The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact

This book was better than I expected but I also felt like it was repetitive. This could truly have been summed up in an article. I did enjoy the stories throughout the book, however, and it helped to break up all of the data given.

I admit from the start that I like the Heath brothers. I've read everything that they published including their extra material and thought they all had value. So the fact that I like this book isn't surprising, but it really is good. The writing feels light but always has a point worth making. Read this and learn how to increase the number and value of special moments.

Chip and Dan Heath are brothers who both work for universities - one a Professor and the other a Senior Fellow. They study business and entrepreneurship, and have teamed together to write four very successful business oriented books that can also provide insights helpful to their readers outside of their professional lives. The Power of Moments is the latest of those. One of the reasons these books are so successful is that they are well crafted and easy to read books that both unpack "aha" moments and provide actionable ideas to motivate readers. This book is no exception.

This book focuses on Defining Moments (their term for "a short experience that is both memorable and meaningful"). They then break Defining Moments into four show more elements - Moments of Elevation, Insight, Pride and Connection. The rest of the book is a guide to crafting those Defining Moments.

The book takes you through each of the elements, with plenty of examples along the way, and with summaries for each element, and case studies (they call them Clinics) to help you think more deeply about how to apply what you've read.

I bought this book over a year ago because my boss was reading it and recommended it to me. I then got "too busy with life" and set it aside, finally picking it up this past week. I took a couple of days to read this book, but I think it could easily be done in a day. It's an engaging read and certainly makes you think. It's the type of book you can pick up every few months to refresh yourself and think again about how to apply some of their insights to your daily world.

At the very end of the book is probably the most important point - though Defining Moments can be orchestrated, the impact they have is due not just to the Moment, but to the Action that it inspires - the difference between "receiving" a Moment and "seizing" it. That is the flaw in the brothers' framework for this book - if we (and those we're trying to influence) don't seize the moment than having orchestrated it won't matter.

Nevertheless, there are many tools that you can add to your repertoire from this book. Those are the biggest benefit of this book, more so than any framework about Defining Moments. I've knocked the book down a point to three stars because I think the framework is flawed, but as a readable "organizational self help" book it rates a four. show less

This latest book by Chip and Dan Heath investigates what the defining moments of our lives have in common and how to create powerful moments for ourselves and others. The book itself has a business focus, but the concepts are interesting and can be applied generally to many situations. This book also includes and reviews other works that relate to this topic. I enjoyed it and would recommend to readers of general non-fiction, self-help or business books.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!

I was listening to a podcast where one of the authors of this book was explaining the concept of "The Power of Moments" and provided some examples that compelled me to buy the book straight away (which is very rare for me). The book is packed with examples and lots of great advice, albeit it is a bit verbose at times. The key concept is that we can be more impactful as leaders and as people by recognising and creating more "moments" / memorable experiences. We can be the designers of moments that deliver elevation, insight, pride and connection. These extraordinary moments are what make lives meaningful.

The Made to Stick duo has written another excellent book which I suspect will also stick. Moments is all about what common factors cause selected instances in the continuous stream of our lives to be memorable. These memorable moments can also become critical transition points or anchors in our experiences. CX and customer loyalty professionals will appreciate the research references about where to focus and how to design for stronger relationships. Anyone will benefit from the Heath’s four factors that make for Moments, whether it’s with customers, family, friends, or self. The principles are explained well, and the observant reader will notice how they are applied in the writing itself to make the book memorable.

Some great stories in the book, but I don't this is as practical as their other books. I don't think great moments can be manufactured.