Tag: dan heath

Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard (Review)

On By pastorjonathanIn books, leadership, student ministryLeave a comment

Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard (Affiliate link) is an awesome book and a great resource for those who are in the position of motivating others to change.  We  all have things in our life we want to change.  We may want or feel the need to change our physical health, or personal organizational habits.  Maybe the need is greater or the goal is bigger and we are trying to effect change in the health of our community or how we organize our corporation.  Switch takes on those challenges and provides an excellent study on the patterns of change and who to institute them in effective ways.

While this book isn’t a motivator or change agent in and of itself, it does provide a great resource for anyone who is interested in making change happen.  Near the End of the book the authors state,

We can say this much with confidence: When change works, it tends to follow a pattern.  The people who change have a clear direction, ample motivation, and a supportive environment (Switch, 255).

By evaluating these three strategic pieces to change and motivators in each area the authors are able to offer great council on setting things up for change.  This is one of the better books I have read this year and one of the best I have read on the subject of motivating people.  My personal copy is dog eared with a couple of dozen notes written in the margin.  It has proven to be of great value to me, I hope it is a good value for you as well.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard (affiliate link) the retail price is $26.00 (hardcover), and is worth every penny. I purchased my copy at Amazon.com for $14.95 (affiliate links). I gave it five stars.

Review: “Made to Stick,” By Chip Heath & Dan Heath

On By pastorjonathanIn books4 Comments

Have you ever struggled to make a presentation?  Do you preach, teach or present on a regular basis and wonder how long what you are saying is being retained by your audience?  Have you ever wondered why some things are easier to learn than others?  Question no longer, Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by By Chip Heath and Dan Heath is a book of answers.  The authors skillfully guide the readers through urban legands, successful marketing campaigns, and teaching styles that have found the secret of stickyness.  

I picked up the book to improve my communication style when I preach and teach and I am glad that I did. This book is easy to read, easy to remember, and easy to impliment in everyday conversation as well as important communication like preaching and teaching. I was blessed beyond measure through reading it and highly reccomend it to anyone intent on becoming a more effective communicator.

This is the best book on speaking or communicating that I have on my shelf.   Made to Stick is a agreat read with an easy to read, easy to access, and easy to remember organizational style. The retail price is $26.00 (hardcover), and is available at places like Amazon.com for $17.16. I gave it five stars.