Change or Die

The Three Keys to Change at Work and in Life

By: Alan Deutschman

Narrated by: Brian Keeler

Length: 6 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

What if you were given the ultimatum: make a radical shift in your life, or lose it all?

This was the question Alan Deutschman posed in "Change or Die", his sensational cover story for the May 2005 issue of Fast Company. Surprisingly, Deutschman concluded that although we all have the innate capability and fundamental need to change our behavior, we rarely do. Against all warnings and reason, heart patients and smokers continue to lead dangerously unhealthy lifestyles, and many doomed companies stick to the same archaic business practices that routinely destine them for failure.

In this inspiring, revelatory book, Deutschman helps deconstruct and demystify five age-old myths about change, including the notions that small, gradual changes are always easier to make and sustain, and that we can't change because our brains become "hardwired" early in life. Introducing breakthrough research and progressive ideas from a diverse selection of medical, science, and business leaders, Deutschman demonstrates how to achieve lasting, revolutionary change.

A powerful book with universal appeal, Change or Die addresses every sphere of life, from companies that must remake their corporate culture to survive, to individuals who must make 360-degree changes in their lifestyle or risk stagnation - or even death. Each chapter also includes several emotional stories about real people who have succeeded or failed in their attempt to change and why.

Change or Die is not about merely reorganizing or restructuring priorities; it's about challenging everyone to make drastic transformations in all aspects of life - changes that are positive, attainable, and absolutely vital.

©2007 Alan Deutschman (P)2007 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"The book lays out some principles for change that might apply not only to companies but to many facets of life." (U.S. News & World Report)

Exceptional Book for All to Learn From

This book is really good about describing successful change strategies on an individual level and a corporate level. The principle ideas for change are straight forward and the examples used to explain the principle ideas for change are entertaining and enlightening. The author talks about changing the lives of convicts permanently by teaching trust through relationships. The book also highlights a story of turning around a manufacturing plant of hostile union labor workers from a plant shut down due to the union labor tension all the way to the same plant with the same workers becoming the world leader in their industry by relating and trusting. The book also highlights unique ways heart diseased patients are actually permanently changing their lives and avoiding major surgeries. This book is really quite good. I think it is a must read. It is entertainment, inspiring, and informational.

Great book!

Where has this book been! Second book in a series I'm reading and it just hit a home run in my world!

The Process of Change

I found this to be an excellent resource. It confirms a lot of what I have already experienced when confronted with change. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a real change process.

Power of Community

Number 1 take-away is that change doesn’t happen in a vacuum.

Many of the negative reviews of this book seem to be saying “where are the hacks and tricks to help me change?” They seem to be missing the point, that change doesn’t come about through finding the right management far, diet,’or political view, but through finding a community of caring, like-minded individuals to share your goals with and mutually reinforce each others’ goals.

If this didn’t pop out of the text for you, the student isn’t ready.

A feast for the mind

The premise - given the right environment and support, dramatic, even unthinkable change can happen. The author uses three case studies. First, he talks about very sick heart patients who change their lifestyles to become healthy again using Dr. Dean Ornish's heart health program. Next, he tells us about convicted drug addicted often sociopathic criminals who become well adjusted contributing members of society at Delancey Street. And finally, he narrates the transition of GM's worst union member nightmare with nearly 40 defects per car coming out of the Fremont, CA plant to nearly zero defects just by changing management (GM to Toyota). He then draws lessons from these three dramatic reversals - change or die - stories. He narrates at a good pace and his voice is easy to listen to. Anyone interested in how to bring about change in his/her own life, his/her family, or his/her organization might find some useful ideas in this bravura performance. The author writes well, chooses dramatic illustrations to make his point, and reads/narrates with passion.

Well written book.

This book is passionately and carefully written. It skirts around being judgmental and instead is caring and firm. Anyone serious about making changes in their lives, should read it.

Ditch the fear, force & facts - relate to change

Reframe, relate, repeate are the three keys to successfully make long term changes.
Fear, force & facts are great tools to illicit emotion, and they may even be a catalyst, but they are not the steps that transform things. They don't carry you from point A to point B and they really stand the test of time alone.
Great book, lots of helpful information, perspectives & applicable / relatable stories.

Simple. Smart. Sustaining.

Not really knowing what to expect, I was very surprised with how much I learned from this audio book. After listening to this audio presentation, I have come away with a renewed sense of hope and a reduced sense of despair regarding areas of my life and work that I know require change. Listening to this audio book has also given me a more powerful conceptual framework for handling conflict and approaching issues of change with other people.

Simple. Smart. Sustaining.

I must also give kudos to the narrator. His voice and articulation perfectly matched the tempo and style of the book. I felt as if the author himself were reading the book.

Your life will be changed forever

Would you consider the audio edition of Change or Die to be better than the print version?

YES I would be bored reading this but the reader was great.

What did you like best about this story?

It changed my life

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I cried a couple times

Any additional comments?

This book is litterally life changing. I LOVE it. I have read it 3 times and share it with clients who are in my group therapy (men in prison setting) If you are someone who has trouble making changes and KEEPING UP with those changes this book is going to blow you away.

Change or Die basically poses the question "What if someone told you you had change "X" about yourself or you will die?" of course we all say " I would make the change" but the book points out that we are given that option over and over again in life and we continue to chose the choices that lead to our demise (smoking, drinking, drugs, fast food, not exercising, gang involvement, stress) The book takes a look at people who have been able to make huge life changes and keep them going for a long period of time - and what all those people have in common. It makes you look at your life and ask yourself those hard to ask questions about what changes need to be made and how you are going to make change stick.

Great way to absorb these concepts of change

This book illustrates great and compelling examples on how change happens. The stories are... relatable... gripping, and inspiring.
My only disappointment is that some of the examples given/some of the companies - are no longer what they were (e.g. Amazon) - but it's so fascinating to understand how they became great or great again. I really enjoyed this read, and have been thinking of and seeking examples in my life, and examples of what I observe in the world, of how the author describes how change happens.