''What if I were to tell you that a psychopathic arsonist might also be the person most likely to save you from a burning building?''

This book is about a special kind of persuasion: ''flipnosis''. It has an incubation period of just seconds, and can instantly disarm even the most discerning mind. Flipnosis is black-belt mind control. It doesn''t just turn the tables, it kicks them over.

From the malign but fascinating powers of psychopaths, serial killers and con men to the political genius of Winston Churchill - via the grandmasters of martial arts, Buddhist monks, magicians, advertisers, salesmen, CEOs and frogs that mug each other - Kevin Dutton''s brilliantly original and revelatory book explores what cutting-edge science can teach us about the techniques of persuasion.