What motivates people? Why do they do what they do? What is the foundation of human nature? "Penetrating, incisive, and filled with examples, What People Want offers readers a step-by-step manual for decoding human behavior with ease and accuracy. A must-read for business professionals, leaders, and the politically-minded, What People Want reveals 197 little-known human desires - some basic, many unexpected - based upon reams of compelling evidence." Understanding what people want is the key to decoding the mysteries of the world: the mysteries of politics, history, culture, leadership, business, and personal success... Why do some political candidates win while others fall short? Why is America viciously divided? Why do people vote for who they vote for? Why do some policies succeed while others fail? Why do some mass movements go the distance while others barely make a dent? Why do some believe justice, fairness, and morality mean one thing, while others believe the exact opposite? Why do some businesses rapidly explode in revenue, while others only experience a slow trickle? Why do some companies make the leap to greatness, while others languish in mediocrity? Why do less qualified people get hired and promoted over more qualified ones? Why do some professionals move forward in leaps and bounds, while others have to claw through resistance at every step? Why do people willingly follow some leaders, but openly resent others? Why do some command instant respect from everyone in the room, while others appear helplessly incompetent? Why do people like who they like? Listen to who they listen to? Trust who they trust? Love who they love? Respect who they respect? Befriend who they befriend? Ignore who they ignore? Human desires reveal these answers - and more. And those who don't understand the secrets of human nature remain blind to the truth of the past, present, and future... Those who don't understand others stumble through life, always surprised at what goes on around them and always unprepared to deal with it. They struggle to lead, succeed, and carve out a place for themselves in the world. They get half as much done with twice as much effort. What People Want offers a practical manual to human nature, allowing you to: Compel, influence, and persuade with your words Experience deep empathy for those around you Read others with a penetrating eye, understanding their wants and aversions Clear the confusion from the past, the obscurity from the present, and the fog from the future Lead with impact, influence, and inspiration - not power and coercion Understand the buried truths of your own personality and subconscious mind Master the art of motivating others to take enthusiastic action Learn how human desires shape current events Discover how Obama, Trump, MLK, JFK, FDR, and every impactful leader of the past 500 years used human desires to electrify their communication - and how you can too Decode the behavior of the people, groups, and organizations you encounter Gain an unfair competitive advantage to propel your career forward Meet any challenging moment - whether it is pitch, presentation, interview, or negotiation - armed with penetrating insight: a powerful defense against failure Peak behind the fabricated personas most people present Turn personal potential into tangible achievement Empower your success and self-improvement Maneuver with more confidence and less confusion; more understanding and less stumbling