THE PLATEAU EFFECT

THE PLATEAU EFFECT is a big idea book with practical, real world applications. It tackles this reality of human nature: in any endeavor we can hit a plateau, a point after which additional efforts produce fewer results—or none at all. It’s a roadblock that we encounter across a wide array of experiences: from psychology to weight loss, from the ineffectiveness of car alarms to the failure of businesses.

THE PLATEAU EFFECT is based on a long-accepted method for optimizing memory—and expanding on this theory, Thompson and Sullivan pinpoint 8 kinds of plateaus that people and businesses encounter, offering practical solutions to help readers head them off at the pass. The applications are not only small scale (find your passport in four minutes instead of four days; conquer procrastination to meet deadlines), but can impact life-spanning issues as well (develop a realistic workout; take your company to the next level; make smart real estate decisions).
With its combination of entertaining case studies, surprising insights on productivity, and sly humor, THE PLATEAU EFFECT will appeal to the wide readership of titles like The Black Swan, Sway, and Good to Great.

Dr. Hugh Thompson is a professor at Columbia, where he teaches about technology and risk. He’s also a contributor to Scientific American and an international expert on the security of computer networks. Bob Sullivan is a New York Times bestselling author, and a frequent guest on MSNBC and the Today Show. He writes The Red Tape Chronicles blog for MSNBC, which has over 3 million readers a month.