Tuesday, January 25, 2005
GLADWELL
I am reading two little books by Malcolm Gladwell: The Tipping Point and Blink.
I really wanted to blink but I could get both for a deal at Amazon.
Gladwell writes for the New Yorker and I like his stuff. These are really long NY articles and may have started from that source.
The premise of TP is that social change occurs in fits and starts. It is similar to a contagious virus. There are lots of case studies to support this.
The new book, Blink hypothesizes that one's first impression is often as valid as a long studied research into any situation or decision. This also has a lot of interesting case studies. Since I am one who takes his intuition seriously, it is nice to have some assurance that it is not nuts to do so.
I am mid stream in the books and I like them. Even if they are bullshit, their anecdotal richness makes them entertaining.
