56 pages • 1 hour read
Jonah BergerA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
The introduction to Contagious establishes its central inquiry into the mechanics of social transmission—specifically, what makes certain products, ideas, and behaviors spread while others fail to gain traction. To illustrate this concept, Berger opens with the story of Howard Wein, an experienced hospitality professional who launched an upscale Philadelphia steakhouse called Barclay Prime in 2004. After an accomplished career with Starwood Hotels, including helping launch the W brand, Wein sought a more intimate restaurant-focused venture. Facing intense competition and the notorious failure rate of restaurants—25 percent fail within their first year and 60 percent close within three years—Wein needed to distinguish his establishment. His solution emerged in the creation of a $100 cheesesteak, an extravagant reinvention of Philadelphia’s signature sandwich featuring premium ingredients like Kobe beef, shaved black truffles, and butter-poached Maine lobster tail, accompanied by champagne. This strategic menu item generated significant media coverage, attracted celebrity attention, and contributed to the restaurant’s enduring success.
Berger challenges conventional wisdom about viral success, particularly the notion that certain influential individuals drive social epidemics. He critiques the common belief, popularized by Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point, that “mavens, connectors, and salesmen” are primarily responsible for making things catch on (13).