Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsHow to turn inattention and inertia into action
Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2016
Bob Nease has written a clear, compelling case for why we need to focus on behavior design--if we want to help ourselves and others do things we want to do. It's hard to get things done because our attention span is so short even without us practicing continuous partial attention or even worse, multi-tasking. The road to good intentions is paved with hell and so many more pleasurable distractions.
Nease serves as a great role model for this "new science of turning good intentions into positive results." His book is easy to read and understand. He also takes the high road and talks about how the brain is "wired for inattention and inertia"-- more diplomatic terms than the ones I've been using. (I still love Matthew Lieberman's observation that he makes in his book Social: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Connect that we're all "mental coach potatoes.") "Inattention and inertia" sound so less threatening compared to "mental couch potatoes who stick with the status quo."
Based on Nease's work at Express Scripts and interest in wellness, women's reproductive health, and other health care issues, the book also features great examples that many readers should relate to.
And from a behavior designer's point of view, Nease is wise to emphasize that somebody has to do the work; it won't just go away. Yet, if you really want people to use your service or do something new at work in addition to everything else they're doing, it often behooves you to take the time and devote some resources to behavior design, which often means shouldering a lot of the work. Among other steps, you've got to create an attention-getting "ask" and then figure out the best way to turn that "ask" into an "act." In my experience, thanks to studying with Dr. BJ Fogg, considered the father of behavior design, I've learned that people are more inclined to act if they'll have a "simple, social and fun" experience. They'll ignore you or drag their feet if it's too hard.
I do wish Nease had acknowledged BJ Fogg and his work in the book, especially since both studied at Stanford, and BJ has his Persuasive Technology Lab based there.
Nonetheless, considering how few books are available on behavior design, this is a great one to have by your side if you want to help yourself and others put into motion the good intentions that already exist.
