Contagious: Why Things Catch On

Contagious: Why Things Catch On

Author: Airwave Literature April 19, 2020 Duration: 6:50:47
by Jonah Berger—New York Times bestseller and named Best Marketing Book of 2014 by the American Marketing AssociationWhat makes things popular? 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?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 this book, 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.Contagious combines groundbreaking research with powerful stories. Learn how a luxury steakhouse found popularity through the lowly cheese-steak, why anti-drug commercials might have actually increased drug use, and why more than 200 million consumers shared a video about one of the seemingly most boring products there is: a blender. If you've wondered why certain stories get shared, e-mails get forwarded, or videos go viral, Contagious explains why, and shows how to leverage these concepts to craft contagious content. This book provides a set of specific, actionable techniques for helping information spread - for designing messages, advertisements, and information 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.

Warren Buffett’s idea that reading is the ultimate level playing field is where this conversation begins. The Bookshelf: Business & Self-Improvement, from Airwave Literature, isn’t about quick tips or hype. Instead, it’s a quiet, thoughtful space dedicated to the books that shape how we think about work, leadership, and personal growth. Each episode takes a single title-whether a timeless classic or a contemporary analysis-and unpacks its core ideas, not just summarizing but exploring how its lessons apply to real decisions and challenges. You’ll hear the host reflect on key passages, connect themes across different authors, and consider the practical implications of what’s on the page. The tone is more like a guided reading session than a lecture, designed for anyone who believes that deep understanding comes from engaging seriously with good writing. This podcast operates on the belief that the right book, properly considered, can change a mindset or a method. It’s for listeners who want to move beyond the headlines and dig into the substance that fuels lasting improvement, making your reading time more focused and impactful. Tune in to fill your own shelf with ideas that matter.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Bookshelf: Business & Self-Improvement
Podcast Episodes
It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:18:05
by Jason Fried—In this timely manifesto, the authors of the New York Times bestseller Rework broadly reject the prevailing notion that long hours, aggressive hustle, and "whatever it takes" are required to run a successf…
Turning the Flywheel: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:47:27
by Jim Collins—A companion guidebook to the number-one bestselling Good to Great, focused on implementation of the flywheel concept, one of Jim Collins’ most memorable ideas that has been used across industries and the s…
Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:16:42
by James C. Collins—"This is not a book about charismatic visionary leaders. It is not about visionary product concepts or visionary products or visionary market insights. Nor is it about just having a corporate vision.…
Who: The A Method for Hiring [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:48:20
by Geoff Smart—In this instant New York Times Bestseller, Geoff Smart and Randy Street provide a simple, practical, and effective solution to what The Economist calls "the single biggest problem in business today" unsucc…
Competing Against Luck: The Story of Innovation and Customer Choice [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:24:43
by Clayton M. Christensen—The foremost authority on innovation and growth presents a path-breaking book every company needs to transform innovation from a game of chance to one in which they develop products and services…
Thinking in Systems: A Primer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:26:17
by Donella H. Meadows—Meadows’ Thinking in Systems, is a concise and crucial book offering insight for problem solving on scales ranging from the personal to the global. Edited by the Sustainability Institute’s Diana Wri…