The Art Of Influencing Crowds: People Power by Douglas Coop (book review).
As a clinical empath and agoraphobic, I tend to be wary of crowds, as my abilities tend to be overwhelmed by too many emotionally driven people, and I feel like I’m wading through cement. Oddly, in his opening chapter of his book ‘The Art Of Influencing Crowds: People Power’ and frequently thereafter, writer Douglas Coop focuses on the 1896 book ‘The Crowd’ by French author Gustave Le Bon, who was also examining how crowds work, showing there were two basic types and how quickly they could disperse. As a group, crowds are very much female-tempered and controllable.
An Austrian named Adolf Hitler learnt from Le Bon’s book, showing how a strong mind could take over a population in Germany with terrifying results. However, it’s more like a common consensus that takes over. We see it in the extremes in rioting but also in the euphoria at rock concerts and religious gatherings, but it calms down when you get your self-control back away from them.
It shows humans are really a herd animal and how a strong personality or leadership can guide them in such a state. This doesn’t excuse their behaviour but shows an inherent weakness. If anything, there really needs to be an investigation of people like me who are immune and at least sensible enough not to sway people for self-interest but only to widen knowledge.
It’s rather fascinating to discover images have more of an effect on crowds than words. Then again, digital advertising and game broadcasts in sports stadiums must have an overwhelming effect on the patrons. They might not think they are affected by them, but the images remain.
A key question is whether those responsible are aware of this, and to what extent brainwashing occurs in their minds. In many respects, people who watch television have it on a smaller scale and can dismiss advert breaks, but I do wonder about advertising on the Internet, where there is an advert bombardment all the time. I find most of the advertising easy to ignore, but individuals who are constantly on social media may unknowingly face issues, and there needs to be more regulation of the Internet companies profiting from this.
Coop looks at historical use of crowds and even references some from the Bible. In some respects, I wish he had also looked at other religions and how they used crowds as well, just to show it wasn’t one religion, if for no other reason than that people have used crowds for their own devices since the year dot.
On the other hand, when it comes to leadership, Coop points out the need for a charismatic leader to guide some crowds and the lack of them these days. I think this is, for the most part, a problem caused by the Internet and people not socialising in person anymore but getting hooked on ‘influencers’ without realising they are manipulated by manufacturers. It’s just a different type of crowd control.
When Coop covers terrorism, which itself is caused by people getting together as crowds, often to overthrow governments, he totally ignores the need to get at least part of a country’s military on their side. Look at how many countries’ governments are taken over by their military, who then take charge and are less interested in returning to some form of democracy. What is more chilling is Coop quoting an old Chinese proverb about terrorism that when one person is killed, ten thousand are frightened, which should send a shiver down anyone’s back. Logistically, terrorism can come from governments as much as revolutionaries.
I think Coop moves away from crowd influencing in the final chapters. Yes, civil police are taught how to handle rioting crowds by dividing their numbers up but don’t consider that the police themselves are also a crowd who have to protect themselves as well, which might explain the occasional rise of their own violence. The same can also be said with the military, and there have been notes in the media that in combat, they protect their own first.
I’ve been very critical in this review, but there is a lot of material here which will make you think, and if, like me, you find flaws, then at least it is making you think, which is always a good thing. I’m clearly not a herd animal, but I suspect most geeks aren’t. That doesn’t mean we don’t have common hobbies and even rivalry, but we don’t move as a herd with them.
I do think there are areas Coop could have explored further, especially if people are aware they are being manipulated into groups that are bigger than they realise. Those who speak out are often seen as leaders, but they are usually just voicing their concern or a point.
My letters in the UK’s Daily Mirror’ newspaper over the past couple decades have encouraged a bunch of regulars now, but I wouldn’t call us a crowd, and I’ve never contacted them. So when do crowds become common connections?
We see how crowds build up in the UK on a regular basis and see some of their manipulation when it comes to illegal immigrants. When it comes to government, it’s only one problem, and to choose a party where that is their only concern would lead to amateur mistakes with the rest of the country. We’ve seen what happened with Brexit to see that. I do think the most important thing learnt from this book is to be careful not to be carried along with a crowd which deprives you of free will. Then again, am I manipulating when all I’m giving is an opinion?
Certainly use this book as a primer on the subject of crowds, and I hope more books will explore the areas I’ve noted above. At least we’ve been spared flash crowds, as mentioned on the Net years ago, getting too far out of hand beyond parties of people suddenly appearing at non-paying events. Keep your minds in crowds.
GF Willmetts
October 2025
(pub: Acorn Books, 2016.204 page small enlarged paperback. Price: varies. ISBN: 978-1-83791-098-4).
check out website: www.acornbooks.uk
