Why some ideas take hold and others come unstuck

Made to Stick

A NEW YORK TIMES AND INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER 
 
'This book is a gift to anyone who needs to get a message across and make it stick.' New Statesman 
 
'Smart, lively . . . such fun to read.' Guardian 
_________________________________________________ 
 
Mark Twain once observed, 'A lie can get halfway around the world before the truth can even get its boots on.' His observation rings true: urban legends, conspiracy theories, and bogus news stories circulate effortlessly. Meanwhile, people with important ideas - entrepreneurs, teachers, politicians, and journalists - struggle to make them 'stick'. 
 
In Made to Stick, Chip and Dan Heath reveal the anatomy of ideas that stick and explain how to make ideas stickier, such as applying the Velcro Theory of Memory, using the human scale principle and creating curiosity gaps. Along the way, they reveal that sticky messages of all kinds - from the infamous 'kidney theft ring' hoax, to a coach's lessons on sportsmanship, to a vision for a new product at Sony - draw their power from the same six traits. 
 
Made to Stick reveals the vital principles behind winning ideas - and tells us how we can apply these rules to making our own messages stick. It will transform the way you communicate. 
_______________________________________________________ 
'An entertaining, practical guide to communication.' Financial Times 
 
'This is great for anyone planning a speech or trying to get their message across at work.' Psychologies 
 
'The Heaths push beyond what sounds like it should work and explain why it actually does.' Time Magazine 
 
'Anyone interested in influencing others . . . can learn from this book.' Washington Post

An entertaining, practical guide to communication.

Smart, lively . . . such fun to read . . . Inspiring.

Their analysis is peppered with memorable stories, images and facts . . . This book is a gift to anyone who needs to get a message across and make it stick.

This is great for anyone planning a speech or trying to get their message across at work.

Anyone interested in influencing others . . . can learn from this book.

The Heaths push beyond what sounds like it should work and explain why it actually does.

Dan Heath (Author) Dan Heath is the #1 New York Times bestselling co-author/author of six books, including Made to Stick, Switch, and The Power of Moments. His books have sold over four million copies worldwide and been translated into thirty-five languages. Dan also hosts the award-winning podcast What It’s Like To Be…, which explores what it’s like to walk in the shoes of people from different professions (a mystery novelist, a cattle rancher, a forensic accountant, and more). He lives in Durham, North Carolina. Chip Heath (Author) Chip Heath is a professor at Stanford Graduate School of Business. Chip and his brother, Dan, have written four New York Times bestselling books: Made to Stick, Switch, Decisive and The Power of Moments. He has helped over 530 start-ups refine and articulate their strategy and mission. Chip lives in California.

'This book is a gift to anyone who needs to get a message across and make it stick.' New Statesman 
 
'Smart, lively . . . such fun to read.' Guardian 
_______________________________________________________ 
 
Mark Twain once observed, 'A lie can get halfway around the world before the truth can even get its boots on.' His observation rings true: urban legends, conspiracy theories, and bogus news stories circulate effortlessly. Meanwhile, people with important ideas - entrepreneurs, teachers, politicians, and journalists - struggle to make them 'stick'. 
 
In Made to Stick, Chip and Dan Heath reveal the anatomy of ideas that stick and explain how to make ideas stickier, such as applying the Velcro Theory of Memory, using the human scale principle and creating curiosity gaps. Along the way, they reveal that sticky messages of all kinds - from the infamous 'kidney theft ring' hoax, to a coach's lessons on sportsmanship, to a vision for a new product at Sony - draw their power from the same six traits. 
 
Made to Stick reveals the vital principles behind winning ideas - and tells us how we can apply these rules to making our own messages stick. It will transform the way you communicate. 
_____________________________________________________ 
'Anyone interested in influencing others . . . can learn from this book.' Washington Post 
'This is great for anyone planning a speech or trying to get their message across at work.' Psychologies

How to solve problems before they happen

Upstream

'Informs, engages and, above all, entertains' Charles Duhigg, bestselling author of The Power of Habit 
 
New York Times bestselling author Dan Heath asks what happens when we take our thinking upstream and try to prevent problems before they happen. 
 
What happens when we take our thinking upstream and try to prevent problems before they happen? 
 
Most of us are pretty good at dealing with problems &ndash; we&rsquo;re used to being resourceful and improvising solutions. But we also tend to focus on reacting rather than preventing, which costs us unnecessary time and money. 
 
Across business, politics, and society, bestselling author Dan Heath shows us that we have the capacity to solve some of our thorniest issues &ndash; we just need to start to think about the system rather than the symptoms. Drawing on hundreds of new interviews with unconventional problem solvers, Heath shows the huge gains to be made when we stop dealing with symptoms and start to deliver practical solutions. 
 
'Packed with vivid stories and practical examples, Upstream is the rare book that can both revitalize your business and make our world a better place.' Daniel H. Pink, No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of When, Drive and To Sell Is Human

Upstream contains research and storytelling that informs, engages and, above all, entertains. If you want to stop firefighting problems and prevent them from happening in the first place, then you should read what Dan Heath has to say.

Charles Duhigg, author of bestsellers The Power of Habit and Smarter, Faster, Better

Dan Heath has written the ultimate primer on the power of prevention, a work that deserves a prominent place on every leader's bookshelf. Packed with vivid stories and practical examples, Upstream is the rare book that can both revitalize your business and make our world a better place.

Daniel H. Pink, No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of When, Drive, and To Sell Is Human

Considers our chronic failure to address our problems before they hit us.

In a style reminiscent of Malcolm Gladwell and the Freakonomics team, Heath explores fascinating case studies from the business world and beyond... Upstream just might change the way you think about problem-solving.

An elegant manifesto... With the frenetic pace of modern life, Heath observes, it's easy to become accustomed to putting out fires instead of looking for the spark that's igniting them... This is a pragmatic guide for those seeking big changes on either an individual or organizational level.

Psychology meets neuroscience and self-help in this engaging study by business writer Heath... A smart, provocative book that guides readers to better decision-making when confronting seemingly intractable problems.

Dan Heath is the #1 New York Times bestselling co-author/author of six books, including Made to Stick, Switch, and The Power of Moments. His books have sold over four million copies worldwide and been translated into thirty-five languages. Dan also hosts the award-winning podcast What It’s Like To Be…, which explores what it’s like to walk in the shoes of people from different professions (a mystery novelist, a cattle rancher, a forensic accountant, and more). He lives in Durham, North Carolina.

'Informs, engages and, above all, entertains' Charles Duhigg, bestselling author of The Power of Habit 
 
When we shift our energies upstream, we stop dealing with symptoms and we start fixing problems. 
 
If we can stop crimes from being committed, we do not need to solve crimes. 
If we can prevent chronic illness from developing, we do not need to treat it later. 
If we provide affordable housing, we won't need shelters for the homeless. 
 
Looking to business, politics, and society, Dan Heath shows us that we have the capacity to solve some of our thorniest personal, organisational and societal issues. We just need to start to think about the system rather than the symptoms. Drawing on insights from his extensive research, as well as hundreds of new interviews with unconventional problem solvers, Dan delivers practical solutions for preventing problems rather than simply reacting to them. 
 
'Packed with vivid stories and practical examples, Upstream is the rare book that can both revitalize your business and make our world a better place.' Daniel H. Pink, No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of When, Drive and To Sell Is Human

How to make better choices in life and work

Decisive

How to Make Better Decisions

The New York Times-bestselling authors of Switch and Made to Stick offer a fascinating tour through the workings of our minds to reveal how to make smarter decisions. 
 
Research in psychology has revealed that our decisions are disrupted by an array of biases and irrationalities. We're overconfident. We seek out information that supports us and downplay information that doesn't. We get distracted by short-term emotions. When it comes to making choices, our brains are flawed instruments. So, how can we do better? 
 
In Decisive, Chip and Dan Heath draw on cutting-edge psychological research to introduce a four-step process designed to counteract these biases. They reveal how we can stop the cycle of agonizing over our decisions, how can we make group decisions without destructive politics, and how to ensure that we don't overlook precious opportunities to change our course. Along the way, they demonstrate how relatively easy it is to avoid the pitfalls and find the best answers. 
 
Written in a compulsively readable style, Decisive takes us on a tour from a rock star's ingenious decision-making trick, to a CEO's disastrous acquisition, to a single question that can often resolve thorny personal decisions, in order to offer fresh strategies and practical tools that will enable you to make better choices. Because the right decision, at the right moment, can make all the difference.

A leader's most important job is to make good decisions, which - minus perfect knowledge of the future - is tough to do consistently . . . The Heath brothers explain how to navigate the land mines laid by our irrational brains and improve our chances of good outcomes.

The writing is humorous and often surprising . . . coupled with their insightful analyses, the book proves particularly insightful.

Chip Heath (Author) Chip Heath is a professor at Stanford Graduate School of Business. Chip and his brother, Dan, have written four New York Times bestselling books: Made to Stick, Switch, Decisive and The Power of Moments. He has helped over 530 start-ups refine and articulate their strategy and mission. Chip lives in California. Dan Heath (Author) Dan Heath is the #1 New York Times bestselling co-author/author of six books, including Made to Stick, Switch, and The Power of Moments. His books have sold over four million copies worldwide and been translated into thirty-five languages. Dan also hosts the award-winning podcast What It’s Like To Be…, which explores what it’s like to walk in the shoes of people from different professions (a mystery novelist, a cattle rancher, a forensic accountant, and more). He lives in Durham, North Carolina.

We are all constantly faced with important decisions. So how can we ensure that we make the right ones? 
 
In Decisive, Chip and Dan Heath - authors of the international bestsellers Made to Stick and Switch - draw on decades of cutting-edge psychological research to explain why we so often get it very badly wrong. They reveal how our supposedly rational brains are frequently tripped up by powerful biases and wishful thinking and why even experts frequently make mistakes. They demonstrate the perils of getting trapped in a narrow decision frame, and they explore people's tendency to be over-confident about how their choices will unfold. At the same time they demonstrate how relatively easy it is to avoid the pitfalls and find the best answers, offering four simple principles that we can all learn and follow. 
 
Decisive offers both a fascinating tour through the workings of our minds and an invaluable guide to making smarter decisions. 
____________________________________ 
 
'A well-written, thought-provoking book' Management Today

How to change things when change is hard

Switch

Switch is likely to prove invaluable to anyone wanting to make long-lasting change a reality

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 best-selling Made to Stick - survey efforts to shape human behaviour in search of what works. Even when change isn't easy, it's often worth making

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

Chip and Dan Heath have mined the latest psychological research to work out how to engage our emotional brain, and encourage us to focus on "bright spots" - techniques proven to help us change bad habits - rather than merely telling us what we're doing wrong

Provides a useful framework for understanding change and is full of suggestions for "fooling yourself"- and those around you - into making changes you want to make but can't

'A fantastic book.' WIRED 
 
'Witty and instructive.' WALL STREET JOURNAL 
 
'Invaluable for anyone wanting to make long-lasting change a reality.' BBC FOCUS 
 
'A must-read.' FORBES 
______________________________________________ 
 
We all know that change is hard. It's unsettling, it's time-consuming, and all too often we give up at the first sign of a setback. But why do we insist on seeing the obstacles rather than the goal? 
 
This is the question that bestselling authors Chip and Dan Heath tackle in their compelling and insightful book. They argue that we need to understand how our minds function in order to unlock shortcuts to switch up our behaviours. Illustrating their ideas with scientific studies and remarkable real-life turnarounds - from the secrets of successful marriage counselling to the pile of gloves that transformed one company's finances - the brothers Heath prove that deceptively simple methods can yield truly extraordinary results. 
 
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.

Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact

The Power of Moments

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 
 
'Beautifully written, brilliantly researched' Angela Duckworth, bestselling author of Grit 
 
'The most interesting, immediately actionable book I&rsquo;ve read in quite a while' Adam Grant, bestselling author of Think Again 
 
In this bestseller by the authors of Switch and Made to Stick, Chip and Dan Heath explore why certain brief experiences can jolt, elevate and change us - and how we can learn to create such extraordinary moments in our own life and work. 
 
What if a teacher could design a lesson that he knew his students would remember twenty years later? What if a doctor or nurse knew how to orchestrate moments that would bring more comfort to patients? What if you had a better sense of how to create memories that matter for your children? Many of the defining moments in our lives are the result of accident or luck - but why leave our most meaningful, memorable moments to chance when we can create them? 
 
In The Power of Moments, Chip and Dan Heath explore the stories of people who have created standout moments, from the owners who transformed an utterly mediocre hotel into one of the best-loved properties in Los Angeles by conjuring moments of magic for guests, to the scrappy team that turned around one of the worst elementary schools in the country by embracing an intervention that lasts less than an hour. 
 
Filled with remarkable tales and practical insights, The Power of Moments proves we all have the power to transform ordinary experiences into unforgettable ones.

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 
 
'Beautifully written, brilliantly researched' Angela Duckworth, bestselling author of GRIT 
 
'The most interesting, immediately actionable book I&rsquo;ve read in quite a while... If life is a series of moments, the Heath brothers have transformed how I plan to spend mine' Adam Grant, bestselling author of ORIGINALS and OPTION B, with Sheryl Sandberg 
 
In this latest New York Times bestseller by the authors of Switch and Made to Stick, Chip and Dan Heath explore why certain brief experiences can jolt, elevate and change us - and how we can learn to create such extraordinary moments in our own life and work. 
 
What if a teacher could design a lesson that he knew his students would remember twenty years later? What if a doctor or nurse knew how to orchestrate moments that would bring more comfort to patients? What if you had a better sense of how to create memories that matter for your children? Many of the defining moments in our lives are the result of accident or luck - but why leave our most meaningful, memorable moments to chance when we can create them? 
 
In The Power of Moments, Chip and Dan Heath explore the stories of people who have created standout moments, from the owners who transformed an utterly mediocre hotel into one of the best-loved properties in Los Angeles by conjuring moments of magic for guests, to the scrappy team that turned around one of the worst elementary schools in the country by embracing an intervention that lasts less than an hour. 
 
Filled with remarkable tales and practical insights, The Power of Moments proves we all have the power to transform ordinary experiences into unforgettable ones.

Dan Heath

One of my favourite behavioural science communicators explores how to fix what’s broken. It’s the long-awaited sequel to Switch.

It seems impossible to believe—that using the same staff in the same space with the same goal can lead to a transformed workplace (and by extension, a transformed job). But Heath offers a step-by-step process and compelling examples of resetting that the most frustrated manager or beaten down desk jockey will find useful in improving their department or career... It’s for anyone struggling to change the way they work.

The Best Self-Help Books for Personal Growth in 2025

Heath’s clear writing will appeal to business readers, but there’s enough research to give the book some academic heft as well. Its focus on making business changes that can have a lasting impact on employees separates the book from other titles about organizational change.

PRAISE FOR DAN HEATH: 
 
'Bursting with practical insights and memorable stories on every page' Eric Ries on The Power of Moments 
 
'Informs, engages and above all entertains' Charles Duhigg on Upstream 
 
'Beautifully written, brilliantly researched' Angela Duckworth on The Power of Moments 
 
'Packed with vivid stories and practical examples' Daniel H. Pink on Upstream

How to change what’s not working

Reset will help you get unstuck, shake off old habits, and overcome the inertia of the way things always work. Heath shares a framework, based on research in psychology and hundreds of interviews, to help you vault toward what really matters. 
 
Crucially, you can make positive changes without the need for additional time or money (which, for most of us, is not forthcoming). The secret is to find leverage points: places where a little bit of effort can yield a disproportionate return. 
 
Our aspirations may differ, but our resolve is the same: to escape the stifling gravity of entrenched systems. To unlock forward momentum – making steady progress toward our highest goals – without the need for more resources. The same people, the same assets, but dramatically better results. 
 
Yesterday, we were stuck. Today, we reset.

Dan Heath

Praise for Reset

One of my favourite behavioural science communicators explores how to fix what’s broken. It’s the long-awaited sequel to Switch.

It seems impossible to believe—that using the same staff in the same space with the same goal can lead to a transformed workplace (and by extension, a transformed job). But Heath offers a step-by-step process ...

Heath’s clear writing will appeal to business readers, but there’s enough research to give the book some academic heft as well. Its focus on making business changes that can have a lasting impact on em ...

One of my favourite behavioural science communicators explores how to fix what’s broken. It’s the long-awaited sequel to Switch.

It seems impossible to believe—that using the same staff in the same space with the same goal can lead to a transformed workplace (and by extension, a transformed job). But Heath offers a step-by-step process ...

Heath’s clear writing will appeal to business readers, but there’s enough research to give the book some academic heft as well. Its focus on making business changes that can have a lasting impact on em ...

One of my favourite behavioural science communicators explores how to fix what’s broken. It’s the long-awaited sequel to Switch.

It seems impossible to believe—that using the same staff in the same space with the same goal can lead to a transformed workplace (and by extension, a transformed job). But Heath offers a step-by-step process ...

Heath’s clear writing will appeal to business readers, but there’s enough research to give the book some academic heft as well. Its focus on making business changes that can have a lasting impact on em ...

Books by Dan Heath

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter