The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
Uncover the captivating science behind viral trends in business, marketing, and human behavior in the breakthrough debut -- named one of the best books of the decade by The A.V. Club and The Guardian -- by Malcolm Gladwell, the bestselling author of The Bomber Mafia. The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a small but precisely targeted push cause a fashion trend, the popularity of a new product, or a drop in the crime rate. This widely acclaimed bestseller, in which Malcolm Gladwell explores and brilliantly illuminates the tipping point phenomenon, is already changing the way people throughout the world think about selling products and disseminating ideas. "A wonderful page-turner about a fascinating idea that should affect the way every thinking person looks at the world." --Michael Lewis
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Community Reviews
I picked up The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcom Gladwell after reading an argument in Book Club between Mel and Colleen about Freakonomics and The Tipping Point (can i be any more self-referential?) since i had really liked Freakonomics i decided to read The Tipping Point.
I didn't find Gladwell's ideas to be quite as new and thought-provoking as Levitt's nor did i find them to be quite as opposed to Levitt's as the Unshelved strip would have you believe. I did find The Tipping Point to be very interesting however and would highly recommend it along with Freakonomics as they both provide their own food for thought and make nice counter-points for one another.
http://talesofarampaginglibrarian.blogspot.com/2006/09/think-economics-is-boring-think-again.html
I didn't find Gladwell's ideas to be quite as new and thought-provoking as Levitt's nor did i find them to be quite as opposed to Levitt's as the Unshelved strip would have you believe. I did find The Tipping Point to be very interesting however and would highly recommend it along with Freakonomics as they both provide their own food for thought and make nice counter-points for one another.
http://talesofarampaginglibrarian.blogspot.com/2006/09/think-economics-is-boring-think-again.html
For those, like me, who can’t always see the wood through the trees when it comes to sticking to the plan.
This was an interesting book. Admittedly, a little dry in places but overall, very readable and thought provoking.
Initially, I thought some of his comparisons were a stretch. But upon further contemplation I remembered one of my favorite Isaac Asimov quotes: "The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' but 'That's funny...'". This is the point he's making; that sometimes it's the small, seemingly inconsequential factors that when examined more closely, can end up being among the strongest factors of causation. Here, Gladwell poses the theory that ideas are contagious and can become epidemic, thus influencing the thoughts and behaviors of specific people at specific moments; those that are most susceptible to them grab hold of the ideas as though they are detailed sets of instructions, then act upon them and/or spread them to others. Some of these epidemics cause positive outcomes while others cause tragic ones.
I thought the case studies on suicide were interesting, particularly the fact that the day after a highly publicized suicide, traffic fatalities were seen to rise by nearly 6% and that within 10 days would return to normal. Among the many topics he covers, he also presents studies of marketing trends, school shootings, and the failure of the anti-smoking campaigns targeted toward teens in the U.S.
You may or may not agree with his theories but he certainly has done his research and offers some compelling thoughts about human behavior.
Initially, I thought some of his comparisons were a stretch. But upon further contemplation I remembered one of my favorite Isaac Asimov quotes: "The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' but 'That's funny...'". This is the point he's making; that sometimes it's the small, seemingly inconsequential factors that when examined more closely, can end up being among the strongest factors of causation. Here, Gladwell poses the theory that ideas are contagious and can become epidemic, thus influencing the thoughts and behaviors of specific people at specific moments; those that are most susceptible to them grab hold of the ideas as though they are detailed sets of instructions, then act upon them and/or spread them to others. Some of these epidemics cause positive outcomes while others cause tragic ones.
I thought the case studies on suicide were interesting, particularly the fact that the day after a highly publicized suicide, traffic fatalities were seen to rise by nearly 6% and that within 10 days would return to normal. Among the many topics he covers, he also presents studies of marketing trends, school shootings, and the failure of the anti-smoking campaigns targeted toward teens in the U.S.
You may or may not agree with his theories but he certainly has done his research and offers some compelling thoughts about human behavior.
I read this book as I was applying to jobs in marketing, and found myself with a much better understanding of the current philosophies behind the Marketing and Communication business.
Even though this is totally out of date with Facebook, it was still really interesting. It makes you wonder if Gladwell's theory fits with how the Russian ads for Trump were implemented. They were mostly used in the relevant electoral vote swing areas, so they were tailored in a way not described in the book. The "connector" was not a person but the Facebook and Twitter ad technology itself, which according to the book is not supposed to work especially well- especially considering that we are overwhelmed by Facebook and Twitter information. They were definitely "sticky"- racism often is.
Anyway, the book could definitely use an update in the post-social media world. Is everything different now? Or is social media really just like email? I'm thinking everything is different now.
Anyway, the book could definitely use an update in the post-social media world. Is everything different now? Or is social media really just like email? I'm thinking everything is different now.
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