Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges

Presence is typical of self-help literature in that it merges scientific research with practical advice. This genre has experienced remarkable growth in recent decades, with data from WordsRated, an international research data and analytics group, indicating an 11% surge in the self-help industry from 2013 to 2019. US sales of self-help books have seen annual increments, reaching a staggering 18.6 million volumes during this period ('Self-Help Book Statistics,' WordsRated, 16 Dec. 2022).

Presence is no exception to this trend, gaining initial prominence through the TED Talk upon which the book is based. The talk enjoyed massive success, and, as of 2023, is the second most popular TED Talk of all time. However, despite the undeniable success of both the talk and the book, they have not escaped criticism. For example, a contemporary New York Times article about Presence suggests that, while the book does well to intertwine real-world experiences with the practical techniques, it lacks complete balance:

While Cuddy’s research seems to back up her claims about the effects of power posing, even more convincing are the personal stories sent to the author by some of the 28 million people who have viewed her TED talk. Cuddy scatters their stories throughout the book, which renders its

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