Hit Makers

contemporaries considered him a phenomenon on par with Monet and Renoir. Émile Zola, the great French writer who drew attention to impressionism s delicate patches of color, pronounced Caillebotte one of the boldest of the group. Still, 140 years later, Monet is one of the most famous painters in history, while Caillebotte is relatively anonymous.

A mystery: Two rebellious painters hang their art in the same impressionist exhibit in 1876. They are considered of similar talent and promise. But one painter s water lilies become a global cultural hit enshrined in picture books, studied by art historians, gawked at by high school students, and highlighted in every tour of the National ­Gallery of Art and the other painter is little known among casual art fans. Why?

For many centuries, philosophers, artists, and psychologists have studied modern art to learn the truth about beauty and popularity. For understandable reasons, many focused on the paintings themselves. But studying the patches of Monet and the brushstrokes of Caillebotte won t tell you why one is famous and the other is not. You have to see the deeper story. Famous paintings, hit songs, and blockbusters that seem to float effortlessly on the cultural consciousness have a hidden genesis; even water lilies have roots.

When a team of researchers at Cornell University studied the story of the impressionist canon, they found that something surprising set the most famous painters apart. It wasn t their social connections or their nineteenth-century renown. It was a subtler story. And it all started with Caillebotte.

Gustave Caillebotte was born to a wealthy Parisian family in 1848. As a young man, he veered from law to engineering to the French army in the Franco-Prussian War. But in his twenties, he discovered a

Maria Konnikova, New York Times bestselling author of The Biggest Bluff

Hit Makers is thoughtful and thorough, a compelling book...a terrific look at what makes a hit, from the Mona Lisa to Donald Trump. Vox

This entertaining look at the creation of blockbusters...takes on many creators' and marketers' assumptions...Hit Makers coats science in compelling story Inc

"Fascinating ... Thompson has huge enthusiasm for his topic and has amassed an amazing amount of material, including many offbeat and engaging stories. ... [Should] be read for insight and provocation."  Financial Times

"[Thompson] has assembled a book in the Malcolm Gladwell tradition: telling great stories to illustrate some fascinating and often far-from-obvious theses." Daily Mail

"Thompson's diligent research and lively prose ensure that Hit Makers is always informative and entertaining." Prospect

"Thompson does a really fascinating job of explaining how things become popular, drawing on a wide range of cultural phenomena, from Star Wars to the iPhone, Taylor Swift to Game of Thrones." Observer

"[An] engaging cultural study." Guardian

"Spirited ... An entertaining and informative guide." The Times

Hit Makers blends historical lessons with technological & social insights to explain what makes culture tick, and hits happen. Steve Case, Chairman and CEO of Revolution and Co-Founder of America Online

Derek Thompson s Hit Makers is a terrific read a sparkling combination of fascinating stories, cutting-edge science, and superb business advice. Just as he does when he writes for The Atlantic, Thompson shares more interesting ideas per paragraph than practically any other writer today. Hit Makers is a bible for anyone who s ever tried to promote practically anything, from products, people, and ideas, to books, songs, films, and TV shows. Adam Alter, New York Times bestselling author of Drunk Tank Pink and Irresistible

"I always read everything by Derek Thompson I see, and this book was no exception. Why things become popular is one of the most important questions in an ever-more networked world, and Derek Thompson's Hit Makers is the best and most serious attempt to take a look at it." Tyler Cowen, author of The Great Stagnation and Marginal Revolution

This book is brilliant, a fascinating exploration of the relationship between artistry and industry, the ways that everything from immigration to distribution helps create the popular imagination. You may never look at your favorite film or song the same way again. It should be required reading for anyone working in the popular arts. Simon Kinberg, producer of The Martian, screenwriter and producer for the X-Men film franchises

Thompson tackles the daunting subject of how products come to dominate the culture in this interdisciplinary romp that delves into many facets of the entertainment industry as well as industrial design, art history, publishing, and politics presenting  his case with verve and a lightning chain of compact anecdotes .This book will appeal to readers of Malcolm Gladwell as well as pop-culture enthusiasts and anyone interested in the changing media landscape. Booklist

How does a nice idea become an earworm, or a fashion trend, or shudder a meme? Atlantic senior editor Thompson ventures a few well-considered answers .Good reading for anyone who aspires to understand the machinery of pop culture and perhaps even craft a hit of his or her own.   Kirkus Reviews