Stickin' it to them

Hey there, I know I'm a few minutes late on the post, but I've been caught up in trying to beat a boss on the new Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess game. I hate it when you're told to do something, and it sounds simple, and then manages to utterly fail your comprehension. Press "A" to grab the rolling rock. Um, sure. And what do I do when it just rolls right over me and/or knocks me into the lava?

Anyway, I bought a new book today, heard about it from the Signal vs. Noise blog. The book is titled Made to Stick, and it is a book that attempts to explain why some ideas blossom and some fail to make an impact. They open by asking the reader to read a passage about the old "drugged - ice bath - stolen kidneys" urban legend, then take an hour break, and then tell a friend the tale without looking back at the book. They then show you a corporate message - you know, those things that use words like "accountability", "factor", "categorical requirements". Then they ask to to tell that to a friend without a break, with the knowledge that it is almost impossible, due to the lack of concrete things that we can visualize.

They manage to get their point across using examples such as Army commanders, teachers, Nordstrom managers, and even the Jared commercials from Subway. I'm really looking forward to reading the book, and then passing it on to those who can make good use of the ideas I hope to find in it.