Posted on: October 13th, 2009 by Reuben Turner

Behavioural economists are changing the world we work in. They’re certainly making it more interesting. But they’re also adding hugely to the pile of half-read books on the bedside table of the average communications professional.

And the size of the pile isn’t necessarily reflecting the size of the thinking.

Let me explain.

Freakonomics, the Tipping Point, the Black Swan, Nudge, Here Comes Everybody – they’re all adding some science to the creativity we’ve always cared about. This is Rory Sutherland’s battle cry as he takes on the IPA job – we need to steer a path between the dry, human-free world of economics (where incentives are everything) and the airy-fairy world of untrammelled creativity. So that we become neither the equivalent of management consultants nor interior designers – but people who can use creativity to measurably change behaviour, and know how.

These books are helping us get there. If only they didn’t take so long to say it.

The average must-read behavioural economics business tome makes its single, salutary point in the first three chapters. The next twelve are, basically, the workings-out. They’re where the writer shows just how much research they’ve put into getting where they are. Where they find new and not particularly interesting ways of making the same point again. And again. And again. Where they justify to the publisher and the reader the £6.99 cover price and the fat advance which is now, quite nicely, paying off the mortgage.

What’s needed is perhaps the book equivalent of the TED talk. Twenty minutes worth of entertaining, thought-provoking discussion around a single, really good idea. And then, thank you, goodnight, round of applause, go home and think about it.

Now, how are we going to convince the behaviourists to write one?