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

by Derek Thompson

What makes a hit a hit? In Hit Makers, Atlantic Senior Editor Derek Thompson puts pop culture under the lens of science to answer the question that every business, every producer, every person looking to promote themselves and their work has asked.

Drawing on ancient history and modern headlines - from vampire lore and Brahms's Lullaby to Instagram - Thompson explores the economics and psychology of why certain things become extraordinarily popular. With incisive analysis and captivating storytelling, he reveals that, though blockbuster films, Internet memes and number-one songs seem to have come out of nowhere, hits actually have a story and operate by certain rules. People gravitate towards familiar surprises: products that are bold and innovative, yet instantly comprehensible.

Whether he is uncovering the secrets of JFK and Barack Obama's speechwriters or analysing the unexpected reasons for the success of Fifty Shades of Grey, Thompson goes beyond the cultural phenomena that make the news by revealing the desires that make us all human. While technology might change, he shows, our innate preferences do not, and throughout history hits have held up a mirror to ourselves.

From the dawn of Impressionist art to the future of Snapchat, from small-scale Etsy entrepreneurs to the origin of Star Wars, Derek Thompson tells the fascinating story of how culture happens - and where genius lives.

• ISBN10: 110198032X
• ISBN13: 9781101980323
• Publish Date: 7 February 2017
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Penguin Press
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 352
• Language: English

Reviews

[empressbrooke]

When I went looking for a recent-ish non-fiction selection for my book club, I had no idea it was going to have a whole section referring to the painter of my favorite painting! Work book club friends, you might recognize this from hanging above my desk:

https://www.artic.edu/artworks/20684/paris-street-rainy-day

[adamfortuna]

The concept behind "virality" has always seemed vague. In the early internet days before Twitter and big stars with their own internet followings, very few things achieved this. In retrospect it makes sense - the systems weren't there to support the fast flow of ideas. Now though, a single celebrity Tweet can lead to something going viral.

The concept that stuck out to me most was the idea that most people want something new, but they don't want it to be TOO new. They usually want a better version than something they need to be a beginner again. This quote hits on that idea: "Most consumers are simultaneously neophilic – curious to discover new things – and deeply neophobic – afraid of anything that’s too new.”