Reset - by Dan Heath (Hardcover)

About the Book

A "guide to fixing what's not working--in systems and processes, organizations and companies, and even in our daily lives--by identifying leverage points and concentrating resources to achieve our goals"--

Book Synopsis

2025 PORCHLIGHT BUSINESS BOOK AWARD WINNER - NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY OPRAH DAILY, ADAM GRANT, CHIEF EXECUTIVE MAGAZINE, AND MORE - A revolutionary guide to fixing what's not working--in systems and processes, organizations and companies, and even in our daily lives--by identifying leverage points and concentrating resources to achieve our goals.

Changing how we work can feel overwhelming. Like trying to budge an enormous boulder. We're stifled by the gravity of the way we've always done things. And we spend so much time fighting fires--and fighting colleagues--that we lack the energy to shift direction.

But with the right strategy, we can move the boulder. In Reset, Heath explores a framework for getting unstuck and making the changes that matter. The secret is to find "leverage points" places where a little bit of effort can yield a disproportionate return. Then, we can thoughtfully rearrange our resources to push on those points.

Heath weaves together fascinating examples, ranging from a freakishly effective fast-food drive-thru to a simple trick from couples therapy to an inspirational campaign that saved a million cats.

In Reset, you'll learn:
-Why the feeling of progress can be your secret weapon in accelerating change
-How leaders can uncover and stop wasteful activities
-Why your team's motivation is often squandered--and how to avoid that mistake
-How you can jumpstart your change efforts by beginning with a "burst"

The book investigates mysteries: Why the middle is the roughest part of a change effort. Why inefficiency can sometimes accelerate progress. Why getting "buy-in" is the wrong way to think about change.

What if we could unlock forward movement--achieving progress on what matters most--without the need for more resources? The same people, the same assets...but dramatically better results. Yesterday, we were stuck. Today, we reset.

Review Quotes

Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing (SABEW) Best Management & Leadership Book Award
Adam Grant's Best Books to Feed Your Mind in 2025
Oprah Daily Best Self-Help Books of the Year
Chief Executive Magazine Best Business Book of the Year
Globe & Mail (Canada) Best Management Books of the Year
L'Express (France) Best Business Book of the Year

"Instead of sitting in conference rooms dueling with ideas, a reset requires replacing conjecture with real experience. Executives always end up being surprised, even embarrassed, at what they find, Mr. Heath says. . . . Books in this genre often focus on a single area for companies or leaders to focus on and improve. Mr. Heath builds his book on lots of such ideas and case studies, fitting them into a step-by-step turnaround approach." --Wall Street Journal

"Reset is timely and compellingly written. Every manager should read this book, which presents fruitful ideas with widespread applicability across industries." --Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing (SABEW) Best Management & Leadership Book Award

"Dan Heath's Reset is a timely, thoughtful, and accessible guide for anyone looking to reinvent their approach to business and life. It will also be invaluable to small business owners who feel stuck or overwhelmed. Focusing on sustainable change and intentional reinvention, Reset provides a blueprint for success in any stage of business." --­Small Business Matters

"For anyone struggling to change the way they work . . . It seems impossible to believe that using the same staff in the same space with the same goal can lead to a transformed workplace (and by extension, a transformed job). But Heath offers a step-by-step process and compelling examples of resetting that the most frustrated manager or beaten down desk jockey will find useful in improving their department or career." --Oprah Daily, "The Best Self-Help Books for Personal Growth in 2025"

"Heath's clear writing will appeal to business readers, but there's enough research to give the book some academic heft as well. Its focus on making business changes that can have a lasting impact on employees separates the book from other titles about organizational change." --Library Journal

Praise for Upstream:

"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." --Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times bestselling author of When, Drive, and To Sell Is Human

"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." --Charles Duhigg, New York Times bestselling author of The Power of Habit and Smarter Faster Better

"Upstream draws on examples from across the spectrum, from sport to business. But Heath is clever enough to focus on significant societal issues, such as sexual harassment, climate change, and school shootings, which gives the book a substantial feel that some more superficial problem-solving manuals lack." --Financial Times, Best Book of the Month

"[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." --Publishers Weekly

"Psychology meets neuroscience and self-help in this engaging study by business writer Heath. . . . A smart, provocative book that guides readers to better decision-making when confronting seemingly intractable problems." --Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Dan Heath is the #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor/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). A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and Harvard Business School, he lives in Durham, North Carolina.