Switch by Chip Heath

Switch by Chip Heath is a book that explores the concept of change and how it can be achieved. The authors, Chip and Dan Heath, use the metaphor of a rider and an elephant to explain the two sides of our brains: the rational side (the Rider) and the emotional side (the Elephant).

They argue that in order to make effective changes, both sides must be addressed. The book outlines three components of change: the situational, the rational, and the emotional.

It also explains how to direct the Rider, motivate the Elephant, and shape the Path.

The main themes of the book are that change is hard but possible, and that it requires a combination of understanding the situation, being rational, and appealing to emotions.

The authors also emphasize the importance of finding bright spots, scripting the critical moves, and rallying the herd. Finally, they discuss how to keep the switch going and how to avoid blind spots.

What I Liked

I loved the analogy that governed the book. It pairs well with Daniel Kahnemann’s Thinking Fast & Thinking Slow. Both are useful for “‘thinking about thinking” and getting our brains to perform the way we want them to.

What I Did Not Like

The book leaned a bit too heavily on just a few scientific studies – it’s not as rigorous as some other books on the psychology of change.