Made to Stick: (Heath and Heath College TextBook)
April 26th, 2009 | 
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Unabashedly inspired by Malcolm Gladwell’s bestselling The Tipping Point, the brothers Heath—Chip a professor at Stanford’s business school, Dan a teacher and college textbook publisher—offer an entertaining, practical guide to effective communication. Drawing extensively on psychosocial studies on memory, emotion and motivation, their study is couched in terms of “stickiness”—that is, the art of making ideas unforgettable. They start by relating the gruesome urban legend about a man who succumbs to a barroom flirtation only to wake up in a tub of ice, victim of an organ-harvesting ring. What makes such stories memorable and ensures their spread around the globe? The authors credit six key principles: simplicity, unexpectedness, concreteness, credibility, emotions and stories. (The initial letters spell out “success”—well, almost.) They illustrate these principles with a host of stories, some familiar (Kennedy’s stirring call to “land a man on the moon and return him safely to the earth” within a decade) and others very funny (Nora Ephron’s anecdote of how her high school journalism teacher used a simple, embarrassing trick to teach her how not to “bury the lead”). Throughout the book, sidebars show how bland messages can be made intriguing. Fun to read and solidly researched, this made to stick book deserves a wide readership. (Jan. 16)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From School Library Journal
Adult/High School—While at first glance this volume might resemble the latest in a series of trendy business advice books, ultimately it is about storytelling, and it is a how-to for crafting a compelling narrative. Employing a lighthearted tone, the Heaths apply those selfsame techniques to create an enjoyable read. They analyze such narratives as urban legends and advertisements to discover what makes them memorable. The authors provide a simple mnemonic to remember their stickiness formula, and the basic principles may be applied in any situation where persuasiveness is an asset. The book is a fast read peppered with exercises to test the techniques proposed. Some examples act as pop quizzes and engage readers in moments of self-reflection. The book draws on examples from teachers, scientists, and soldiers who have been successful at crafting memorable ideas, from the well-known blue eye/brown eye exercise conducted by an Iowa elementary school teacher as an experiential lesson in prejudice following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., to conversations among Xerox repairmen. Readers who enjoyed Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink (2005) and The Tipping Point (2000, both Little, Brown) will appreciate this clever take on contemporary culture.—Heidi Dolamore, San Mateo County Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Customer Cheap College Textbook Reviews
We remember stories. This book tells us why, and for marketers, nothing is more valuable
Marketing is storytelling, plain and simple. As marketers, we create perceptions, tales and anecdotes that we try to lodge in the minds of consumers - sometimes in the span of 30 seconds, the dimensions of a magazine page or length of a blog post. By analyzing memorable stories, legends, ads, myths, etc., this book gives marketers an solid idea of how to better craft their own messages.
What I really like about this book is that it uses its own principles to make itself work. I always find myself rolling my eyes when a so-called marketing “expert” doesn’t take their own advice. The Heath Brothers do take their own advice, and have produced a book that is a physical embodiment of their six tenets: simplicity, unexpectedness, concreteness, credibility, emotions and stories. If, while reading this, you ever find yourself questioning whether or not these guys know what they’re talking about, all you have to do is look down at the book your holding. That’ll be all the proof you need.
Duct Tape Won’t Work
Duct tape won’t work. I’m sure this simple idea is an unexpected beginning for a book. Duct tape is concrete, but so is this book by Heath and Heath. Duct tape won’t work to make our ideas stick, but the ideas in this book will work, whether you want them to stick in your own mind or in the minds of those who hear or read you. One reason the book will do its job is that it is credible. As you read these six simple ideas, you will find it easy to believe that they will indeed make your ideas stick.
I’m writing this review because I am working on a book myself, a book about an idea, an idea that can make anyone into a good thinker. I want the simple idea that I present to remembered for the rest of the reader’s life, therefore I bought a copy of Made to Stick and continually test my writing by Heath and Heath’s six criteria. I’ve become excited about the potential success of my book. I get emotional as I am writing it. Now, in a few words, I have told the story of the book and my reason for the review. The book is a SUCCES(s) because the way to make our ideas stick is to make them: Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, and tell a Story-these are the six elements of sticky ideas.
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