Made to Stick

Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

Chip and Dan Heath are really on to something here. Why can we all remember the somebody-stole-your-kidneys story, but not how mitosis works? The Heath brothers have pooled their expertises (organizational behavior and education consulting) to show us how to make our ideas "sticky"--that is, memorable. (I so could have used this--wait. I can still use this! Woo Hoo!)

The book is enormously worthwhile, and even has a reference guide in the back. But as an enticement, let me state the Six Principles, which spell SUCCESs:
* Simple: how to find and share the core idea
* Unexpected: how to get and hold attention
* Concrete: make abstraction concrete (see Aesop)
* Credible: help people believe you
* Emotional: make people care (I especially like appealing to identity)
* Stories: why shop talk is important, and why you care.

So, read this book. Better still, buy this book, and refer to it often. Better yet, buy me a copy. I will thank you again and again.