Book Review: The Candidate’s 7 Deadly Sins

Ever wonder whether logic or emotion wins a voter’s heart?

The Candidate’s 7 Deadly Sins: Using Emotional Optics to Turn Political Vices into Virtues by Dr. Peter A. Wish answers this question with detailed anecdotes and advice for political candidates who want to better connect with voters.

The book focuses on the emotional aspects of politics. The author breaks out seven deadly ‘sins’ for candidates to avoid. They include being pessimistic, tentative, reactive, canned, arrogant and rigid. Each sin is examined through events of real-life political campaigns and their consequences.

“Remember to be emotionally aware—anything you say can and will be used against you!”

Voters logical and emotional reactions to these sins are explained through real-life events and their consequences. Explanations from the field of neuroscience reinforce the explanations. The author provides first-hand accounts of working with a US presidential campaign.

The book provides solid advice for taking a candidate’s weaknesses and turning them to potential virtues. There are many takeaways that provide valuable lessons in connecting emotionally with voters. It wraps up with an explanation of the most powerful of any candidate’s skill – the art of storytelling.

Learn from the mistakes of others. You’ll want to take notes as you read.

While the tone of the book is generally non-partisan, there are a few places where the author’s personal leanings come through. Overall, though, The Candidate’s 7 Deadly Sins is recommended and well worth a read for candidates and campaign professionals at all levels.

A review copy of this book was provided by the author.