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Switch cover art

Switch

Written by: Dan Heath, Chip Heath
Narrated by: Charles Kahlenberg
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Publisher's Summary

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 best seller 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.

©2010 Chip Heath (P)2010 Random House

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worth several listens!

Loved it so much I listened to it twice. it's an easy listen so I am sure it will grace my ears several more times in the future. Full of interesting information and behaviour tips, it helps one decide different avenues on to which we can create lasting positive change.

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Terrible narrator

I wouldn't recommend this at all. This is my second book by Dan and Chip Heath, and both books could be summarized in about five pages. The narrator is one of the worst I've listened to in the last 12 months. Save your precious time

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good but dry

good book overall on how to get people to on board and conform to change but it is very dry and I found myself losing interest at spots

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Great listen with amazing tips for success

Actionable ways to help evoke change in not only your own world but in your professional world.

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Practical and insightful!

Overall a good listen and easy to follow with practical and insightful change insights. Would recommend.

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Excellent book w/ great systems approach to change

I love the approach and simple breakdown for each component if the system. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to make change and coaches.

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wow

they have found the formula for change. I have learned so much from this book its incredible. I truly appreciated the many real life examples of how to put these teachings into practice and knowing the outcome to expect.

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Another brilliant work by the Heath brothers

I like the stories, for their inspirational and practical attributes. They often highlight previous principles when they reappear in another situation / stories - repetition without the annoyance.
and the Clinics are useful to get the reader to practice immediately, albeit under pressure.

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Great beginner book

A wonderfully written book that is very easy to follow. The authors do a great job of ensuring their ideas are concise and properly put together. At no time throughout this book was I confused or not fully engaged. Their ideas put into words intelligent actions about effective life changing human interaction skills that in my opinion are greatly effective for being a leader. This book is wonderful for a beginner reader such as myself because it is short, to the point and brings a huge amount of value.

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a classic

Overall, this is such a great book. So simple and well-broken down. A few bits are outdated now so it's good to check what the current research says about some of the studies.

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