Made to Stick

As soon as i finished this book, i started over from the beginning, just to appreciate and learn from it's use of the ideas it teaches.

The writers suggest that for an idea to be sticky, it should follow these 6 princples:

1. Simple
2. Unexpected
3. Concrete
4. Credible
5. Emotional
6. Stories

And there is no better way to sum up this book. It follows and teaches these principles brilliantly.

This is not just a marketing book. It is a book on how to deliver presentations, how to write, how to teach, how to promote new ideas at work. The book forever changed the way I will do each of these things and I wish I could have read it many years ago.

This interesting book elaborates on "The Tipping Point" by Gladwell and uses a similar writing style to get across its reasons why some ideas stick and why others don't. It's a good read for those who are interested in the psychology of marketing and even the concept of communication in general, but actual marketers will find it difficult to get a lot of practical methods out of the book.

The book starts off with those ubiquitous urban legends we've all heard (i.e. the man who gets his kidney stolen from a stranger and ends up in a bath tub full of ice and a tube sticking out of his back), and explains why that idea sticks and why others don't. The Heath brothers go on to describe why numerous ideas have stuck in the collective mind: "It's the economy stupid," "Where's the beef," the pocket radio, and that movie popcorn has a more saturated fat than you want to know.

The heath brothers' survey of successful ideas is wide-reaching (a great deal more than Gladwell's entertaining book), and the reader will recognize most of the case studies, which aids their main idea of stickiness.

The authors put the stickiness factors in a nice little acronym (S.U.C.C.E.S), though the ideas those letters represent didn't stick with me (sorry) and gave a nice overview in the end with a real-life troubleshooting guide that sums up their ideas. It's a great read for everyone, not just marketing professionals.

Being an accountant, my analytical nature makes me skeptical of books on communication. This one completely impressed me because the authors brought the points to life with real examples of why messages do or don't work. I found many areas where I've been making mistakes and can take immediate steps toward improvement. It's well worth the time to listen, and you'll find yourself wishing you could take notes or highlight passages.

I love this book. In fact, I will listen to it again with pen and paper. Great ideas, very easy to follow, well organized. A highly enjoyable book even if you're not trying to market or sell a product.

Hands down one of the top offerings available on audible.com!

I could heap superlative after superlative on this book in an attempt to convince you to buy it - but I won't.

The fewer people that read this book, the better off for me. The knowledge is so simple, yet so practical, I want to be able to use it all for my own personal gain and not have to share it with other potential competitors in the idea marketplace.

On a side note, who ever said the narrator was dry or ineffective....well lets just say they don't know what they are talking about. The narration was smooth and totally appropriate for the content delivered. He nailed it.

A great listen.
The research was eye opening and the strategies apply to many aspects of life. Great stories to share at home and work.

Well read. Contains humorous as well as enlightening moments.

Will probably buy the book to have it in print as well.

"Made to Stick" is classified as a book on marketing by most websites. I think it is a mistake. This book is so simple and powerful that the ideas presented can ve used in almost any setting from home to board room. For anyone wondering "why do people not get it", this book has the answer.

I've listened to and read many self help books from Dale Carnegie to Steven R Covey and this one is right up there! I realize a book is good when I find myself having to tell others what I've heard because it impacted me so much and that happens every day with this. The stories are memorable and clarify what the reader wants to know. The reader: those who want to improve how they communicate ideas to bosses, classes, groups, and even children. This is a repeat-listen!

This is the first audiobook that I have not completed...I listened (struggled) through the first hour and a half but this is a example of dry material with a boring presentation that I just couldn't bring myself to finish.