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The Myth of the Garage: And Other Minor Surprises
From Chip and Dan Heath, the bestselling authors of Switch and Made to Stick, comes The Myth of the And Other Minor Surprises, a collection of the authors' best columns for Fast Company magazine-16 pieces in all, plus a previously unpublished piece entitled "The Future Fails Again." In Myth, the Heath brothers tackle some of the most (and least) important issues in the modern business Why you should never buy another mutual fund ("The Horror of Mutual Funds") Why your gut may be more ethical than your brain ("In Defense of Feelings") How to communicate with numbers in a way that changes decisions ("The Gripping Statistic") Why the "Next Big Thing" often isn't ("The Future Fails Again") Why you may someday pay $300 for a pair of socks ("The Inevitability of $300 Socks") And 12 others . . . Punchy, entertaining, and full of unexpected insights, the collection is the perfect companion for a short flight (or a long meeting).
60 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
207 people are currently reading
1334 people want to read
About the author
Chip Heath
42 books1,476 followersChip Heath is the professor of Organizational Behavior in the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University.
He received his B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M University and his Ph.D. in Psychology from Stanford.
He co-wrote a book titled Switch How to Change Things When Change Is Hard with his brother Dan Heath.
He received his B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M University and his Ph.D. in Psychology from Stanford.
He co-wrote a book titled Switch How to Change Things When Change Is Hard with his brother Dan Heath.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
August 23, 2013
Free, well written & read - what more do you want? It's funny, quick, & thought provoking, too. You want more? Then spend a few minutes listening to it. Seriously, if you listen to audio books of any genre, you need to give this one a try & you'll find something worthwhile.
There were over a dozen different segments, each under 10 minutes long, the best of their columns. They had a lot of good information & a dry sense of humor that drew me in, no matter what the subject & there are a wide range of those. Some were obvious to me. For instance the piece called "Grit". In this day & age of instant gratification, people forget that complex problems often don't have an instant, brilliant fix. They often take painstaking effort to chip away at the issue until it becomes manageable, much less fixed - if that is even possible. Hardly news to me since I was born on & own a farm, but their examples were a couple of modern issues that will make the point clear to anyone.
They had a quirky, interesting way of looking at things, too. "Think Outside The Box" has become a gag worthy phrase, but their take on it is 'new & improved'. They contend that such thinking is simply chaos, so we need to get a new box to think in. That makes sense & their examples hammer their point home.
Since I'm not an executive, their other books don't seem to really be up my alley, but I may listen to another anyway. Yeah, they're that good.
Check out their website:
http://heathbrothers.com/
There were over a dozen different segments, each under 10 minutes long, the best of their columns. They had a lot of good information & a dry sense of humor that drew me in, no matter what the subject & there are a wide range of those. Some were obvious to me. For instance the piece called "Grit". In this day & age of instant gratification, people forget that complex problems often don't have an instant, brilliant fix. They often take painstaking effort to chip away at the issue until it becomes manageable, much less fixed - if that is even possible. Hardly news to me since I was born on & own a farm, but their examples were a couple of modern issues that will make the point clear to anyone.
They had a quirky, interesting way of looking at things, too. "Think Outside The Box" has become a gag worthy phrase, but their take on it is 'new & improved'. They contend that such thinking is simply chaos, so we need to get a new box to think in. That makes sense & their examples hammer their point home.
Since I'm not an executive, their other books don't seem to really be up my alley, but I may listen to another anyway. Yeah, they're that good.
Check out their website:
http://heathbrothers.com/
August 29, 2016
A short and fun book to read that puts some bold ideas forth. Not all of them may be usefull to everyone but still the short length and price tag (which is free) guarranties a read. You can download the book for free from the authors' website.
January 3, 2013
This is a collection of their favorite columns they wrote for Fast Company Magazine from 2007 to 2011.
I have to say, I had no idea what I was getting. Another "how to" book? A book about someone's so called deep intellectual thoughts on the way things should be? Nope.
I really liked this audio book.
This was a "what you need to make your business grow and be successful" though common sense and mostly over looked philosophies. Not really philosophies but thoughtful business practices. Dan Heath and Chip Heath have created a "how to build a business book" that is funny and full of great ideas that you can honestly use in everyday situations as well. For me, most business book like this are dry as butter-less toast but I enjoyed listening to the various situations and examples followed by their insight.
I really appreciated how their book stayed current with topics like "Why Second Life Failed". Sometime business books seem not to notice or the authors have no idea there is a thriving business online and it is real. Not just a passing fad.
"Some of them are extremely opinionated. We will insist that you never buy another mutual fund and the horror of mutual funds. We will call out some of the sleaziest marketers of modern times by name." -Dan Heath's introduction
I have to say, I had no idea what I was getting. Another "how to" book? A book about someone's so called deep intellectual thoughts on the way things should be? Nope.
I really liked this audio book.
This was a "what you need to make your business grow and be successful" though common sense and mostly over looked philosophies. Not really philosophies but thoughtful business practices. Dan Heath and Chip Heath have created a "how to build a business book" that is funny and full of great ideas that you can honestly use in everyday situations as well. For me, most business book like this are dry as butter-less toast but I enjoyed listening to the various situations and examples followed by their insight.
I really appreciated how their book stayed current with topics like "Why Second Life Failed". Sometime business books seem not to notice or the authors have no idea there is a thriving business online and it is real. Not just a passing fad.
"Some of them are extremely opinionated. We will insist that you never buy another mutual fund and the horror of mutual funds. We will call out some of the sleaziest marketers of modern times by name." -Dan Heath's introduction
November 20, 2011
Great collection of essays! I have read the other two books by the Heath brother and really enjoyed them. I regularly work on making Switch part of my daily life by integrating the language and the tactics in order to make a change. This collection of articles gave me a lot to think about, I had to stop a couple of times and add tasks to my to do list and even made notes in Evernote to make sure I didn't forget ideas I got from these great articles. I highly recommend this book. Get it, Read it!
August 26, 2012
A good collection of the Heath brothers' articles from Fast Company. If you enjoyed Made to Stick, or Switch, you will likely enjoy this as well. I like their writing style and tone. However, I ran into my usual issue with these sorts of books.....if you are going to publish an anthology, can you do something with it? There is nothing new other than 1 article. Could the authors have commented on the articles now that time had passed? Maybe expand on a few concepts, or show how their opinions may have changed over time? I would have liked something more. That said, I still think the articles are well done, and am looking forward to passing this book on to my high schooler. A budding businessman, I think this collection will help him explore some new concepts.
December 15, 2011
Eye-opening and thought-provoking collection of essays written in a fun-to-read style. I'll definitely read more from Chip and Dan Heath. My favorite essays were:
"The Horror of Mutual Funds" (after reading this, I immediately looked at my 401k and changed my future investments to an index fund);
"From the Annals of Unlikely: Must-See Compliance Videos" (this inspired me to think of ways to improve our boring safety meetings at work);
"The Curse of Incentives" (I love stories about how upper management screws up); and
"Get Back in the Box" (having contraints can actually make you more creative than if you just start with a blank page).
"The Horror of Mutual Funds" (after reading this, I immediately looked at my 401k and changed my future investments to an index fund);
"From the Annals of Unlikely: Must-See Compliance Videos" (this inspired me to think of ways to improve our boring safety meetings at work);
"The Curse of Incentives" (I love stories about how upper management screws up); and
"Get Back in the Box" (having contraints can actually make you more creative than if you just start with a blank page).
July 22, 2013
This was a free audiobook download. I'm so glad I got it because it was concise, engaging, informative, and with real-life applications from most of the lessons. My mom loves NPR and this has that vibe--plus, it was free. I'll definitely be sharing this with others. I can't recommend the Heath brothers enough for their thoughtful and insightful analyses; they're sense of humor is a nice touch too.
June 2, 2013
This was a really interesting collection of previously published web articles. While the focus was on business, the principals were always applicable to life on a larger scale. It would be an excellent book club pick. It was a quick, interesting read with lots of discussion possibilities.
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February 15, 2023The Myth of the Garage: And Other Minor Surprises" by Dan Heath is a thought-provoking and engaging read that challenges conventional thinking on innovation and creativity. The author explores the myths and misconceptions surrounding innovation and how it is commonly believed to happen in a garage or lab, and instead, provides a refreshing perspective on how innovation occurs in unexpected ways and places.The book is well-written and easy to follow, with real-life examples and stories that illustrate the author's ideas. The author's insights and arguments are convincing, and the book provides a fresh perspective on how to approach innovation and creativity.One of the book's strengths is its ability to take a complex topic and present it in a straightforward and accessible way. The author uses simple language and examples that are relatable and easy to understand, making it an enjoyable read for anyone interested in innovation and creativity.Overall, "The Myth of the Garage: And Other Minor Surprises" is a highly recommended read for anyone who wants to challenge their thinking on innovation and creativity. It's an engaging and well-written book that offers a fresh perspective on the topic, and it's a valuable addition to any reader's library.And if you are in Highland and looking for Replacement Highland, please reach out to your local replacement service for expert assistance.
May 11, 2019
After buying this book from the Kindle store many months ago, I enjoyed finally reading it. From the title, I thought it was going to be about Apple and other start-ups and what it really takes, such as connections and money, to be successful at starting a company. The first chapter is about that and it is about who you know and the knowledge you have going into your business. However, the title only covers the first chapter. The rest of the books covers about 15 other topics from mutual funds, to how your gut makes you think, to grit. I like the fact that I could easily read a chapter or two in a short period, put the book down and then pick it up a few days later without needing to worry where I left off.
May 12, 2018
It is a bit old book but the ideas are still quite relevant. The book itself is a compilation of blog posts, so the chapters are not tightly coupled to a theme. For that matter, the title of the book doesn’t seem to fit well on many chapters.
However, despite some of these issues, it is a good reading for business leaders, product builders and entrepreneurs alike. It is a short book, so good reading I. A couple of hours
However, despite some of these issues, it is a good reading for business leaders, product builders and entrepreneurs alike. It is a short book, so good reading I. A couple of hours
March 2, 2018
The Myth of the Garage was a nice collection of stuff we should already know that we know.
So, the first story is "The myth of the garage" which explains that startups don't actually start in garages, they start from people leaving big corporations to start small corporations - ex: Wozniak left HP and Jobs left Atari to start Apple
So, the first story is "The myth of the garage" which explains that startups don't actually start in garages, they start from people leaving big corporations to start small corporations - ex: Wozniak left HP and Jobs left Atari to start Apple
March 3, 2023
I recently read "The Myth of the Garage: And Other Minor Surprises" on Kindle and was blown away. Chip and Dan Heath's essays are thought-provoking and insightful. I especially loved the 2002 Garage essay, which debunks the myth of Hewlett-Packard's origin. This book is a must-read for anyone looking to expand their thinking.
January 10, 2021
Another freebee I picked up decades ago, but today was clean out my Amazon reading list.
Great short articles on various businesses from decades past. Lost ideas, and directions for clearer thinking. Less time to read than watching your average Youtube video.
Great short articles on various businesses from decades past. Lost ideas, and directions for clearer thinking. Less time to read than watching your average Youtube video.
June 28, 2017
Quick read. Fun and informative.
April 9, 2018
Interesting reading taking on a number of interesting topics that catch your attention and gets you to think!!
August 10, 2018
A nice short read, with some useful and thought-provoking suggestions.
September 3, 2018
Good stuff from the writers of "The Power of Moments." This is a collection of short articles that will whet your appetite for more of the Heath Brothers' research, which is always interesting!
November 8, 2018
Excellent
June 15, 2019
I liked this book
Great book. Couldn’t put it down. Read it from cover to cover in one sitting. That’s rare for me - I almost never do that.
Great book. Couldn’t put it down. Read it from cover to cover in one sitting. That’s rare for me - I almost never do that.
September 8, 2019
Nice quick read
Nice easy and quick read of different interesting ideas. I hope they will expand some of these into full books like they did for a few already.
Nice easy and quick read of different interesting ideas. I hope they will expand some of these into full books like they did for a few already.
June 29, 2020
It's just some good topics, the writer has collected it and write it down as a book
July 12, 2020
A series of short stories reflecting on the unexplained things in life...
January 6, 2021
Interesting essays, but I’ve learned a lot in the past 9 years and it no longer strikes me as much as it did.
September 20, 2021
Interesting and quick.
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December 16, 2021Some interesting points, but as this is a compilation of magazine articles from around 2009 or so, it felt dated
December 4, 2022
Nice collection of thought provoking short stories that are a decade old but still relevant
April 25, 2025
I like this because it has business and marketing insights but takes only an hour to read.
I like the Myth of the Garage and the Second Life essays.
I like the Myth of the Garage and the Second Life essays.
December 9, 2025
Collection of short articles previously printed in periodicals. Some interesting, others (and the majority) are pretty meh.
June 7, 2021
No es tanto un libro, como lo es en realidad una colección de artículos. Sin embargo, The Myth of the Garage nos ayuda a encontrar la verdad detrás de los magnates exitosos, a cambiar la forma de pensar de nuestra organización y hasta la forma en la que contamos historias. Lo podríamos catalogar como un híbrido entre los demás libros de Chip y Dan Heath.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews