Made to Stick

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The instant classic about why some ideas thrive, why others die, and how to improve your idea's chances-essential reading in the "fake news" era. 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 news stories circulate effortlessly. Meanwhile, people with important ideas-entrepreneurs, teachers, politicians, and journalists-struggle to make them "stick." In Made to Stick, Chip and Dan 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. Along the way, 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 will transform the way you communicate. 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.

Chip Heath is a professor at Stanford Graduate School of Business, teaching courses on strategy and organizations. He has helped over 450 startups hone their business strategy and messages. He lives in Los Gatos, California.    Dan Heath is a senior fellow at Duke University’s CASE center, which supports entrepreneurs fighting for social good. He lives in Durham, North Carolina.   Together, Chip and Dan have written three New York Times bestselling books: Made to Stick, Switch, and Decisive. Their books have sold over two million copies worldwide and have been translated into thirty-three languages, including Thai, Arabic, and Lithuanian. Their most recent book is The Power of Moments.

Introduction What Sticks?3(22)Kidney heistMovie popcornSticky = understandable, memorable, and effective in changing thought or behaviorHalloween candySix principles: SUCCESsThe villain: Curse of KnowledgeIt's hard to be a tapperCreativity starts with templatesSimple25(38)Commander's IntentTHE low-fare airlineBurying the lead and the inverted pyramidIt's the economy, stupidDecision paralysisClinic: Sun exposureNames, names, and namesSimple = core + compactProverbsThe Palm Pilot wood blockUsing what's thereThe pomelo schemaHigh concept: Jaws on a spaceshipGenerative analogies: Disney's ``cast members.''Unexpected63(35)The successful flight safety announcementThe surprise browGimmicky surprise and ``postdictability.'' Breaking the guessing machine``The Nordie who. . .''``No school next Thursday.''Clinic: Too much on foreign aidSaturn's ringsMovie turning pointsGap theory of curiosityClinic: Fund-raisingPriming the gap: NCAA footballPocketable radioMan on the moonConcrete98(32)Sour grapesLandscapes as eco-celebritiesTeaching subtraction with less abstractionSoap-opera accountingVelcro theory of memoryBrown eyes, blue eyesEngineers vs. manufacturersThe Ferraris go to Disney WorldWhite thingsThe leather computerClinic: Oral rehydration therapyHamburger Helper and Saddleback SamCredible130(35)The Nobel-winning scientist no one believedFlesh-eating bananasAuthority and antiauthorityPam Laffin, smokerPowerful detailsJurors and the Darth Vader toothbrushThe dancing seventy-three year oldStatistics: Nuclear warheads as BBsThe human-scale principleOfficemates as a soccer teamClinic: Shark attack hysteriaThe Sinatra TestTransporting Bollywood moviesEdible fabricWhere's the beefTestable credentialsThe Emotional TankClinic: Our flawed intuitionNBA rookie campEmotional165(39)The Mother Teresa principle: If I look at the one, I will actBeating smoking with the TruthSemantic stretch and why unique isn't uniqueReclaiming ``sportsmanship.'' Schlocky but masterful mail-order adsWIIFY. Cable television in TempeAvoiding Maslow's basementDining in IraqThe popcorn popper and political scienceClinic: Why study algebraDon't mess with TexasWho cares about duo pianoCreating empathyStories204(34)The day the heart monitor liedShop talk at XeroxHelpful and unhelpful visualizationsStories as flight simulatorsClinic: Dealing with problem studentsJared, the 425-pound fast-food dieterSpotting inspiring storiesThe Challenge PlotThe Connection PlotThe Creativity PlotSpringboard stories at the World Bank: A health worker in ZambiaHow to make presenters angry with storiesEPILOGUE WHAT STICKS238(15)Nice guys finish lastElementary, my dear WatsonThe power of spottingCurse of Knowledge againPay attention, understand, believe, care, and actSticky problems: symptoms and solutionsJohn F. Kennedy versus Floyd LeeMaking Ideas Stick: The Easy Reference Guide253(6)Notes259(18)Acknowledgments277(4)Index281