Switch, Chip Heath
Switch, Chip Heath
28 Rating(s)
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Switch
How to Change Things When Change Is Hard

Author: Chip Heath, Dan Heath

Narrator: Charles Kahlenberg

Unabridged: 7 hr 43 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 02/16/2010

Synopsis

Why is it so hard to make lasting changes in our companies, in our communities, and in our own lives?

The primary obstacle is a conflict that's built into our brains, say Chip and Dan Heath, authors of the critically acclaimed bestseller Made to Stick. Psychologists have discovered that our minds are ruled by two different systems - the rational mind and the emotional mind—that compete for control. The rational mind wants a great beach body; the emotional mind wants that Oreo cookie. The rational mind wants to change something at work; the emotional mind loves the comfort of the existing routine. This tension can doom a change effort - but if it is overcome, change can come quickly.

In Switch, the Heaths show how everyday people - employees and managers, parents and nurses - have united both minds and, as a result, achieved dramatic results:

• The lowly medical interns who managed to defeat an entrenched, decades-old medical practice that was endangering patients
• The home-organizing guru who developed a simple technique for overcoming the dread of housekeeping 
• The manager who transformed a lackadaisical customer-support team into service zealots by removing a standard tool of customer service 

In a compelling, story-driven narrative, the Heaths bring together decades of counterintuitive research in psychology, sociology, and other fields to shed new light on how we can effect transformative change. Switch shows that successful changes follow a pattern, a pattern you can use to make the changes that matter to you, whether your interest is in changing the world or changing your waistline.

About The Author

CHIP HEATH is a professor at the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University. He lives in Los Gatos, California. DAN HEATH is a senior fellow at Duke University's Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE). He lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Heath brothers are the bestselling authors of Made to Stick and Switch. They write a regular column in Fast Company magazine, and have appeared on Today, NPR's Morning Edition, MSNBC, CNBC, and have been featured in Time, People and US News and World Report.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Amir on July 11, 2021

Recommended to: Anyone who desires the capability to spark massive, lasting and effective "CHANGE", from individual and family up to organizational and even nation-wide levels I know, it's cool :D About the book It's definitely among the most perfect books I've ever consumed. Author's have structured......more

Goodreads review by Taka on May 12, 2010

Another must read from the Heath Brothers- This is another invaluable book packed with extremely useful information. True to the theme of their earlier book, they help make all the concepts stick by hammering them in over and over: Direct the Rider, Motivate the Elephant, and Shape the Path. For any c......more

Goodreads review by Deb (Readerbuzz) on April 24, 2011

Let me sum this book up: To change behavior, you must do three things. One, you must change the person’s behavior. Two and three, you must change the person’s hearts and minds. The authors use the analogy of an Elephant and his Rider. The Rider is your logical brain. The Elephant is your heart. To g......more

Goodreads review by Stephen on February 06, 2012

This is an excellent book on how to enact change and the mechanics behind that. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants to change something in their personal life or within their working environment. I was able to get a good understanding of the interplay and motivation of the two competi......more

Quotes

“Witty and instructive . . . The Heath brothers think that the sciences of human behavior can provide us with tools for making changes in our lives—tools that are more effective than ‘willpower,’ ‘leadership’ and other easier-said-than-done solutions. . . . For any effort at change to succeed, the Heaths argue, you have to ‘shape the path.’ With Switch they have shaped a path that leads in a most promising direction.”—The Wall Street Journal

“Using the terminology of University of Virginia psychologist Jonathan Haidt, the Heaths designate the emotional side of the mind as the Elephant and the rational side as the Rider. . . . Switch is crammed with stories . . . covering a number of fields to drive home the importance of using the strengths of both the Rider and the Elephant to make change happen. This could be a valuable read for the would-be change-makers of the Obama administration.”—Fort Worth Star-Telegram

“Whether you're a manager, a parent or a civic leader, getting people to change can be tricky business. In Switch, brothers Chip and Dan Heath—authors of the bestselling Made to Stick—survey efforts to shape human behavior in search of what works. . . . Even when change isn't easy, it's often worth making.”—Time

“Dan and Chip Heath have done it again. . . . Any leader looking to create change in his organization need not look beyond this little book. It is packed with examples and hands-on tools that will get you moving right away. And it is really a fun read.”—Business Week
 
“Switch is a fantastic book. . . . Rather than just describing a problem or exposing why we make mistakes, the Heath brothers discuss why change is so hard, and then give a short list of concrete steps to follow. . . . It’s an inspiring book, to be sure, all the more so because it's not just about changes that others have accomplished, but about how you can start some change yourself.”—Wired
 
“[Through] lively examples, the Heaths speak energetically and encouragingly on how to modify our behaviors and businesses. This clever discussion is an entertaining and educational must-read for executives and for ordinary citizens looking to get out of a rut.”—Publishers Weekly

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