Decisive Book Summary

In 'Decisive', Chip and Dan Heath unveil the hidden traps that hinder our decision-making and offer a powerful framework to overcome them. They reveal how biases can distort our choices, compelling us to think more critically and creatively. Discover the four-step process — W.R.A.P. — designed to expand our options and pave the way for better outcomes. Through vivid anecdotes and research-backed insights, the authors encourage readers to embrace uncertainty and challenge conventional wisdom. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking clarity and confidence in their decisions.

By Chip Heath, Dan Heath

Published: 2013

"In decision-making, our emotions often cloud our judgment; it's not about what we feel, but how we can think creatively to unlock better choices."

Book Review of Decisive

Chip and Dan Heath, the bestselling authors of Switch and Made to Stick, tackle one of the most critical topics in our work and personal lives: how to make better decisions. Research in psychology has revealed that our decisions are disrupted by an array of biases and irrationalities: We’re overconfident. We seek out information that supports us and downplay information that doesn’t. We get distracted by short-term emotions. When it comes to making choices, it seems, our brains are flawed instruments. Unfortunately, merely being aware of these shortcomings doesn’t fix the problem, any more than knowing that we are nearsighted helps us to see. The real question is: How can we do better? In Decisive, the Heaths, based on an exhaustive study of the decision-making literature, introduce a four-step process designed to counteract these biases. Written in an engaging and compulsively readable style, Decisive takes readers on an unforgettable journey, from a rock star’s ingenious decision-making trick to a CEO’s disastrous acquisition, to a single question that can often resolve thorny personal decisions. Along the way, we learn the answers to critical questions like these: How can we stop the cycle of agonizing over our decisions? How can we make group decisions without destructive politics? And how can we ensure that we don’t overlook precious opportunities to change our course? Decisive is the Heath brothers’ most powerful—and important—book yet, offering fresh strategies and practical tools enabling us to make better choices. Because the right decision, at the right moment, can make all the difference.

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In decision-making, our emotions often cloud our judgment; it's not about what we feel, but how we can think creatively to unlock better choices.

Decisive

By Chip Heath, Dan Heath