The ultimate guide to making changes and following through, from the authors of Made to Stick and Decisive—hailed as “witty and instructive” (The Wall Street Journal) 

Overview (from Amazon):

Why is it so hard to make lasting changes in our companies, in our communities, and in our own lives?

The primary obstacle is a conflict that’s built into our brains, say Chip and Dan Heath, authors of the critically acclaimed bestseller Made to Stick. Psychologists have discovered that our minds are ruled by two different systems—the rational mind and the emotional mind—that compete for control. The rational mind wants a great beach body; the emotional mind wants that Oreo cookie. The rational mind wants to change something at work; the emotional mind loves the comfort of the existing routine. This tension can doom a change effort—but if it is overcome, change can come quickly.

In Switch, the Heaths show how everyday people—employees and managers, parents and nurses—have united both minds and, as a result, achieved dramatic results:

● The lowly medical interns who managed to defeat an entrenched, decades-old medical practice that was endangering patients.

● The home-organizing guru who developed a simple technique for overcoming the dread of housekeeping.

● The manager who transformed a lackadaisical customer-support team into service zealots by removing a standard tool of customer service

In a compelling, story-driven narrative, the Heaths bring together decades of counterintuitive research in psychology, sociology, and other fields to shed new light on how we can effect transformative change. Switch shows that successful changes follow a pattern, a pattern you can use to make the changes that matter to you, whether your interest is in changing the world or changing your waistline. 

Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond explores why poverty persists in one of the wealthiest nations on Earth. Desmond argues that many Americans, often unconsciously, benefit from and help maintain systems that keep others poor—through policies, housing, labor, and social structures that prioritize comfort for the privileged. He calls for moral and political change, urging readers to dismantle the economic arrangements that make poverty profitable.

As you can imagine, this provoked a stimulating discussion for the dozen readers who attended November’s LWV book club. Agreement was reached that the development of relationships- among and between all stakeholders- is the first step. We were encouraged by Kim, our fearless leader, to consider working locally for change. 

Cortland County legislator Doug Bentley has a regular book review column in the Cortland Standard. You can read his review of How the South Won the Civil War here.