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Made to Stick Kindle Edition – Kindle eBook, 4 September 2008
by
Chip Heath
(Author),
Dan Heath
(Author)
Chip Heath
(Author)
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Dan Heath
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Product details
- ASIN : B0031RS2XG
- Publisher : Cornerstone Digital (4 September 2008)
- Language : English
- Kindle Edition : 306 pages
- ISBN-10 : 009950569X
- ISBN-13 : 978-0099505693
-
Best Sellers Rank:
116,939 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 983 in Strategic Business Planning
- 1,064 in Business Systems & Planning (Books)
- 12,465 in Motivational Self-Help (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
Product description
Review
"Their analysis is peppered with memorable stories, images and facts ... This book is a gift to anyone who needs to get a message across and make it stick" (New Statesman)
"This is great for anyone planning a speech or trying to get their message across at work" (Psychologies)
"The Heaths push beyond what sounds like it should work and explain why it actually does" (Time Magazine)
"... an entertaining, practical guide to effective communication." (Publishers Weekly)
"Smart, lively . . . such fun to read" (Saturday Guardian) --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.
"This is great for anyone planning a speech or trying to get their message across at work" (Psychologies)
"The Heaths push beyond what sounds like it should work and explain why it actually does" (Time Magazine)
"... an entertaining, practical guide to effective communication." (Publishers Weekly)
"Smart, lively . . . such fun to read" (Saturday Guardian) --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.
From the Back Cover
'Criminal gangs are drugging people and then stealing their kidneys' - widely repeated urban myth
'The recommended daily allowance of iron for an adult is 14mg' - widely forgotten scientific fact
In Made to Stick Chip and Dan Heath take the lid off one of the great mysteries of life: why it is that we have no difficulty at all in remembering the details of, say, a bogus scare story, and yet often struggle to recall information that may be vital to us. Isolating the six factors that make ideas 'sticky', they reveal, through compelling analysis and entertaining anecdotes, precisely how our minds absorb information - and what we can all do to make sure our own ideas register with others.
'This book is a gift to anyone who needs to get a message across and make it stick' - New Statesman --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.
'The recommended daily allowance of iron for an adult is 14mg' - widely forgotten scientific fact
In Made to Stick Chip and Dan Heath take the lid off one of the great mysteries of life: why it is that we have no difficulty at all in remembering the details of, say, a bogus scare story, and yet often struggle to recall information that may be vital to us. Isolating the six factors that make ideas 'sticky', they reveal, through compelling analysis and entertaining anecdotes, precisely how our minds absorb information - and what we can all do to make sure our own ideas register with others.
'This book is a gift to anyone who needs to get a message across and make it stick' - New Statesman --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.
Book Description
A bestselling communications book that helps ensure what you say is understood, remembered and, most importantly, acted upon
--This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.
About the Author
Chip Heath is a professor at Stanford Graduate School of Business. Chip and his brother Dan have written four New York Times bestselling books: Made to Stick, Switch, Decisive and The Power of Moments. Their books have sold over three million copies worldwide and have been translated into thirty-three languages including Thai, Arabic and Lithuanian. He has helped over 530 startups refine and articulate their strategy and mission. Chip lives in 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. Dan and his brother Chip have written four New York Times bestselling books: Made to Stick, Switch, Decisive, and The Power of Moments. Their books have sold over two million copies worldwide and have been translated into thirty-three languages. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.
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. Dan and his brother Chip have written four New York Times bestselling books: Made to Stick, Switch, Decisive, and The Power of Moments. Their books have sold over two million copies worldwide and have been translated into thirty-three languages. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.
Customer reviews
4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
2,124 global ratings
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Top reviews
Top reviews from Australia
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Reviewed in Australia on 22 July 2019
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Great book
Helpful
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
Really quick--before you have time to think--grab a pen and a pad of yellow sticky notes. Yes, they have to be yellow. Write down the following six principles of memorable messages:
1. Simplicity
2. Unexpectedness
3. Concreteness
4. Credibility
5. Emotional
6. Stories
It's a shame you're not in a bookstore right now--you could just tear the definitions right off of the dust jacket. Never mind. Now give yourself a moment to let your irritation pass at the cuteness of the first letters spelling out "success." There it goes. Not so bad, really. No worse than some of those sales management acronyms.
Now put this sticky note up where you work. And think about it for a day or two. Then read this book. I'm not saying buy it, necessarily. But read it. It will help you make your messages mighty and memorable. Tell people I said so. Yell it at them if you have to.
1. Simplicity
2. Unexpectedness
3. Concreteness
4. Credibility
5. Emotional
6. Stories
It's a shame you're not in a bookstore right now--you could just tear the definitions right off of the dust jacket. Never mind. Now give yourself a moment to let your irritation pass at the cuteness of the first letters spelling out "success." There it goes. Not so bad, really. No worse than some of those sales management acronyms.
Now put this sticky note up where you work. And think about it for a day or two. Then read this book. I'm not saying buy it, necessarily. But read it. It will help you make your messages mighty and memorable. Tell people I said so. Yell it at them if you have to.
Reviewed in Australia on 5 November 2020
Verified Purchase
Great book on advertising and working out what might or can work.
Top reviews from other countries

Frankselbow
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good, but too much filler
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 August 2018Verified Purchase
This is a reasonably decent source of information on the title subject: making ideas stick. However, I have two criticisms that aren't meant to dismiss or rubbish the book, just to put it into context:
1. The useful information content is minimal and could be fitted on less than ten pages, in my opinion
2. The book suffers from repetition and that American writing style of endless cameos to illustrate the point. Yes, cameos can be helpful, but the amount of writing dedicated to examples far outweighs the simple explanation of its simple principles.
In summary, good basic principles that could comfortably fill a pamphlet but that have been massively padded out into a book.
My suggestion: buy a used copy
1. The useful information content is minimal and could be fitted on less than ten pages, in my opinion
2. The book suffers from repetition and that American writing style of endless cameos to illustrate the point. Yes, cameos can be helpful, but the amount of writing dedicated to examples far outweighs the simple explanation of its simple principles.
In summary, good basic principles that could comfortably fill a pamphlet but that have been massively padded out into a book.
My suggestion: buy a used copy
10 people found this helpful
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C. Weldon
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best read of the year
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 May 2019Verified Purchase
Each year one or two books change my view on the world and I start quoting them constantly. Last year it was Jo Owens' How to Lead. This year it is Made to Stick. Just last week at Bring Your Child to Work Day a colleague asked me to talk to her daughter about communication and my job as a business analyst. How could I get across the idea that my job was about translating requirements from the business into specifications for their mother to code? Sounds pretty boring for a 9-year old, right?
But I had just read 'made to stick' and the chapter on the Curse of Knowledge. So we played a game. I tapped out a tune for her to guess and she didn't get it. Then I got her to tap out a tune for me and I didn't get it. "Did you hear the tune in your head?" I asked her. Yes, of course she did. "So did I when I did it, but all you heard was tapping."
"And that's what it is like when someone tells me they want your mum to solve a problem for them. They maybe have a clear picture in their mind of what they want, they hear the tune in their head, but I have to make sure your mum hears the tune too and not just the tapping."
Thank you, Chip and Dan.
But I had just read 'made to stick' and the chapter on the Curse of Knowledge. So we played a game. I tapped out a tune for her to guess and she didn't get it. Then I got her to tap out a tune for me and I didn't get it. "Did you hear the tune in your head?" I asked her. Yes, of course she did. "So did I when I did it, but all you heard was tapping."
"And that's what it is like when someone tells me they want your mum to solve a problem for them. They maybe have a clear picture in their mind of what they want, they hear the tune in their head, but I have to make sure your mum hears the tune too and not just the tapping."
Thank you, Chip and Dan.
4 people found this helpful
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Nick Michelioudakis
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Review - for Educators
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 July 2016Verified Purchase
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.
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!’
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!’

5.0 out of 5 stars
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

14 people found this helpful
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Neil
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love this book.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 January 2019Verified Purchase
Some amazing ideas in this book... if you're an educator, this book will help you think about how to structure your lessons to create intrigue and to make the ideas stick.
There is one thing I disagree with though; the book lists some conventional advice about making ideas stick, such as delivery, posture, etc; it then goes on to say that all of these techniques have some merit, apart from repetition and that repetition is a quality of a badly designed story or idea. I fundamentally disagree; repetition has been a cornerstone of so many of history's most memorable speeches, Shakespeare's writing and a classic and reliable technique in learning; repetition is incredibly important and if it is done right, can help students look at a topic from multiple perspectives and leverage long term memory.
Don't bash repetition!
There is one thing I disagree with though; the book lists some conventional advice about making ideas stick, such as delivery, posture, etc; it then goes on to say that all of these techniques have some merit, apart from repetition and that repetition is a quality of a badly designed story or idea. I fundamentally disagree; repetition has been a cornerstone of so many of history's most memorable speeches, Shakespeare's writing and a classic and reliable technique in learning; repetition is incredibly important and if it is done right, can help students look at a topic from multiple perspectives and leverage long term memory.
Don't bash repetition!
3 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Everyone needs to read this book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 September 2019Verified Purchase
This book is without a doubt one of the most useful things I've read this year. It should be essential reading for anyone involved in education or communications. I feel like I'm really improving my copy after having read this book and I understand how to make my ideas more communicable and interesting for my readers. Also the narrative style is fantastic, you just whizz through it because it uses so many great real-world examples and is full of interesting stories.
2 people found this helpful
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