Made to Stick (Chapter 1: Simple)

Learn how to present your idea precisely and with meaning. Simple = core + compact. Topics include the low-fare airline, burying the lead, the inverted pyramid, using high concepts, and generative analogies.

Made to Stick (Chapter 2: Unexpected)

Getting their attention: good. Keeping it: better! Learn how you can use the element of surprise to grab people's attention. Keep in mind that surprise doesn't last, and for an idea to endure, you must also generate interest and curiosity. Examples include the successful flight-safety announcement, turning points in Hollywood screenplays, and the Gap Theory of curiosity.

Made to Stick (Chapter 3: Concrete)

Naturally sticky ideas are full of indelible images—ice-filled bathtubs, apples with razors—because our brains are wired to remember concrete data. Learn how to describe your ideas within a context that will appeal to the senses. Examples include teaching subtraction with less abstraction, the Velcro Theory of memory, and Hamburger Helper.

Made to Stick (Chapter 4: Credibility)

In a presidential campaign, a candidate asks: "Are you better off today than you were four years ago?" Sticky ideas must carry their own credentials. Offer people the chance to test your ideas themselves--a "try before you buy" philosophy. People want to believe your ideas, so give them a reason to. Examples include the Nobel-winning scientist no one believed, flesh-eating bananas, and the human-scale principle.

Made to Stick (Chapter 5: Emotional)

Learn the secrets to unlimited wealth and eternal life! (Not really, but we piqued your interest, didn't we?) Don't just convince people to think about your idea, get them to feel it too. Create empathy. Examples include the Mother Teresa principle (if I look at the one, I will act), beating smoking with the Truth, and schlocky but masterful mail-order ads.

Made to Stick (Chapter 6: Stories)

Hearing a story acts as a kind of mental flight simulator, preparing us to respond more quickly and effectively. Narratives engage and bring life to your ideas—and vice versa. Learn to tell stories because they are effective teaching tools. Examples include the day the heart monitor died, dealing with problem students, and the Challenge Plot and the Creativity Plot.

Made to Stick (Epilogue)

Brains and talent alone don't make ideas stick. Here's what does. Our five-step communication framework: Pay attention, understand, believe, care, and act. Plus, learn how to trouble-shoot your ideas. Remember, with the right insight and the right message, any one of us can make an idea stick.

About the Authors

Chip Heath is a professor of organizational behavior in the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University. He lives in Los Gatos, California.

Dan Heath is a Consultant to the Policy Programs of the Aspen Institute. A former researcher at Harvard Business School, he is a co-founder of Thinkwell, an innovative new-media textbook company. He lives in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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