Ultimately I found it boring, and the writing style dry. I approached this novel like I would any text book, and it met those expectations. The information, while informative didn't appear to be that novel or innovative, and it was my perception that it took existing literature/information (note: I don't mean plagiarized) on the topic and put it together into a catchy model. It probably won't contribute much to an academic setting, and while I am not certain, I strongly believe a more comprehensive book exists. This will most likely be one of those tag along secondary books marked as 'optional' on a syllabus.

Jonah Berger knows more about what makes information ‘go viral’ than anyone in the world.” — Daniel Gilbert, Professor of Psychology, Harvard University and author of Stumbling on Happiness You can start spreading it from a few days before you have any symptoms, but you're most likely to spread it to others in the first 5 days after symptoms start.I can’t remember the last time a business book had me up all night reading. Although I am retired I found this book fascinating on several levels. the SSTEPS model:Social Currency; triggers; emotions; public; practical values; stories. Is very practical, and has small utility for those NOT in PR firms, biz people etc. That said it's always interesting why one product is well received over another, and what standards (cost, especially) are determined by way of a very simple and predictable (now that I read the book) process. The use of well known products are utilized to further help the reader understand the books content.

Human minds are hardwired to remember only about 20% of what we see and roughly 65% of what we hear. In terms of virality, this means that the easiest way to get people to remember your product is to find a clever way to incorporate it into a real-world experience. Stories are the most effective way to share ideas and information. As Berger explains, “Information travels under the guise of what seems like idle chatter… we need to… (embed) our products and ideas in stories that people want to tell… [by making] our message so integral to the narrative that people can’t tell the story without it.” Because of reading Contagious I now have greater ability to see through certain marketing strategies and content delivery. I also understand the psychology behind why so many news stories and social media posts are designed to make people ‘angry’ these days – I won’t be falling for it anymore! There are numerous other uninspiring moments in this book, similar to this. For example, in his discussion relating to "practical value", he instructs us that if you find a good Ethiopian restaurant, you are more likely to share your recommendation of it than you would had you had found a good American restaurant. The reason being you probably have many more friends who like American food than Ethiopian food; therefore, you will feel much more conviction to tell those fewer applicable friends about the Ethiopian restaurant. You simply know too many people who would be interested in American food to compel you to recommend the American restaurant. What an unremarkable observation. Blah. These principles can be compacted into an acronym. Taken together, they spell STEPPS. Contagious SummaryIt’s possible to find the inner remarkability in any product or idea by thinking about what makes something stand out. Blendtec, for instance, was able to get millions of people talking about their products with a series of YouTube infomercials. ii. Leverage Game Mechanics After analyzing hundreds of contagious messages, products, and ideas, Jonah Berger noticed that the same six “ingredients,” or principles, were often at work: Contagious reveals the secret science behind word-of-mouth and social transmission. Discover how six basic principles drive all sorts of things to become popular. From consumer products and policy initiatives to B2B services and ideas and initiatives within organizations. If you’ve ever wondered why certain ideas get shared, brands get more word of mouth, or videos go viral, this book explains why. It 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, or a health official trying to get the word out, this book will show you how to make anything more contagious. Information travels under what seems like idle chatter. Stories are vessels – so build a Trojan Horse. Create a narrative or story that people want to tell which carries your idea along for the ride.