Made to Stick

Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

by Dan Heath , Chip Heath

Number of pages: 304

Publisher: Random House

BBB Library: Creativity and Innovation

ISBN: 9781400064281

About the Authors

Dan Heath : Dan Heath is a consultant at Duke Corporate Education.

Editorial Review

The bottom line is that some ideas are worth remembering; they stick to our minds and won't let loose. Some other ideas sink in the ocean of ideas. This is true, regardless of the authenticity of the idea itself. That is why we might hear an idea, follow it for years and years, but in the end, it turns out to be nothing more than a rumor or an old wife’s tale. From teachers to politicians to business people, people want their ideas to shine above the rest and to have that lasting effect on others. In every line of work, there are numerous paths and ways to create an idea, but which way it will stick and how would you know in advance is what we are about to discuss. Upon going over tons of ideas that have passed through generations, it has been noted that the ones we remember have their own set of traits, the same themes and same attributions that made them successful. These six principles create a checklist for a successful idea: A Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credentialed, and Emotional story (SUCCESS).

Book Reviews

"In the book the Heath brothers analyze why certain ideas stick in cultures and why other ideas are quickly forgotten. They then break down sticky ideas into six categories called SUCCESS. The more of these categories your ideas fit, the more likely it will stick. SUCCESS is broken down as follows." Securing the Human

"To make the story or argument we are articulating memorable, as we learned above, we implement the six principles. The book discusses other barriers to our ability to implement the six principles and I have only discussed the “Curse of Knowledge” but I would encourage anyone interested in obtaining a great strategy for making your ideas and argument’s stick with someone, to pick up the book titled Made to Stick. Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die written by Chip & Dan Heath."Illinois State Bar Association

"Drawing on their backgrounds and research as a Stanford business professor and an educational publisher, the Brothers Heath explore the mechanics and psychology of the spread of ideas ranging from ad slogans to urban legends to political campaigns. What they find and relate to their readers is a handful (six, to be exact) of principles that characterize nearly all of the good ideas that “stick”—and whose absence plagues the ones that don’t." Life Hack

"This is a book about what makes some ideas more effective than others. It explains what it is that makes you notice them, understand them, care about them, remember them, and act on them." The Guardian

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Wisdom to Share

Unexpected ideas are more likely to stick because surprise makes us pay attention & think, which sears unexpected events into our memories. Surprise gets our attention. Sometimes the attention is fleeting, but in other cases surprise can lead to enduring attention. Abstraction makes it harder to understand & remember an idea, & to coordinate with others who may interpret the abstraction differently. Concreteness helps construct higher, more abstract insights on the building blocks of our existing knowledge and perceptions. Our messages have to vouch for themselves and this means they must have “internal credibility. Thinking about statistics shifts people into a more analytical frame of mind. When people think analytically, they’re less likely to think emotionally Prioritize noisy, unpredictable and chaotic environments make it difficult to have sticky ideas. It takes a technique to turn complex doings into simple, sticky ideas—and here is where a schema plays a major role. Metaphors & analogies help us avoid useless accuracy, remembering that we are to eliminate important, yet not the most important aspects of our idea. the more you are able to reduce the information of an idea, the stickier it becomes Many proverbs carry the same meaning in different languages and cultures, regardless of their original birth. we can create ideas compact enough to remain sticky and meaningful enough to last by echoing the core message Most of the time, we cannot receive attention by demanding it—we must attract it and the best way to do that is by breaking a pattern.

Most of the time, we cannot receive attention by demanding it—we must attract it and the best way to do that is by breaking a pattern.

we can create ideas compact enough to remain sticky and meaningful enough to last by echoing the core message.

Many proverbs carry the same meaning in different languages and cultures, regardless of their original birth.

the more you are able to reduce the information of an idea, the stickier it becomes.

Metaphors & analogies help us avoid useless accuracy, remembering that we are to eliminate important, yet not the most important aspects of our idea.

It takes a technique to turn complex doings into simple, sticky ideas—and here is where a schema plays a major role.

Prioritize noisy, unpredictable and chaotic environments make it difficult to have sticky ideas.

When people think analytically, they’re less likely to think emotionally.

Thinking about statistics shifts people into a more analytical frame of mind.

Our messages have to vouch for themselves and this means they must have “internal credibility.

Concreteness helps construct higher, more abstract insights on the building blocks of our existing knowledge and perceptions.

Abstraction makes it harder to understand & remember an idea, & to coordinate with others who may interpret the abstraction differently.

Surprise gets our attention. Sometimes the attention is fleeting, but in other cases surprise can lead to enduring attention.

Unexpected ideas are more likely to stick because surprise makes us pay attention & think, which sears unexpected events into our memories.