Excellent overview of the power of prevention

One the salesmen in my company forwarded me a blurb of this book— the first several pages— and honestly I thought it sounded pretty hokey. But I read the blurb and decided to drop one of my free credits on the pre-order. I’m glad I did!

This book is a great high level overview of how preventive measures can succeed, and (in general terms) the challenges that face preventive measures. We’ve all heard that “an ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure”, but this book gives great examples of the issues that preventive efforts run into. They’re usually unsexy, disconnected from the final outcome, and often come across as more invasive than an after-the-fact solution.

As Dan says, we celebrate heroes and heroic actions. In a logical reality, the mere need for those heroic actions means that a system failed somewhere along the way. And yet, when preventers succeed, “if you’ve done everything right, they won’t notice you’ve done anything at all.”

I think this is a great book for anyone looking to kickstart preventive programs, whether in business or in the private sector. The author (also the narrator of the audiobook) is easy to listen to and I didn’t notice any recording issues. All in all, well worth the time.

5 people found this helpful

Not what I expected

I was expecting more like the Made to Stick type of book. In Upstream, Chip Heath seems to be filling a liberal political agenda with every excerpt. He needs to spell that out in the beginning so people don’t waste their time and money. In Made to Stick, the business stories were relevant and thought provoking. Here, we get scenarios of school shootings, low income whining, evil hard working Americans making like hell for those who don’t have a lot. Bla, bla, bla..

4 people found this helpful

Mixed review

I’ve been a very big fan of Brothers Heath for some time. I own all their books and appreciate their work. I was excited by this books concept but I found I don’t agree with some of the conclusions. Also, some of the writing approach didn’t appeal to me, and ultimately failed to convince me.
The early stories and examples in the book were excellent and entirely the strength of the book. Later examples I found to be off the mark, deficient in its analysis or even somewhat offensive.

Praising the example of prohibiting eviction in Rockford as an upstream solution for homelessness, doesn’t really seem like an “upstream” solution at all. That seems like a downstream problem in the making, for homeowner-landlords to loose their homes to investment banks.

Suggesting antibiotic interventions as an example of an all upside, no downside kind of intervention seemed to me to be unknowledgeable and lazy.

And the implied praising of “Cheeky Cheating” in the baseball analogy was bothersome. But admittedly my mood towards that story was colored by current events; large scale allegations of voter fraud in the 2020 election.

The early stories and lessons however were strong, and made the purchase just barely worth keeping. But ultimately I can’t say I recommend this book.

4 people found this helpful

Engaging, insightful, and really important

A fantastic book and an incredibly important book.
Especially at this time in humanity’s life cycle, this book is both a wake up call and a way shower to a better world. Read, share, and improve your world and the world of those around you.
Highly recommended.

3 people found this helpful

I wish this was taught at schools!

one of the books I wish I can make every person read!
it changes your brain wiring

1 person found this helpful

engaging all the way

audio books are a tough "read" in general as we tend to reduce them to background sound at times, distracted by other senses or thoughts. In this book, the case studies, concise lessons, and pace keeps the reader engaged; gripping audiobook with good lessons to keep in mind!

1 person found this helpful

loved it! Fun and practical at the same time

Loved the book, and it certainly delivers on the Heath-brothers promise. Compelling stories, fresh insights, fun, and funny at times. Really well-written. I loved how they shared stories from the business sector, public sector, non-profits, and individuals alike. Got me thinking about how to tackle problems before the become problems. Glad I read it and would recommend for sure.

1 person found this helpful

I absolutely love it!

If you are interested in solving problems from the root cause, this book is an excellent source that provides many examples. I am passionate about public health, so this book nailed it.

Listen to this!

This was a phenomenal book that really put many modern topics into perspective. It also allows us to recognize that we haven’t made as much progress as we should have throughout the years. It is certainly an eye-opener and worth the read!

Excellent guide on how to think of prevention

This book contained wonderful examples of how to use data, evidence, and broad-based coalitions to inform action that have the potential to improve the lives of many. Great illustrative stories--this is a reading must for public health students!