Hit Makers: The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction

Derek Thompson is a senior editor at The Atlantic magazine, where he writes about economics and the media. He is a regular contributor to NPR's "Here and Now" and appears frequently on television, including CBS and MSNBC. . He lives in New York City

Shattering the sentimental myths of hit-making that dominate pop culture and business, Thompson shows quality is insufficient for success, nobody has "good taste," and some of the most popular products in history were one bad break away from utter failure. NATIONAL BESTSELLER “This book picks up where The Tipping Point left off." -- Adam Grant, Wharton professor and New York Times bestselling author of ORIGINALS and GIVE AND TAKENothing “goes viral.” If you think a popular movie, song, or app came out of nowhere to become a word-of-mouth success in today’s crowded media environment, you’re missing the real story. Each blockbuster has a secret history—of power, influence, dark broadcasters, and pas

This book picks up where The Tipping Point left off." - Adam Grant, Wharton professor and New York Times bestselling author of ORIGINALS and GIVE AND TAKE“While giving Lady Luck her due, Thompson studiously examines the myriad factors that make the things we buy, like and follow so irresistible: whether Facebook, TV shows such as Seinfeld, Bumble (the app, not the insect), even favorite lullabies. Ranging from Impressionist art to German lullabies to Game of Thrones, HIT MAKERS offers a f

"An Extraordinary and Interesting Analysis of Popularity" according to Lance B Hackett. I read for enjoyment and to learn. Hit Makers satisfied both of these. It is a fascinating examination and analysis of why some works of art, songs, movies or other elements of culture catch on and others do not. Is the Mona Lisa the most famous painting in the world because it is the best? How does one even determine “the best” when subjective judgment is the root of determination?Mr. Thompson’s book. mrthinkndrink said Good info, though a somewhat disjointed presentation. Interesting read and it certainly had some insights. Worth the effort for anyone marketing/selling products that need to stand out in a world of competitive and similar items, i.e., books, music, movies, etc. Could have benefited from tighter editing; the book tends to ramble a bit, never seems to present a definitive approach to maximizing one's chances of having a hit. Granted, it's a soft and squishy target but the . The book points at features that characterize many hits, but ignores the possibility that they characterize many flops as well The main question discussed in this book is: what are the patterns of successful books, songs, applications etc.? The "scientific" way to research such a question is to analyze a representative sample of successful and unsuccessful cases, in order to find the features that exist in the successful cases and does not exist in the unsuccessful ones. This book however analyzes successful cases only. It points at some featu