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The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
Malcolm Gladwell
Rating: 4.0/5 Stars
Rank: 23
"The best way to understand the dramatic transformation of unknown books
into bestsellers, or the rise of teenage smoking, or the phenomena of word
of mouth or any number of the other mysterious changes that mark everyday
life," writes Malcolm Gladwell, "is to think of them as epidemics.
Ideas
and products and messages and behaviors spread just like viruses do."
Although anyone familiar with the theory of memetics will recognize this
concept, Gladwell's The Tipping Point has quite a few interesting
twists on the subject. For example, Paul Revere was able to galvanize
the forces of resistance so effectively in part because he was what
Gladwell calls a "Connector": he knew just about everybody, particularly
the revolutionary leaders in each of the towns that he rode through.
But
Revere "wasn't just the man with the biggest Rolodex in colonial Boston,"
he was also a "Maven" who gathered extensive information about the
British.
He knew what was going on and he knew exactly whom to tell. The
phenomenon continues to this day--think of how often you've received
information in an e-mail message that had been forwarded at least half a
dozen times before reaching you. Gladwell develops these and other
concepts (such as the "stickiness" of ideas or the effect of population
size on information dispersal) through simple, clear explanations and
entertainingly illustrative anecdotes, such as comparing the pedagogical
methods of Sesame Street and Blue's Clues, or explaining why
it would be even easier to play Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon with the actor
Rod Steiger.
Although some readers may find the transitional passages
between chapters hold their hands a little too tightly, and Gladwell's
closing invocation of the possibilities of social engineering sketchy,
even chilling, The Tipping Point is one of the most effective books
on science for a general audience in ages. It seems inevitable that
"tipping point," like "future shock" or "chaos theory," will soon become
one of those ideas that everybody knows--or at least knows by name.
--Ron Hogan --This text refers to the
Hardcover edition.
About the AuthorMalcolm Gladwell is a former business and science writer at the Washington
Post. He is currently a staff writer for The New Yorker.
Editorials
Sample 3 of 17
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
Malcolm Gladwell
![]() | | | Amazon.com | | "The best way to understand the dramatic transformation of unknown books
into bestsellers, or the rise of teenage smoking, or the phenomena of word
of mouth or any number of the other mysterious changes that mark... read full editorial |
![]() | | | -Jeffrey Toobin, author of A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Story of the Sex Scandal that Nearly Brought Down a President | | "The Tipping Point is one of those rare books that changes the way you
think about, well, everything. A combination of lucid explanation with
vivid (and often funny) real-world examples, the book sets out to explain
nothing... read full editorial |
![]() | | | Seattle Times, 3/24/00 | | "...a terrifically rewarding read..." --This text refers to the
Hardcover edition. |
Customer Reviews
Sample 3 of 60
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
Malcolm Gladwell
![]() | | | Rethinking the obvious. | | (Brooklyn, NY United States) March 13, 2005 - 5.0/5 stars | | Common sense dictates that to succeed in marketing a product widely, a
company should buy advertising in high profile media outlets during prime
time. In addition, to combat teen smoking, parents should shun... read full review |
![]() | | | Better than every marketing book I have ever read | | (Bloomfield, NJ United States) March 29, 2005 - 5.0/5 stars | | Mr. Gladwell book is very easy to read and it gives very good examples and
descriptions of the basic of marketing. I totally enjoyed his examples.
Before that I was wondering why they always show the Tele Tubbies two
times. Now it is very clear to me.
|
![]() | | | Good Theory | | (Lafayette, LA USA) June 9, 2005 - 4.0/5 stars | | Of the books I've read lately this is one of my favorites. I especially
like the part where he talked about the changes in New York City. Having
first seen New York in the mid 70's it amazed me how it had changed... read full review |
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