Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

Author: Chip Heath, Dan Heath

Publisher: Random House (2007)

Binding: Hardcover, 291 pages

When I received the review copy of the book "Made to stick" by Chip and Dan Heath and started making dog-ears all over it I knew I had to share it with you all - at the same time I was kind of hogging it hoping to keep it my little secret ;) It's quite inspired by Malcolm Gladwell's The "Tipping Point", but an inspiring idea book in its own right where the brothers argue that the elusive thing that makes an idea stick can be boiled down to six critical elements:

Simplicity
Unexpectedness
Concreteness
Credibility
Emotions
Stories

Add sexy and you spell success.

Seems like common sense doesn't it? Yet with all the funny stories they share (the book is very entertaining with its anecdotes) you'll find that these elements are rarely seen in in business communication, or to quote the brothers:

"Business managers seem to believe that, once they've clicked through a PowerPoint presentation showcasing their conclusions, they've successfully communicated their ideas. What they've done is share data."

Spot on. So if you're looking for a pick-me-up book about making your ideas stick, do pick this one up.