Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath & Dan Heath

Summary

Made to Stick dissects why some ideas thrive and others fade away, laying out a practical framework for making messages memorable and impactful. Chip and Dan Heath detail the 'SUCCESs' model—Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, and Stories—as the key principles for 'sticky' ideas. Drawing on diverse case studies, the book offers actionable strategies to communicate more effectively in business, education, and everyday life.

Life-Changing Lessons

1. Simplicity is powerful: Distilling an idea to its core makes it easier for others to understand and remember.

2. Emotions drive action: People respond more to ideas that make them feel something rather than those relying purely on logic or statistics.

3. Stories stick: Wrapping information in narratives helps people remember and act on ideas, as stories simulate experiences and evoke empathy.

Publishing year and rating

The book was published in: 2007

AI Rating (from 0 to 100): 93

Practical Examples

1. The Curse of Knowledge

   The authors illustrate how experts struggle to communicate simply, assuming others know what they know. For example, the experiment with tappers and listeners shows how people grossly overestimate how well they’re getting their message across, emphasizing the need to strip ideas down to their core and speak the audience’s language.

2. The 'Jared Subway' Story

   Subway’s use of Jared, who lost a massive amount of weight eating Subway sandwiches, is a prime example of a concrete, emotional story. Instead of statistics or nutrition charts, Jared’s journey became a memorable narrative that resonated with the public, boosting sales more effectively than any previous campaign.

3. The Kidney Heist Urban Legend

   This popular urban legend about someone waking up in a bathtub full of ice with a missing kidney sticks because it’s unexpected, concrete, and emotionally charged. The authors use this example to demonstrate how sticky ideas often have these elements, regardless of their factual accuracy.

4. The 'Commander’s Intent' in Military Strategy

   Military leaders communicate the core objective (the Commander’s Intent) to ensure everyone knows the mission’s essence, even if plans fall apart. The Heaths use this to show the necessity of simplicity and core messaging in complex organizations where details can be lost.

5. 'Velcro Theory of Memory'

   Ideas stick better when they have multiple mental hooks. The book uses this theory to argue that making ideas concrete—using sensory or tangible details—helps embed them in memory, just like Velcro sticking to a surface.

6. Brown Eyes, Blue Eyes Experiment

   Third-grade teacher Jane Elliott’s simulation on discrimination using eye color created an emotional, memorable lesson that stuck with students their entire lives. This demonstrates the power of wrapping ideas in a story and tying them to real emotions.

7. The Sinatra Test

   Referring to Frank Sinatra’s song, 'New York, New York,' the authors explain how some credentials are so powerful they are self-explanatory: 'If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.' Organizations use the Sinatra Test to communicate credibility simply and effectively.