‘The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction’

What makes something popular? Why do some ideas catch fire, while others wither in obscurity?

In Hit Makers: The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction, Atlantic senior editor Derek Thompson argues that becoming a word-of-mouth success in today’s crowded media environment is not simply a matter of luck.

Applying cutting-edge science to stories of hits across the decades, including recent sensations, Thompson reveals how each blockbuster actually has a secret history behind it.

From the dawn of impressionist art to the future of Facebook, from small Etsy designers to the origin of Star Wars, Thompson gives a tour through the last century of pop culture and lays out the multifaceted strategies used to attain the most valuable currency of the twenty-first century—attention.