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Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard
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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 ...more
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 ...more
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Hardcover, 305 pages
Published
February 16th 2010
by Random House Canada
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I'll be interested to see if this book is still relevant in 10 years, as the influence of books like this often come and go. In the meantime, though, my brain just won't stop incorporating elements from it into how I'm thinking about current events in my life.
I was already inclined to believe the validity of the structure that the Heaths outline because I've practiced some of it already without using the same words--most especially Shaping the Path, as I give a lot of thought to the environment ...more
I was already inclined to believe the validity of the structure that the Heaths outline because I've practiced some of it already without using the same words--most especially Shaping the Path, as I give a lot of thought to the environment ...more

I really quite enjoyed this book. It was one of those books that had me talking to people about it before I finish reading it. In fact, if any of my M Teach friends are reading this – you probably want to get your hands on a copy of it, as it has some really interesting things to say about how to motivate students.
I’ve read another of their books – Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die – which was also particularly good and based on an idea in Gladwell’s book The Tipping Point. I ...more
I’ve read another of their books – Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die – which was also particularly good and based on an idea in Gladwell’s book The Tipping Point. I ...more

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 it in the following format: Three main parts each one being a critical element of change. Each part then is consisted of submodules i.e. different ways of reaching the corresponding element and each s ...more
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 it in the following format: Three main parts each one being a critical element of change. Each part then is consisted of submodules i.e. different ways of reaching the corresponding element and each s ...more

Dec 22, 2015
7jane
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
those who have read enough self-help but want a finishing-touch final one
This is a book that's best read after you have read 1-3ish good self-help books (say, Baumeister's "Willpower", Duhigg's "The Power Of Habit" and Keller's "The One Thing" for example), and yet feel you need something like 'cherry on top'.
This book teaches one how make a change through the image of a rider, directing an elephant, on a path from A to B. The rider is the rational (sometimes procrastinating and over-researching) mind, the elephant the emotional (sometimes out-of-control) mind, and t ...more
This book teaches one how make a change through the image of a rider, directing an elephant, on a path from A to B. The rider is the rational (sometimes procrastinating and over-researching) mind, the elephant the emotional (sometimes out-of-control) mind, and t ...more

I understand the perspective of the haters: this book is broad and over-simplifies a really complex topic. I understand, haters, but I don't agree. I love the Heaths' writing precisely because they keep things simple. Their premise that inspiring change requires you to speak to both the brain's logical, rational side as well as its emotional side isn't headline news, but they present it using a simple metaphor (Rider, Elephant, and Path) that makes it easy to grasp and (more important) easy to r
...more

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 change to occur, you must have a good reason, a good motivation, and a good environment. The rider is the rational side of you, the elephant, your emotional side, and the path, your environment.
To dire ...more
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 change to occur, you must have a good reason, a good motivation, and a good environment. The rider is the rational side of you, the elephant, your emotional side, and the path, your environment.
To dire ...more

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 get the elephant to move, you must engage both the Rider and the Elephant. So, to put it another way, to change behavior, you must Direct the Rider (provide clear direction), Motivate the Elephant (eng ...more
The authors use the analogy of an Elephant and his Rider. The Rider is your logical brain. The Elephant is your heart. To get the elephant to move, you must engage both the Rider and the Elephant. So, to put it another way, to change behavior, you must Direct the Rider (provide clear direction), Motivate the Elephant (eng ...more

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 competing brain types which Chip coined the Rider ( Rational ) and the Elephant ( Emotional ). He then breaks it down to these sections.
Direct the Rider
- Follow the bright spots
- Script the Critical Moves
- ...more
I was able to get a good understanding of the interplay and motivation of the two competing brain types which Chip coined the Rider ( Rational ) and the Elephant ( Emotional ). He then breaks it down to these sections.
Direct the Rider
- Follow the bright spots
- Script the Critical Moves
- ...more

I wish that I could give this book 2.5 stars—absolutely average. Because I think that I have seen it all and tried it all before. And I think the book could have been cut by several chapters without being hurt at all.
I like the basic metaphor of this book: the emotions as an elephant, the intellect as mahout. The rider (as the Heaths call the mahout) has limited amounts of strength and will-power to use to direct the elephant; the elephant has to be cooperative, or the rider won’t get where she ...more
I like the basic metaphor of this book: the emotions as an elephant, the intellect as mahout. The rider (as the Heaths call the mahout) has limited amounts of strength and will-power to use to direct the elephant; the elephant has to be cooperative, or the rider won’t get where she ...more

EMOTIONAL SELF=ELEPHANT- It wants things now, easy, It is usually the "emotional self" that usually causes us to fail, because it usually doesn't want to make the short term sacrifices for long term payoffs. It can also have enormous strengths like love compassion and sympathy.
RATIONAL SELF=RIDER It analyzes and decides what to do. The rider is to direct the elephant where to go. If the rider can't get the elephant to go where it wants. (You overeat, or sleep in) the elephant went against the r ...more

This is by far the best and most practical book on behavior change I've read so far. The book was written to address the change at the individual, organizational, and community level and I found it to be extremely useful when helping my clients reach their fitness and health goals. I was initally introduced to the work of brothers Heath through their book "Made to Stick" which is a another great read. So what are you gonna get out of this?
For starters you'll learn the exact framework how to deal ...more
For starters you'll learn the exact framework how to deal ...more

I read this book for two reasons. First, it was a selection on the 2014 Air Force Chief of Staff Reading List, and second, a coworker recommended it. As a management engineer, change is my job, or I should say, getting people, functions, and businesses to change is my job, and I’m interested in books like this and how I can apply concepts and ideas presented. There were some interesting theories and notions in this book, but it is highly repetitive and somewhat tedious.
“Switch” suffers from thre ...more
“Switch” suffers from thre ...more

A fellow colleague recommended this book to me, and I have to say that it read pretty quick. The chapters are broken down into numbered anecdotes. Examples and stories of these concepts. These stories made the book relatable and easier to digest. The concept is that change is difficult, but using some key theories, you too can change anything. A behavior, a concept, a strategy, or a mindset.

This book was boring as shit. I would read a paragraph and then fall asleep. The concepts it discussed were no-brainers and there was really nothing more to pull from this read. It’s not that I went in with a closed mind, it’s just that it didn’t light up any new thought pathways in my overstuffed brain. The writing made me feel like the authors were trying too hard to be my friend having these high five do you know what I mean moments that made me shake my head in disgust. Their tone read as if
...more

So this is the first of the books I had to read for my training this summer. I have to say that "Switch" was my favorite just because it really gets down into why change is hard for people and organizations. And it shows how small changes can build into such big successes. I am at an organization right now going through some upheaval since our boss was let go after our employee feedback survey and overall morale dropped over three years. Of course looking back now and after completing my trainin
...more

Of the three books I've read by the Heaths, Switch is the weakest. The strength of their method is to present solid info with illustrative stories but it seems like they didn't do their homework on this one. The overall message of the book about habit/person/environment is valid but nothing new. The plus value the authors can add is from the stories they choose, so they need to get those right.
For example, the story they probably bring up the most is about a campaign to get people to switch to ...more
For example, the story they probably bring up the most is about a campaign to get people to switch to ...more

This one gets five stars out of utter usefulness. If you liked Charles Duhigg's Power of Habit, you should love this one - it's certain to add many new life-changing tools to your current collection.
...more

My father was a man who was fleet of foot and fleet of mind – with the highest levels of self discipline that I have ever encountered. The one thing he didn’t understand were human beings, and why they did things, or even worse, why they didn’t do things. He was completely flummoxed by mankind’s shortcomings.
I wish he was still alive. I wish I could press this book into his hands and say “Here is your chance to understand.”
As well as writing a primer on human nature, Chip and Dan Heath have con ...more
I wish he was still alive. I wish I could press this book into his hands and say “Here is your chance to understand.”
As well as writing a primer on human nature, Chip and Dan Heath have con ...more

Switch is like the Heath brothers earlier book, Made to Stick, in that the ideas in it are not new, just better expressed. Chip and Dan are great storytellers and they have made change (i.e. behavioral change) simple and easy by reducing it to 3 steps: Direct the Rider (provide clear direction for the rational mind), Motivate the Elephant (engage people's emotions) and Shape the Path (make the change easier by changing the situation in key ways). Similarly, their first book took the sophisticate
...more

Well, a pretty good book. There's nothing here I haven't read elsewhere. this is a book giving the same steps you will read about in most "beat bad habits" books (change routine etc.).
It's related through the use of examples which makes it accessible. I think this will be more help in a bad habit at work situation than in ones personal life. ...more
It's related through the use of examples which makes it accessible. I think this will be more help in a bad habit at work situation than in ones personal life. ...more

Sep 17, 2018
Farnoosh oa
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
non_fiction,
english
so boring. Perhaps some good theories, but they are repeated thousand times in book.

I bought this book last April 2010, skimmed it, set it aside. looked like another management book, not transformative (along the lines of say Good to Great). Yesterday on the twitter chat I host, a couple of people said it changed their lives. I thought that about Howard Gardners books on change. My mental models change. Picking it back up and reading it cover to cover in the last 24 hours, I can see why they related to it. the Heaths find a pattern for changing behavior that is simple, sensible
...more

Have you ever made a New Year's Resolution to lose weight, exercise more, kick a bad habit, and then the next week slipped back into the same old routine? There is a reason that people, organizations, and societies many times fall into this trap of trying to make a big change; and shortly thereafter fall back into the same old rut. Can't we just change by trying harder? According to the authors, trying harder will never result in lasting change. All that it will do is tire the "Rider."
The author ...more
The author ...more

I have to admit that I didn't read it carefully. Mostly it's a more self-helpy version of lots of pop-psych books I've been reading lately. And it's a little too general, in that it assumes most ppl are very similar to one another (even when it reports success rates of, say, 18% before & 35% now).
But it's got some terrific guidelines, mantras, examples, and actions, so if you're motivated but unsure about how to begin to make the change you want to see in your life or your team, it's worth check ...more
But it's got some terrific guidelines, mantras, examples, and actions, so if you're motivated but unsure about how to begin to make the change you want to see in your life or your team, it's worth check ...more

May 29, 2010
Jay Connor
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
jcrubicon@gmail.com
Finally a book about change that starts with the end in mind. In most of the prior extensive literature of this area from self-help to management categories, authors and gurus extoll the nobility of the effort rather than the achievement of the result. It is also nice to see recommendations based on research rather than the ego-stroking when-I-was-in-charge polemics of many past CEOs of now marginally successful corporations (e.g., "Execution").
The authors pulled from studies conducted over deca ...more
The authors pulled from studies conducted over deca ...more

I read this because I had to choose one title from an initially daunting list of "leadership"-related titles in preparation for an institute I attended recently. Otherwise, I never would have picked it up (I never read inspirational/leadership-type nonfiction). From here, I'll just quote verbatim the review I gave of this to the other attendees:
"Switch"...is all about how to make a change. Big, little, personal, institutional, societal…any kind of change in any context can be understood by the o ...more
"Switch"...is all about how to make a change. Big, little, personal, institutional, societal…any kind of change in any context can be understood by the o ...more

Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
I found this book to be a revelation. It’s smart and delivers on its promise. By the end of the book, I had a much clearer perspective on to make change. One of the reasons that I like this book so much is that it focuses on the systems in place – not the people. Too many books focuses on the people and start from the assumption that there is something wrong with them: they are lazy or they are dumb. These assumptions l ...more
I found this book to be a revelation. It’s smart and delivers on its promise. By the end of the book, I had a much clearer perspective on to make change. One of the reasons that I like this book so much is that it focuses on the systems in place – not the people. Too many books focuses on the people and start from the assumption that there is something wrong with them: they are lazy or they are dumb. These assumptions l ...more

Let me be clear: I HATE most self-helpy/businessy books. They're usually simplistic/obvious, preachy, vague, or "jargony". Switch is none of those things. Sure, you'll be introduced to some jargon, but it's just three terms (Rider, Elephant, and Shaping the Path), you'll learn them within minutes, and they'll be used consistently throughout the rest of the book.
I learned some things about human nature that surprised me. At first, the results of some of the cited studies seemed to run counter to ...more
I learned some things about human nature that surprised me. At first, the results of some of the cited studies seemed to run counter to ...more

This wasn't any new or earth shattering info, but it was a compilation of research and findings on behavior and habit formation that you've probably heard. However, there were a lot of new insights in the book because they combined some of this research to approach a new problem. So they take Haidt's rider and elephant and some of the behavioral econ and habit stuff and give really good advice about helping people or organizations make changes. The section I found most illuminating was early in
...more
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Chip Heath is the professor of Organizational Behavior in the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University.
He received his B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M University and his Ph.D. in Psychology from Stanford.
He co-wrote a book titled Switch How to Change Things When Change Is Hard with his brother Dan Heath.
...more
He received his B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M University and his Ph.D. in Psychology from Stanford.
He co-wrote a book titled Switch How to Change Things When Change Is Hard with his brother Dan Heath.
...more
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