Can persuasion bridge the political divide?
b'In an era of polarization, is it still possible to change people\'s minds about politics?\\n\\nThat\'s the question Anand Giridharadas sought to answer in his new book, The Persuaders: At the Front Lines of the Fight for Hearts, Minds, and Democracy. \\n\\nThe journalist noticed a crisis in the U.S. that he saw echoed around the world. In what Giridharadas describes as "the great write off," those who believe in liberal democracy are giving up on the idea that they can win people over and dismissing their political opposites as unreachable. \\n\\nIn his book, Giridharadas speaks with experts on reaching people \\u2014 organizers, activists, politicians, cognitive scientists, and even a cult deprogrammer \\u2014 and takes a critical look at his fellow American progressives. If democracy stands a chance, he concludes, pro-democracy forces need to believe in the power of persuasion at least as much as anti-democratic forces do. \\n\\nToday on Front Burner, Giridharadas takes host Jayme Poisson through what he\'s learned about changing minds without diluting ideology, making ideas widely appealing, and why persuasion is so critical to maintain healthy democracies.'