Derek Thompson

"An Atlantic senior editor presents an investigation into the lucrative quality of popularity in the 21st century to share economic insights into what makes ideas, productions and products successful, "--NoveList.

The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction

Hit Makers

Ezra Klein

t's time to rethink liberal answers to society's biggest challenges - we must abandon fearmongering and embrace visionary action.
The real threat to liberal democracy isn't autocrats - it's the lack of effective action by progressives.

In Abundance, veteran journalists Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson reveal the structural, economic and political forces that have led to the America, and much of the liberal world, of today: where scarcity and preservation drive the agenda, and we have forgotten how to deliver on big ideas.

Decades of slashing immigration, off-shoring manufacture, preventing house-building and stalling ambitious infrastructure projects like high-speed rail means America has a shortage of workers, houses, innovative products and climate-change solutions. It's a story repeated across the Western World. To progress on the greatest challenges of our time, from housing to climate change, healthcare to infrastructure, progressives need a vision of abundance, and the ability and willingness to enact transformative strategies. Here, the authors lay out the barriers to consequential action, and how we can overcome them to actively build a better, more abundant future.

What Progress Takes

Abundance

EZRA. THOMPSON KLEIN (DEREK.)

**SHORTLISTED FOR THE FINANCIAL TIMES AND SCHRODERS BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2025**THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AND OBAMA BOOK OF THE YEAR'A must-read for progressives' BARACK OBAMA'Downing Street's current hot read' ANDREW MARR'Forceful, quick-moving, important' FINANCIAL TIMESThe threat to liberal democracy isn't just autocrats - it's a lack of effective action by so-called progressives. We have the means to build an equitable world without hunger, fuelled by clean energy. Instead, we have a politics driven by scarcity, lives defined by unaffordability and public institutions that no longer deliver on big ideas. It's time for change.Bestselling authors Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson have spent decades analysing the political, economic and cultural forces that have led us here. In this once-in-a-generation intervention, they unpick the barriers to progress and show how we can, and must, shift the political agenda to one that not only protects and preserves, but also builds. From healthcare to housing, infrastructure to innovation, they lay out a path to a future defined not by fear, but by abundance.

The INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER: How We Build a Better Future

An urgent treatise on the future of work in a precarious world. An Atlantic Edition, featuring long-form journalism by Atlantic writers, drawn from contemporary articles or classic storytelling from the magazine's 165-year archive. On Work gathers a selection of Derek Thompson's most popular and significant essays on work, life, and the future of jobs. From essays on how mass automation could change society to his widely read treatise on "workism" as our modern religion, Thompson's analysis and forecasts have become fixtures of the 21st century conversation about work. This collection answers questions like: what would Americans do if they never had to work again? What is the "job" of the modern office? And what does leisure look like when we can work anytime, anywhere? We are at an inflection point in the history of labor with the rise of remote work and AI. On Work is an essential and memorable guide to that anxious future.

Money, Meaning, Identity

On Work

The greatest hits don't appear randomly based solely on quality or publicity. Behind every success is a secret history of power, influence, and huge fans. Combining investigative journalism with analysis, Thompson shows that originality isn't enough, undisputed "good taste" doesn't exist, and how certain products and art become indispensable.

Creadores de Hits. La Ciencia de la Popularidad En La Era de la Distracción

What makes a hit a hit ? From Brahms's 'Lullaby' to Game of Thrones, Derek Thompson explores the science of the phenomena that seemingly come out of nowhere, revealing the hidden rules that make things popular - and what this says about the desires that make us human.

How Things Become Popular

NATIONAL BESTSELLER A Book of the Year Selection for Inc. and Library Journal “This book picks up where The Tipping Point left off." -- Adam Grant, Wharton professor and New York Times bestselling author of ORIGINALS and GIVE AND TAKE Nothing “goes viral.” If you think a popular movie, song, or app came out of nowhere to become a word-of-mouth success in today’s crowded media environment, you’re missing the real story. Each blockbuster has a secret history—of power, influence, dark broadcasters, and passionate cults that turn some new products into cultural phenomena. Even the most brilliant ideas wither in obscurity if they fail to connect with the right network, and the consumers that matter most aren't the early adopters, but rather their friends, followers, and imitators -- the audience of your audience. In his groundbreaking investigation, Atlantic senior editor Derek Thompson uncovers the hidden psychology of why we like what we like and reveals the economics of cultural markets that invisibly shape our lives. Shattering the sentimental myths of hit-making that dominate pop culture and business, Thompson shows quality is insufficient for success, nobody has "good taste," and some of the most popular products in history were one bad break away from utter failure. It may be a new world, but there are some enduring truths to what audiences and consumers want. People love a familiar surprise: a product that is bold, yet sneakily recognizable. Every business, every artist, every person looking to promote themselves and their work wants to know what makes some works so successful while others disappear. Hit Makers is a magical mystery tour through the last century of pop culture blockbusters and the most valuable currency of the twenty-first century—people’s attention. From the dawn of impressionist art to the future of Facebook, from small Etsy designers to the origin of Star Wars, Derek Thompson leaves no pet rock unturned to tell the fascinating story of how culture happens and why things become popular. In Hit Makers, Derek Thompson investigates: · The secret link between ESPN's sticky programming and the The Weeknd's catchy choruses · Why Facebook is today’s most important newspaper · How advertising critics predicted Donald Trump · The 5th grader who accidentally launched "Rock Around the Clock," the biggest hit in rock and roll history · How Barack Obama and his speechwriters think of themselves as songwriters · How Disney conquered the world—but the future of hits belongs to savvy amateurs and individuals · The French collector who accidentally created the Impressionist canon · Quantitative evidence that the biggest music hits aren’t always the best · Why almost all Hollywood blockbusters are sequels, reboots, and adaptations · Why one year--1991--is responsible for the way pop music sounds today · Why another year --1932--created the business model of film · How data scientists proved that “going viral” is a myth · How 19th century immigration patterns explain the most heard song in the Western Hemisphere

How to Succeed in an Age of Distraction

Bestseller #1 del New York Times «Un libro estupendo... Poderoso y persuasivo». —Fareed Zakaria «Espectacular... Ofrece una denuncia extensa de los problemas actuales y un claro camino que seguir... Klein y Thompson marcan el comienzo de un cambio de estado de ánimo. Inspiran esperanza y amplían la imaginación». —David Brooks, The New York Times Abundancia es una exploración del modo en que la mentalidad de escasez ha erosionado nuestra fe en el futuro, y una invitación urgente y poderosa a recuperarla. Trazar la historia del siglo XXI hasta nuestros días es trazar una historia de la falta de asequibilidad y la escasez. Tras años de negarse a construir suficientes viviendas, Estados Unidos sufre una crisis nacional de la vivienda. Tras años de limitar la inmigración, no hay suficientes trabajadores. A pesar de que durante décadas se nos ha advertido de las consecuencias del cambio climático, no hemos construido nada parecido a las infraestructuras de energía limpia que necesitamos. Los ambiciosos proyectos públicos sobrepasan el presupuesto y se terminan tarde, si es que llegan a terminarse. La crisis que se vislumbra ahora lleva décadas gestándose porque no hemos construido lo suficiente. Abundancia explica que nuestros problemas actuales no son el resultado de los villanos de antaño. Más bien, las soluciones de una generación se han convertido en los problemas de la siguiente. Las normas y reglamentos diseñados para resolver los problemas de los años setenta a menudo impiden los proyectos de densidad urbana y energía verde que ayudarían a resolver los problemas del 2020. Las leyes destinadas a garantizar que el gobierno tenga en cuenta las consecuencias de sus acciones han dificultado demasiado que el gobierno actúe en consecuencia. En las últimas décadas, nuestra capacidad para ver los problemas se ha agudizado, mientras que nuestra habilidad para resolverlos ha disminuido. El progreso exige enfrentarse a las instituciones que no funcionan como deberían. Para los liberales, significa reconocer que el gobierno está fallando. Para los conservadores, significa reconocer cuándo se necesita la participación del gobierno. En un libro que explora cómo podemos pasar de un liberalismo que no solo protege y preserva, sino que también construye, Klein y Thompson rastrean las barreras políticas, económicas y culturales del progreso, y proponen un camino hacia una política de la abundancia. En un momento en que los movimientos de escasez están ganando poder en un país tras otro, este libro responde a los retos del momento y, al mismo tiempo, enfrenta con honestidad la furia que, con razón, tantos están experimentando.

Cómo construimos un mundo mejor Abundance (Spanish edition)

Abundancia

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • ONE OF BARACK OBAMA’S FAVORITE BOOKS OF 2025 • NEW YORK TIMES 100 NOTABLE BOOKS OF 2025 • KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST BOOKS OF 2025 • NPR BOOKS WE LOVE 2025 “A must-read for progressives who want a blueprint for reforming government so it can deliver for working people.” —Barack Obama • “A terrific book...Powerful and persuasive.” —Fareed Zakaria • “Spectacular…Offers a comprehensive indictment of the current problems and a clear path forward…Klein and Thompson usher in a mood shift. They inspire hope and enlarge the imagination.” —David Brooks, The New York Times From bestselling authors and journalistic titans Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, Abundance is a once-in-a-generation, paradigm-shifting call to renew a politics of plenty, face up to the failures of liberal governance, and abandon the chosen scarcities that have deformed American life. To trace the history of the twenty-first century so far is to trace a history of unaffordability and shortage. After years of refusing to build sufficient housing, America has a national housing crisis. After years of limiting immigration, we don’t have enough workers. Despite decades of being warned about the consequences of climate change, we haven’t built anything close to the clean-energy infrastructure we need. Ambitious public projects are finished late and over budget—if they are ever finished at all. The crisis that’s clicking into focus now has been building for decades—because we haven’t been building enough. Abundance explains that our problems today are not the results of yesteryear’s villains. Rather, one generation’s solutions have become the next gener­ation’s problems. Rules and regulations designed to solve the problems of the 1970s often prevent urban-density and green-energy projects that would help solve the problems of the 2020s. Laws meant to ensure that government considers the consequences of its actions have made it too difficult for government to act consequentially. In the last few decades, our capacity to see problems has sharpened while our ability to solve them has diminished. Progress requires facing up to the institutions in life that are not working as they need to. It means, for liberals, recognizing when the government is failing. It means, for conservatives, recognizing when the government is needed. In a book exploring how we can move from a liberalism that not only protects and pre­serves but also builds, Klein and Thompson trace the political, economic, and cultural barriers to progress and propose a path toward a politics of abundance. At a time when movements of scarcity are gaining power in country after country, this is an answer that meets the challenges of the moment while grappling honestly with the fury so many rightfully feel.

Jennifer Senior

Kaitlyn Tiffany

Megan Garber

Sophie Gilbert

Lenika Cruz

Lizzie Plaugic

The first six Atlantic Editions in a boxed collection. On BTS: Pop Music, Fandom, Sincerity by Lenika Cruz A love letter to Korean pop sensation BTS and an ode to fandom. On Misdirection: Magic, Mayhem, American Politics by Megan Garber An investigation of misinformation and fracturing in contemporary American political culture. On Womanhood: Bodies, Literature, Choice by Sophie Gilbert Twelve incisive, probing essays on womanhood in popular culture. On Grief: Love, Loss, Memory by Jennifer Senior The unflinching Pulitzer Prize-winning essay on mourning and recovery in the wake of an inconceivable tragedy. On Nobody Famous: Guesting, Gossiping, Gallivanting by Kaitlyn Tiffany and Lizzie Plaugic Dispatches from the everyday adventures of two regular women in New York. On Work: Money, Meaning, Identity by Derek Thompson A rousing commentary on the history of labor and the future of work. Atlantic Editions draw fromThe Atlantic's rich literary history and robust coverage of the driving cultural and political forces of today. Each book features reported essays by Atlantic writers from the magazine's 165-year archive.

Atlantic Editions 1-6 Boxed Set

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Great story with enough twists and turns to keep you intrigued and guessing until the very end." Ily R THE WEST COUNTRY CAN BE WILD. A literary festival. A dead body. No fingerprints. At first PC Marnie Olsen thinks the man in the car is asleep. But the lack of movement and strange tilt of the head are a dead giveaway. The only clue is a book signed by local author Juliette Kimani, who is holding court at the Wiltshire literary festival. This could be a real breakthrough. If only the writer wasn't flatly denying ever having met the man . . . Detective Craig Wild discovers that the victim was using a fake name. What did he have to hide? If Wild can find the man's real identity he might just crack this case. But first he must deal with some very dangerous people. Detective Craig Wild will be pushed to his limits in this gripping crime mystery packed with twists and turns. Perfect for fans of Helen. H. Durrant, Rachel McLean, L.J. Ross, Angela Marsons, J.D. Kirk or Biba Pearce. MEET THE DETECTIVE Detective Craig Wild couldn't cut it in London. Now he must swap the Met for Mayberry, a sleepy Wiltshire backwater where ambition goes to die. He's always been a loner, even when he was married. Like many long-time coppers, it's the job that gives him his sense of self and a purpose. He's a good copper - most of the time. But his method is to follow his nose, disregard his superiors and get the job done. WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT WEST COUNTRY MURDER: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "A lot of action and fast-paced goings-on. Will keep you engrossed in the whole story." Booklover B. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "An exciting and fairly pacey murder mystery. Loved it." Aileen ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "A thrilling police procedural murder mystery." Carol ⭐⭐⭐⭐ "The book kept me intrigued from beginning to end." Barbara ⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I really enjoyed it . . . PC Marnie Olsen is a great character." Angela ⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I was hooked within the first few pages and I loved it . . . WOW what a book. I will be reading more books by Derek." Nessa "Liked this a lot. Would read more of this series." Deborah "Good book! This book had suspense, intrigue, and a bit of a who-done-it!" Debbie ALSO BY DEREK THOMPSON DETECTIVE CRAIG WILD MYSTERIES Book 1: LONG SHADOWS Book 2: WEST COUNTRY MURDER THOMAS BLADEN THRILLERS Book 1: STANDPOINT Book 2: LINE OF SIGHT Book 3: CAUSE & EFFECT Book 4: SHADOW STATE Book 5: FLASHPOINT

WEST COUNTRY MURDER a Totally Gripping Crime Mystery Full of Twists

Nada "viraliza". Se você acha que um filme, música ou aplicativo popular apareceu do nada e virou um sucesso no mundo saturado de informações dos dias atuais, você não está prestando atenção. Cada sucesso de bilheteria tem uma história secreta – de poder, influência e cultos apaixonados – que transforma alguns produtos em fenômenos culturais. Até mesmo a mais brilhante das ideias cai no esquecimento se não encontrar sua rede, e os consumidores mais importantes não são os primeiros usuários mas sim seus amigos, seguidores e imitadores – a audiência da sua audiência. Nessa investigação sem precedentes, o editor-sênior da The Atlantic, Derek Thompson, revela a psicologia por trás de por que gostamos do que gostamos e as dinâmicas econômicas do mercado cultural que molda nossas vidas. Destruindo os mitos sentimentais sobre os hits que dominam a cultura pop e os negócios, Thompson demonstra que a qualidade não é o suficiente para o sucesso, que ninguém tem "bom gosto" e que alguns dos produtos mais populares da história estavam a um passo de se tornarem desastres. Hit Makers é uma viagem pelo último século da cultura pop e a mais valiosa moeda do século XXI – a atenção das pessoas.

Tajemství popularity v éře rozptylování

Hitmakeři

David French

Nowadays, the word ‘cynic’ has been relegated to a synonym of ‘doubter’, ‘pessimist’ or ‘sceptic’. But, given our modern preoccupations with pleasure, fame, fortune and power, maybe we need cynics more than ever. Perhaps theirs is that small, sane voice amid the roar of instant gratification, 24-hour television, media manipulation and marketing. So here's a little collection of cynical asides to treasure.

Derek Thompson

Books

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