Summary of Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard by Chip Heath & Dan Heath: Includes Analysis

We all think that we want to make some big changes in our lives, our communities, and possibly even in our workplaces.

If this is true, then why is change so difficult to achieve? And why do so few of us succeed at it?

In Switch, brothers Chip and Dan dive deep into psychological analysis and engaging case studies to find out exactly why lasting change is so elusive, and their answer might surprise you.

Through research and careful analysis, they conclude that the primary obstacle towards change is conflict within our brains between our rational side and our emotional side. While the rational brain is interested in long term progress, the emotional brain is interested in instant gratification and has the ability to undo our best efforts of resolve. By using the metaphor of a rider astride an elephant, the Heath brothers show how precarious, yet necessary, it is for our brains to be able to control these two sides and keep them in balance with each other.

Though the tension between these two spheres might doom you to the status quo, learning how they interact with one another can help you to overcome them and create the change you want to see in your life.

Within their compelling case studies, Chip and Dan are ready to show you how to master your own brain and start to create the changes you only dreamed were possible.