The Human experience is fascinating because no two people share the same set of experiences, unless they are conjoined twins; and even then, they might have their own interpretation of the events. Life is filled with an array of occurrences that embraces us, consumes us, influences our development and leaves an indelible mark forever. The intricacies and uniqueness of our experiences have long fascinated scientists, psychologists, sociologists, historians in their review and any number of professionals throughout the time of man. People become so motivated by their life sequence, that it is captured on the pages of book to instruct the upcoming generation or preserve a story for eternity.
Professor Chip Heath is a California native and an educator at Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he is presently instructing in the areas of strategy and organizations. During his career, he has assisted some entrepreneurial businesses on how to launch successfully. His writing partner and brother, Dan Heath is also an academic affiliated with the Duke University’s CASE center, in North Carolina.
Together, they have produced three best sellers, Made to Stick, Switch, and Decisive that have made the New York Times bestselling list. All the books, including their recent creation, The Power of Moments, can be found in over thirty-three different languages. It has garnered them much success, with over two million copies distributed globally.
This book written by Chip Heath and Dan Heath, ‘The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact’, encapsulates the findings of the authors about how various life events, though brief, can have a lasting effect on a person. These are the type of events that often change the course of our lives, whether for the better or for the worse. The authors sought to explore how these indelible moments can be manufactured in our everyday lives.
Even though our day to day existence can be considered to have infinite variables, those memories which stand out and are positive can be rated on by four elements; that is, elevation, insight, pride, and connection. The greater our understanding about how these moments are derived, the greater the chances of being able to reproduce them at will.
This can have great significance in areas of education, whereby a teacher can customize a letter that influences the cognitive function of the student, so much so that they never forget it. Likewise, the significance can also impact the world of work, whereby a business is able to customize their goods or services, so that their clients remain loyal and faithful consumers. Such practice students can see on Studymoose.
The authors take the readers further by exploring particular areas of interest that were confounding for almost all human beings. They include commonality of having a ‘best or worst moment of an experience’ or the fact that we have selective memory and hold on to the final part of something that happened. Or why do “we feel most comfortable when things are certain, but we feel most alive when they’re not.” Have you ever looked back at a particular moment of your childhood and thought that it was the most enjoyable or indelible? This too is also explored.
Science and exploration play a role in supporting the authors’ explanations. They frequently utilize social experiments such as leaving two strangers in a room and watch them become best friends in forty-five minutes. Study the factors that create such a phenomenon and provide discourse. There are other relevant examples which are used to give this book credence as well and they capture the essence and provide suitable explanations of the ‘lightning in a bottle’ experiences of life.