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Upstream by Dan Heath
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Upstream

How to solve problems before they happen
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Narrator Dan Heath

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Length 7 hours 46 minutes
Language English
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Brought to you by Penguin.

New York Times
bestselling author Dan Heath asks what happens when we take our thinking upstream and try to prevent problems before they happen.


We all have a tendency to work around problems. We are resourceful. We improvise. We’re so accustomed to managing emergencies as they strike that we often don’t stop to think about how we could prevent crises before they happen. Why 'solve' crimes when we could stop them being committed? Why treat chronic diseases when they could be prevented from developing? Why provide shelter for the homeless rather than working to keep people housed in the first place? Why do our efforts skew so heavily towards reaction rather than prevention?

The notion of preventing problems is an evergreen need in our professional and daily lives. Which makes Upstream a book for skeptical optimists - across all sectors - who know it's not going to be easy, but who believe that we have the capacity to solve some of our thorniest issues, if only we start to think about the system rather than the symptoms. Drawing on insights from Dan Heath's extensive research, as well as hundreds of new interviews with unconventional problem solvers, he delivers practical solutions for preventing problems rather than simply reacting to them.

Includes a supplementary PDF.

© Dan Heath 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

Dan Heath (Author, Reader)
Dan Heath is the #1 New York Times bestselling co-author/author of six books, including Made to Stick, Switch, and The Power of Moments. His books have sold over four million copies worldwide and been translated into thirty-five languages. Dan also hosts the award-winning podcast What It’s Like To Be…, which explores what it’s like to walk in the shoes of people from different professions (a mystery novelist, a cattle rancher, a forensic accountant, and more). He lives in Durham, North Carolina.

Dan Heath (Author, Reader)
Dan Heath is the #1 New York Times bestselling co-author/author of six books, including Made to Stick, Switch, and The Power of Moments. His books have sold over four million copies worldwide and been translated into thirty-five languages. Dan also hosts the award-winning podcast What It’s Like To Be…, which explores what it’s like to walk in the shoes of people from different professions (a mystery novelist, a cattle rancher, a forensic accountant, and more). He lives in Durham, North Carolina.

Illustration of person sitting

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With credit bundles, you choose the number of credits and your recipient picks their audiobooks—all in support of local bookstores.

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Phone showing make the switch message

Limited-time offer

Get two free audiobooks!

Now’s a great time to shop indie. When you start a new one credit per month membership supporting local bookstores with promo code SWITCH, we’ll give you two bonus audiobook credits at sign-up.

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Reviews

Upstream contains research and storytelling that informs, engages and, above all, entertains. If you want to stop firefighting problems and prevent them from happening in the first place, then you should read what Dan Heath has to say. Dan Heath has written the ultimate primer on the power of prevention, a work that deserves a prominent place on every leader's bookshelf. Packed with vivid stories and practical examples, Upstream is the rare book that can both revitalize your business and make our world a better place. Considers our chronic failure to address our problems before they hit us. In a style reminiscent of Malcolm Gladwell and the Freakonomics team, Heath explores fascinating case studies from the business world and beyond... Upstream just might change the way you think about problem-solving. An elegant manifesto... With the frenetic pace of modern life, Heath observes, it's easy to become accustomed to putting out fires instead of looking for the spark that's igniting them... This is a pragmatic guide for those seeking big changes on either an individual or organizational level. Expand reviews
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