3 stars (Blinking) - Ok but not great...seem to wonder off in too many different directions at times.
5 stars (Really Interesting and an Easy Read) - Blink is a look at all the various things scientists have discovered about how we think without knowing we're thinking. It particularly takes a long, hard look at why it is that people's first impressions so often conflict with either what careful analysis says or what people think they believe.
Gladwell looks at a broad range of applications of these ideas. He looks at why, even though Pepsi wins the blind "Pepsi Challenge," Coke continues to be the market leader. He investigates the psychology and split-second thinking that caused the death of an unarmed, fleeing immigrant from over 40 gunshots fired by NYPD officers. He looks at various factors that affect everything from standardized test scores to electing a President.
Some have suggested that all Gladwell really tells us is that our first impressions are sometimes right and sometimes wrong. If after reading this book that's all you come away with, you have completely missed the point. The point is that whether those impressions are right or wrong is governed by a complex set of physiologic and experiential rules, and that we can do something about them. Cops can do things to make sure those first impressions don't result in an innocent death. And yes, you can learn to tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi when you drink a whole can, not just a sip.
Gladwell is a writer for the New Yorker, and his writing style is very much like a bunch of magazine articles. But they are very GOOD magazine articles, and you want to read them all.
4 stars (Informative) - This book was very interesting to me, though I will admit it got boring at parts. Some sections were just very repetitive and seemed to be overkill, but the overall message the book sent was intriguing. It helped me understand the way the mind works and how people use this knowledge of their minds for good or evil. No, I wouldn't read this book if I didn't have a good understanding of the English language. And no, I most likely will never use the information I gained from this book for anything other than answers to Jeopardy questions or a means to impress someone. However, if you're interesting in the way that the mind works, I suggest this book. It's not as overly confusing as many other books about the same topic and it uses real-life experiences to help you understand what is trying to be conveyed. |
