Derek Thompson promises to reveal the secret formula to producing a hit. However already on the first page, he admits that there is no such formula.

While this is a bit of a downer, the rest of the book goes into the many factors that influence the success of a hit (be it a movie, pop song, or anything else). And it does this in an entertaining and approachable way.

My main concern is the usage of the term "science" in the title. The chapters sometimes feel more like opinion pieces than scientific studies.

After reading the book, I do not feel like I know the secret or have discovered amazing new insights, however, I do now have a bunch tools in my belt that will be very useful in the future for anything I create.