Flip to back
Flip to front
Follow the Authors
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
Save on selected Bestselling Children's books.
Includes Bluey, Peter Rabbit, Spot, Peppa Pig, Roald Dahl and more. Click to explore.
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
AUDIBLE FREE TRIAL
Includes your first audiobook free, a bonus book selected by our editors, unlimited access to exclusive podcasts and more. $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime. Learn more >
Customer reviews
Review this product
Top reviews from other countries
Frankselbow
Good, but too much filler
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 August 2018Verified Purchase
C. Weldon
Best read of the year
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 May 2019Verified Purchase
Nick Michelioudakis
A Review - for Educators
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 July 2016Verified Purchase
A Review - for Educators
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 July 2016
I believe this book should be compulsory reading for every educator. Indeed I will go a step further – I think it may well be more useful to us than any single book on teaching.Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 July 2016
The book is about effective and persuasive communication. The Heath brothers start with the Q: ‘Why is it that some ideas are so memorable?’ A: Six key elements [SUCCES]: i) Simplicity (Keep it simple!) ii) Unexpectedness (Surprise = retention!) iii) Concreteness (Avoid abstract or ‘deep’ messages) iv) Credible (Is it believable?) v) Emotions (It is emotion, not reason that makes people act!) vi) Story (The most memorable messages are in the form of a story).
In analysing these elements they explain all kinds of interesting notions, such as ‘the curse of knowledge’ (p. 19). What would happen if you were to tap your finger to the rhythm of a well-known song without actually humming it? Would people be able to guess it? 50% of respondents said ‘Yes’. Incredibly, the actual number was 2.5%!! It is exactly the same when we try to communicate a message – we think others understand, but very often they don’t! (Moral: check that your students have really understood what you have told them or what they have to do. Get feedback as much as possible!)
Heath & Heath go on to stress the importance of ‘curiosity’ (pp. 84 – 87). This is the technique that soap operas, cinema trailers and some gifted presenters use to hook the readers/listeners’ interest. (Moral: Whether it is the contents of a text, or the lesson, it pays not to tell students everything up front. We can excite their curiosity even about mundane things.)
A surprising research finding on p. 89 is of great importance to us; Q: Which is better: consensus-building activities or ones encouraging heated debate? A: The latter! In a controlled study, 18% of students who had done a consensus-type activity chose to watch a short film about the topic, but the number rose to 45% among those who had engaged in a debate! (Moral: use more debates to get students worked up so they are motivated to find out more about the subject under discussion!)
The two brothers also give us a host of useful tips on how to make our presentations / articles interesting (which is of course of immense value for students / adult learners). Here are a few research-supported findings: a) avoid obscure language (p. 106) b) including details makes your argument more convincing (p. 139) c) ‘translate’ statistics down to the human scale (the human brain cannot make sense of huge numbers! – p. 144).
Above all however, remember to use stories. Human beings are wired for story. As somebody once so memorably put it: ‘Facts tell – stories sell!’
Images in this review
Neil
Love this book.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 January 2019Verified Purchase
Amazon Customer
Everyone needs to read this book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 September 2019Verified Purchase
