Contagious: Why Things Catch On

by Jonah Berger

Rather than harping on features or facts, we need to focus on feelings; the underlying emotions that motivate people to action.

In their wonderful book Made to Stick, Chip and Dan Heath talk about using the “Three Whys” to find the emotional core of an idea. Write down why you think people are doing something. Then ask “Why is this important?” three times. Each time you do this, note your answer, and you’ll notice that you drill down further and further toward uncovering not only the core of an idea, but the emotion behind it.