Contagious: Why Things Catch On
About this product
The New York Times bestseller that explains why certain products and ideas become popular.
“Jonah Berger knows more about what makes information ‘go viral’ than anyone in the world.” —Daniel Gilbert, author of the bestseller Stumbling on Happiness
What makes things popular? If you said advertising, think again. People don’t listen to advertisements, they listen to their peers. But why do people talk about certain products and ideas more than others? Why are some stories and rumors more infectious? And what makes online content go viral?
Wharton marketing professor Jonah Berger has spent the last decade answering these questions. He’s studied why New York Times articles make the paper’s own Most E-mailed list, why products get word of mouth, and how social influence shapes everything from the cars we buy to the clothes we wear to the names we give our children.
In Contagious, Berger reveals the secret science behind word-of-mouth and social transmission. Discover how six basic principles drive all sorts of things to become contagious, from consumer products and policy initiatives to workplace rumors and YouTube videos. Learn how a luxury steakhouse found popularity through the lowly cheesesteak, why anti-drug commercials might have actually increased drug use, and why more than 200 million consumers shared a video about one of the most boring products there is: a blender.
Contagious provides specific, actionable techniques for helping information spread—for designing messages, advertisements, and content that people will share. Whether you’re a manager at a big company, a small business owner trying to boost awareness, a politician running for office, or a health official trying to get the word out, Contagious will show you how to make your product or idea catch on. Read more
Editor's Take
Amazon reviewers generally describe Contagious: Why Things Catch On as an insightful, practical marketing book with memorable frameworks and examples. On Reddit, users say it is worth reading for anyone interested in word-of-mouth, virality, and how ideas spread, though some note that the concepts can feel more useful for marketing than for casual readers.
Across review blogs and book-summary sites, the most common praise is for Jonah Berger’s STEPPS model, which readers say makes the book easy to remember and apply. The book is often described as concise, accessible, and useful for entrepreneurs, marketers, and creators who want to make products or ideas more shareable.
Overall sentiment is strongly positive: readers tend to recommend it for its clear explanation of why things catch on and for its practical takeaways, while a smaller number of reviewers wish it went deeper into case studies or updated examples.
Price History
Specifications
| ASIN | 1451686587 |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
| Publication date | May 3, 2016 |
| Edition | Reprint |
| Language | English |
| Print length | 256 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 9781451686586 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1451686586 |
| Item Weight | 8 ounces |
| Dimensions | 5.5 x 0.6 x 8.38 inches |
| Best Sellers Rank | #8,948 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #2 in Multilevel Marketing (Books) #4 in Marketing & Consumer Behavior #6 in Advertising (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (7,663) |
