Would I recommend ‘Made to Stick?’
Absolutely, I’d recommend it! It’s a five-sticky book (where a five-sticky rating is the top score) on Application, Ideas, as well as style.

Application:
It’s a five-sticky on the application score, because each chapter gives you a ‘clinic’. This ‘clinic’ is not just a very good summary of what you’ve just learned, but can also test your abilities–and measure them against the concepts. And there’s a rating system for ’stickiness’ in the ‘clinic’ itself. So you can go ‘duh’ when you realise, what you could have done to make the communication a little stickier–and didn’t.

Ideas:
It’s hard to turn too many pages in this book without getting a bucket-load of ideas. This book is packed to the brim with real examples, and well-told stories. And it’s quite easy to connect the concepts to your own business. And once you’ve made the connection, the ideas start to flow. I ended up with 48 stickies. And read the book three times. And yes, I’d read it a fourth time, just to mop up what I didn’t see on the first three passes. So heck, ideas just flow. Which is why the ideas get a five-sticky too!

Style:
Many books have ideas. And applications. Few have an inherent style. Ok, so style is kinda subjective, but I couldn’t put the book down. And I started reading it at 2am. It kept me absorbed. A thriller couldn’t have done much better! Ahem, a five-sticky on that too!

Kinda summed up on this brown paper bag

Click image to see bigger picture of this brown paper bag

My Biggest Insight
Story telling is dramatic. We all know that. But this book tells you a story on literally every page.

And then underlines how the story links up to the concepts that are being taught in the book. If there’s one thing I’ve got that would make this book worth the read, it’s the importance of story-telling vs. cold analytical facts; That figures aren’t a patch on story-telling; That testimonials don’t work their magic without the story behind the testimonial.

That when facts meet stories in the boxing ring, stories come out champions every single time.

Some of the powerful concepts in this book (and how you start applying them today): (Note: The links go to similar-kinda Psychotactics articles.I’ll add more links as I write more articles.)1- Break the pattern: How to get the attention of the customer.
2- The Curse of Knowledge: Ah, the term says it all-but distraction helps
3- The low-fare airline: The ability to cut through the crap.
4- No school next Thursday: What does it really mean?
5- Disco lights on the floor: The Southwest girl with a sense of humour.
6- It’s the Economy, Stupid! - One Idea, not three!
6- Sour grapes: Sour. Not sweet. That’s concrete.
7- Stephen Covey’s description of a football team (ok, ok, soccer): Bringing abstraction to life.
8- Don’t Mess With Texas: Is your advertising being wasted? Memorable messaging
9- Shop talk at Xerox: Geek talk ain’t always Greek

Where To Get This Book (Nope, this ain’t an affiliate link)
At Amazon.com : ‘Made to Stick’

• Author: Chip and Dan Heath
• Publisher: Random House (January 2, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400064287
• ISBN-13: 978-1400064281
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.7 x 1.1 inches

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