylor, Ed Yong, Andy Lewis, George Monbior for loaning me his column title for the title of this book; for the extremely patient assistance and to my panel of brilliant brains for checking the manuscript: Dr Louise Arseneault, Dr Helen Fisher, Professor Sophie Scott, Professor Chris Frith, Professor Daryl Bem and Professor Chris French.

Finally, thanks to Charlie Campbell at Ed Victor Ltd. and to Paul Baggaley, my fantastic and patient editor Kris Doyle, Sandra Taylor for working miracles and all at Picador in the UK and Dan Crissman and all at Overlook in the US.