I just finished Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell. Gladwell has one of those global, sprawling minds that combs the universe for interesting fragments of information and weaves it all into wild, technicolor, socially holistic discussions that normal, moderately educated people can follow. He's just so cool, I can't stand it. His 'fro, his perky face. Everything. I love him.
"This book is all about those moments when we 'know' something without knowing why. Here Malcolm Gladwell, one of the world's most original thinkers, explores the phenomenon of 'blink', showing how a snap judgement can be far more effective than a cautious decision. By trusting your instincts, he reveals, you'll never think about thinking in the same way again."
I would add that Gladwell also explores the contexts in which snap decisions are likely to run amok--conditions in which our gut reactions will screw us over, so to speak. Gladwell scoops together research and examples from across the spectrum of human experiences: marriage, professional sports, art collection, professional taste testing, police protocol, you name it.
Highly recommended if you are interested in non-fiction topics such as social psychology, cultural criticism, brain function, and improved productivity. Don't let that list throw you off--the book is compulsively readable. Fast and fun.
16 comments:
Aww, he is adorable! I've heard nothing but good things about his books, so I guessed I'd better hurry things along and try one already.
And it's funny you should post now. I was just thinking of you earlier and made a special trip over to your blog (even though I knew you weren't in my Google reader earlier today) because I wanted to make sure I hadn't missed a post. :)
I loved What The Dog Saw, so I'm sure that i would like this one too. Thanks for the review.
Love him! Have read all of his books. If you haven't yet, they're great on audio. He reads them himself. Really engaging.
I loved this book. Read BLINK, OUTLIERS, and TIPPING POINT back to back.
I have thins on my TBR pile. Hopefully, I'll be able to pick it up soon. ;P
I loved Blink and The Tipping Point! Didn't like What the Dog Saw as much, but need to get hold of The Outliers.
Okay, he's a deep thinker. Me, I'm a ponderer.
Ok never heard of him but intrigued by what you wrote so will go and buy it and check him out...
He reads his audiobooks, and they are wonderful! So insightful and full of great stories. And he's a good reader. :)
This does sound interesting. I have never read anything by Malcolm Gladwell before.
Thanks for bringing Malcolm back to the top of my reading list. I have been looking for something different. I have heard him speak but have been moving the books around.
I am so so tempted to read Blink!! Im all the more fascinated by ur blog!
Hey, this is not a promo comment- Im a novice in this world of blogs -- Can you plz visit my Blog and gv me some tips?
http://ourbookshelf-bookworms.blogspot.com/
I am reading Tipping point...
Nice blog... I write about books and book reviews too.
http://totalgadha.com/tgtown/manjulika/
Sounds interesting - and readable too which is nice.
I used to travel a lot for work and read this book as "plane" reading. I really enjoyed it - it was easy to pick up and jump right into, and the pace moved along nicely. I realized later, while attempting to describe the book to someone else, that maybe I had overrated it in my mind slightly - I found myself saying, "Basically, he says that our first judgments are usually correct... except when they're not... so we have to watch out for that..."
Still, a very enjoyable read and I liked all the anecdotes - and love his 'fro-ey hair!
http://thebooktrip.blogspot.com/
I'm a fan, and he's good to listen to on CD's. He has a very pleasant voice:-)
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