Made to Stick

What is that makes urban myths so persistent but many everyday truths so forgettable?

How do newspapers set about ensuring that their headlines make you want to read on?

And why do we remember complicated stories but not complicated facts?

Made to Stick, by Chip Heath and Dan Heath, applies the idea of 'stickiness' and identifies six steps to sticky messages:

1. Simplicity - strip ideas to their essentials, use analogies
2. Unexpectedness - surprise, get their attention
3. Concreteness - avoid buzzwords, use plenty of examples
4. Credibility - trusted authorities, testable, believable
5. Emotions - disgust, sympathy, resentment all work
6. Stories - tell a story