Our World Needs Hand Sanitizer

Book Title: Contagious: Why Things Catch On

Author: Jonah Berger

Length: 256 pages

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Our World Needs Hand Sanitizer: The Contagious Theory

by: Hayley Stevens 

It might be the most annoying song on the radio, but you have heard it. It may be a phone that you would never buy, but you know every detail about. This is because “things catch on.” Humans are the reason that ideas, trends and products go viral, according to Jonah Berger. This may seem like common sense, but when you think about it, the power of the mouth is very important.

 

Berger is a very successful writer and professor at the University of Pennsylvania. He specializes as an Associate Professor of Marketing, and even teaches a class, called Contagious: How Products, Behaviors and Ideas Catch On. His writing has earned him many awards and he has even been published in the Wall Street Journal.    ( http://online.wsj.com/home-page )

So why do things go viral, and what makes them circulate? How can something so ridiculous, like a video of Justin Beiber yawning, or a song titled, “What does the Fox Say?" become popular among many groups of people? This is what Berger explains in his book. He explains how things become contagious, and why the contagious theory even exists.

After reading his novel, which was an interesting read, I have applied many of his ideas to my every day life and my field of interest, Public Relations. It seems that every day something new comes out, yet everything spreads so fast and grows among people. 

I would recommend this book to any individual interested or involved in the business or marketing field. The ideas and theories mentioned could be the answer to a successful business or product. 

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