2010 Crown Publishing – Penguin Random House, LLC
Heath & Heath

This book takes us on a journey about how to harness the emotional side of decision-making (the “Elephant), and engage the rational side (the “Rider).

If you have any doubt that this book will change how you approach change, you’ll be hooked within the first chapter. There is a legendary example of how businessman Jon Stegner demonstrated the waste in purchasing by dumping a collection of 424 different types of gloves on a conference room table, surrounded by senior executives.

These gloves had been tagged with prices from $5 to $17; this was the result of factories purchasing gloves from a variety of different suppliers. In fact, the same types of gloves costing $3.22 versus $10.55 were compared in the pile. The impact was profound and tangible.

The mountain of gloves appealed to both the emotions (the “Elephant”) and the rational minds of executives digging through the tangible evidence of waste (the “Rider”). Heath and Heath provide clear direction and a framework that stands the test of time.