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Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die | 
| Authors: Chip Heath, Dan Heath
Publisher: Random House
Category: Book
List Price: $25.00
Buy Used: $12.95
You Save: $12.05 (48%)
New (67) Used (46) Collectible (7) from $12.95
Rating:  239 reviews
Sales Rank: 262
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Pages: 336
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 5.6 x 1.3
ISBN: 1400064287
Dewey Decimal Number: 302.13
EAN: 9781400064281
ASIN: 1400064287
Publication Date: January 2, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: PROMPT SHIPPING FROM A LONG-TIME SELLER! USPS Tracking. Nice condition, may contain marking in text.
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Product Description
Mark Twain once observed, “A lie can get halfway around the world before the truth can even get its boots on.” His observation rings true: Urban legends, conspiracy theories, and bogus public-health scares circulate effortlessly. Meanwhile, people with important ideas–business people, teachers, politicians, journalists, and others–struggle to make their ideas “stick.”
Why do some ideas thrive while others die? And how do we improve the chances of worthy ideas? In Made to Stick, accomplished educators and idea collectors Chip and Dan Heath tackle head-on these vexing questions. Inside, the brothers Heath reveal the anatomy of ideas that stick and explain ways to make ideas stickier, such as applying the “human scale principle,” using the “Velcro Theory of Memory,” and creating “curiosity gaps.”
In this indispensable guide, we discover that sticky messages of all kinds–from the infamous “kidney theft ring” hoax to a coach’s lessons on sportsmanship to a vision for a new product at Sony–draw their power from the same six traits.
Made to Stick is a book that will transform the way you communicate ideas. It’s a fast-paced tour of success stories (and failures)–the Nobel Prize-winning scientist who drank a glass of bacteria to prove a point about stomach ulcers; the charities who make use of “the Mother Teresa Effect”; the elementary-school teacher whose simulation actually prevented racial prejudice. Provocative, eye-opening, and often surprisingly funny, Made to Stick shows us the vital principles of winning ideas–and tells us how we can apply these rules to making our own messages stick.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 234 more reviews...
 Must Reading for any Marketer of Ideas January 8, 2009
Shel Horowitz (Hadley, MA United States)
If I wanted to follow one particular principle in this book, I'd put my last line first-but for this article, I'm following a different one. See if you can guess the one I followed and the one I didn't. [Quiz answer is below the review, in brackets]
I've long been fascinated by the study of influence: what changes an individual's mind? What changes the direction of a whole society?
This is something I look at in my own organizing and writing, and when a book discusses what makes ideas last-or "stick," in the authors' parlance-I want to take a look.
It wouldn't be the first book I'd recommend on the topic, but there's some great stuff here, all built around a formula spelled SUCCES (just one s at the end), each with its own extended chapter:
Simplicity
Unexpectedness
Concreteness
Credibility
Emotions
Stories
Oh, and to increase the stickiness of their own messages, the authors end with a sound bite/bullet point recap of the whole book in outline form. I may try that on my next business book.
For me, the two most compelling chapters by far were Unexpectedness (which includes creating insatiable curiosity) and Emotions-and Stories create a path to those other attributes. Some key insights from the former:
* The best "`aha' moments" may be preceded by "`Huh?' moments"
* When creating a message, don't think about what you need to convey-instead, think about what questions you want your audience to ask
* Keep things simple-don't do brain dumps but focus on your key point, and make sure the core message is in front
* Big ideas are audacious-but not insurmountable (Like President Kennedy setting a goal of a man walking the moon within ten years; a manned mission to Mercury would have been too difficult)
And from the Emotions chapter:
* Concepts lose value when they become cliches through overuse-but concepts can also be made fresh-as in the algebra teacher who told his students that algebra was like weight training for the mind-it wasn't about needing the math skill but about exercising and challenging the brain to keep it in shape
* Talk to people where they can hear you, as the creators of "Don't Mess With Texas" did: a macho anti-littering campaign designed to appeal to Texas rednecks-but don't insult them, as did researchers who tried to bribe firefighters into considering a safety program not by appealing to the desire to save lives, but by offering popcorn poppers
* The Abraham Maslow hierarchy of needs isn't a ladder; we pursue all of them at once-so don't let your ideas get stuck in the basement-don't be afraid to tap into human desires for greatness
* Making benefits (or problems) tangible and personal is more successful than making them big
* My favorite of all: *Principles can trump self-interest*
QUIZ ANSWER: [Did you guess? I buried the lead at the bottom, but I at least hope I created curiosity]
Shel Horowitz's award-winning sixth book, Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First, demonstrates how to build a business around ethics, environmental sustainability, and cooperative practices--and how to develop marketing that highlights those advantages.
 Make Room on Your Shelf for this Book January 1, 2009
Easy Writer
This is a terrific book on how to turn your drab message into something that will stick, turn viral, generate enthusiastic support and generally turn into action. The six tenets - simple, unexpected, concrete, credible, emotional and storytelling - are straightforward and easy to implement right away.
There are practical insights a-plenty in this book. I like the advice to not spend too much time trying to tell your story with statistics, but to focus on the implications of the statistics rather than the actual numbers. I also like the advice about adding details to stories, even irrelevant details, because it has a subtle impact on helping people visualize your story and retain it.
My main quibble with this book is its tone. It's often written in rushed voices, like a fast-talking auctioneer trying to sell you something without allowing careful inspection of the merchandise. In this regard, it feel a little like a pop psychology book, and it borrows heavily from its own lessons, telling stories and using emotional language to make its point. However, the brothers Heath have compiled a mountain of research, anecdotes and examples that lend credibility to their framework.
In the end the book is successful in communicating its points persuasively. Any communications profesional should make sure there's a space on their shelf for Made to Stick.
Best Marketing Book I Have Read in Recent Times December 31, 2008
Yul M. Butler (cincinnati, oh)
This is great marketing information, inclusive of tangible examples.
Each year I set a goal of reading a book each week--this year having doubled back to re-read Made to Stick because it a just that great!
I look forward to reading more from the Heath Brothers.
An Informative Guide and Reference December 27, 2008
Nilou Arden (Palo Alto, CA)
Keeping it simple really keeps people tuned-in. Authors and brothers, Dan and Chip Heath break down the common factors that keep some ideas around for years and leave others out on the street. Primarily a book on effective communication, Made to Stick, is a valuable, easy and fun read drawing on examples and years of research by the authors.
SUCCES - Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotion and Stories are the common factors which make certain ideas stand out. Urban legends, for example, are simple, full of detail and unexpected events. Made to Stick investigates case studies from business, teaching, advertising and sports throughout the book while discussing concepts such as Gap Theory, to demonstrate how certain ideas inspire attention and interest.
Excellent Book! December 22, 2008
Husain Mohd Naser (Bahrain)
This is a complement book for The Back of the Napkin,
You have to read this first then polish it with the Back of the Napkin,
Rich of great examples,,
But if only there are few pictures to back it up..
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