Malcom Gladwell is a multi- New York Times Bestselling Author. One of the best non-fiction storytellers and authors out there, his books have been cited thousands of times. In this episode, I explore the work of Gladwell in his books Blink, The Tipping Point and What the Dog Saw.
BLINK
How we make split-second decisions good and bad. The strengths and weaknesses in our thinking.
Introduction The Statue That Didn’t Look Right
The Getty Museum’s purchase of a statue and intuitive or “snap” judgments by experts
Chapter One The Theory of Thin Slices
John Gottman’s 95% accuracy in relationship prediction.
Making guesses based on contents of a dorm room.
Chapter Two The Locked Door
The power of priming. Subway system in Spain, Tennis coaching and Speed Dating
Chapter Three The Warren Harding Error
Prejudices and Biases
Chapter Four Paul Van Riper’s Big Victory
Decentralized, intuitive decision making when urgent
Chapter Five Kenna’s Dilemma
Marketing Kenna and New Coke. Experts vs Audience.
Chapter Six
Seven Seconds in the Bronx
Stress distorts perception
Conclusion Listening With Your Eyes
Stopping our unconscious from distorting our perception
THE TIPPING POINT
Introduction
Hush Puppies
Chapter 1: The Three Rules of Epidemics
Hush Puppies, Juncture of Tipping Point where things emerge into a trend in a moment.
3 Rules of Epidemics: the Law of the Few, the Stickiness Factor, and the Power of Context.
Chapter 2: The Law of the Few: Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen
Connectors are individuals who have ties in many places and connect different people.
Mavens have a desire to help other consumers by helping them make informed decisions.
Salesmen are charismatic people who influence and persuade others.
Chapter 3: The Stickiness Factor: Sesame Street, Blue’s Clues, and the Educational Virus
The stickiness factor. Counterintuitive. Sesame Street
Chapter 4: The Power of Context (Part One): Bernie Goetz and the Rise and Fall of New York
City Crime in New York City 1990’s. Broken Windows Theory.
Chapter 5: The Power of Context (Part Two): The Magic Number One Hundred and Fifty
The novel The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
Groups of less than 150 members.
Chapter 6: Case Study: Rumors, Sneakers, and the Power of Translation
Airwalk shoes
Chapter 7: Case Study: Suicide, Smoking, and the Search for the Unsticky Cigarette
Rise in suicide in Micronesia and teen cigarettes in USA. The power of imitation and romanticized behavior.
Chapter 8: Conclusion: Focus, Test, Believe
Nurses promoting breast cancer awareness with this knowledge.
WHAT THE DOG SAW
This book is a compilation of the articles he has written while working for The New Yorker. Here are
Part 1: Obsessives, Pioneers, and Other Varieties of Minor Genius
The Pitchman: Ron Popeil and the Conquest of the American Kitchen
The Ketchup Conundrum: Mustard Now Comes in Dozens of Different Varieties – Why Has Ketchup Stayed the Same?
Blowing Up: How Nassim Taleb Turned the Inevitability of Disaster into an Investment Strategy
True Colors: Hair Dye and The Hidden History of Postwar America
John Rock’s Error: What the Inventor of the Birth Control Pill Didn’t Know About Women’s Health
What the Dog Saw: Cesar Millan and the Movements of Mastery
Part 2: Theories, Predictions and Diagnoses
Open Secrets: Enron, Intelligence and the Perils of Too Much Information
Million-Dollar Murray: Why Problems Like Homelessness May Be Easier to Solve Than to Manage
The Picture Problem: Mammography, Air Power, and the Limits of Looking
Something Borrowed: Should a Charge of Plagiarism Ruin Your life?
Connecting the Dots: The Paradoxes of Intelligence Reform
The Art of Failure: Why Some People Choke and Others Panic
Blowup: Who Can Be Blamed for a Disaster Like the Challenger Explosion? No One, And We’d Better Get Used to It
Part 3: Personality, Character and Intelligence
Late Bloomers: Why Do We Equate Genius with Precocity?
Most Likely to Succeed: How Do We Hire When We Can’t Tell Who’s Right for The Job?
Dangerous Minds: Criminal Profiling Made Easy
The Talent Myth: Are Smart People Overrated?
The New-Boy Network: What Do Job Interviews Really Tell Us?
Troublemakers: What Pit Bulls Can Teach Us About Crime