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.

A book that explores the question repeatedly posed by every business, artist, producer and publisher- what makes a hit a hit?

About the Author
Atlantic Senior Editor Derek Thompson is one of the most-read authors at the magazine. He is also a weekly business correspondent on NPR's Here and Now, which reaches an audience of nearly 4 million listeners. He has been named one of Reuter's 'Blogs to Follow', Time's top 140 Twitter feeds, and Huffington Post's 100 best economic reporters, and Forbes' '30 under 30'.


Book Information
ISBN 9780141981598
Author Derek Thompson
Format Paperback
Page Count 368
Imprint Penguin Books Ltd
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 269g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 21mm