1 stars (Please - Stop Him Before He Writes Another Book!) - This is the second Gladwell book I've read, and unfortunately its as bad as the first (Blink!). His basic point is that little things can make a big difference. Gladwell's problem, however, is that he doesn't know what he's writing about, and it's a fatal flaw.
For example, early in this book he relates how a "small change" in Brooklyn policing strategies turned into a "large drop" in crime. In reality, "broken windows," accompanied by much more data-driven and administrative follow-up policing referred to by Gladwell was a large (not small change).
The reality is that "broken windows" policing ended up going far beyond simply pursuing those with minor violations (eg. fare-beating) to include studying crime patterns (location, timing, etc.), setting improvement goals, and regular high-level follow-up. Secondly, "Freakonomics" research concluded that the crime-rate decline began BEFORE the change in policing, and that much of the decline was due to increased staffing.
Gladwell also attributed the decline to improved economic conditions - however, no such decline accompanied prior economic good times. Finally, Gladwell offered no explanation of why similar steep declines in crime occurred across the U.S. at the same time - without regard to any change in policing!
Another of Gladwell's problems is that he doesn't seem to understand anything about statistics. The fact that a change in policing suposedly occurred at the same time as a decline in crime rates seems to be "proof" of causation for Gladwell. One of the first lessons in statistics, however, is that "correlation does not imply causation."
Summarizing, the book starts out poorly, and goes downhill from there - increasingly boring, confusing, and totally lacking in credibility.
Don't confuse, aggravate, misinform yourself with this book
5 stars (This Little Book will Make a Big Difference) - This fascinating book is an investigation into the mechanics of the way our culture works. Through diverse research and studies, Gladwell breaks down the basic components of our cultural phenomena, such as how a disease becomes an epidemic, how a book, music group or TV show gains huge exposure and success, etc. These are things that I have always wondered about and questioned how they came to be, but never knew about the actual answers and patterns to these occurrences. The author's thoroughness & enthusiasm for the possibilities he has discovered make this book so compelling - I have found myself noticing many of the concepts and ideas he talks about in my daily life. This is a book that I can re-read and refer to many times and still find value in. Another book that investigates the mechanics of how people operate and has also made a big impact on how I view and live life is "Working on Yourself Doesn't Work" by Ariel & Shya Kane. This book gets right to the heart of finding well being in yourself and making a difference for others. Like "The Tipping Point," this book does not attempt to convince you to look at things a new way or change the way you approach your life & the world around you; rather, it objectively presents a new possibility. I highly recommend both books!
5 stars (Thought Provoking) - I think about the concepts in this book quite frequently, and I find that it continues to influence the decisions I make. |
