The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by
Malcolm Gladwell
"In the mid-1990s, the city of Baltimore was attacked by an epidemic of syphilis..." (more) SIPs:
social epidemics, transactive memory, teenage smoking
CAPs:
Sesame Street, Power of Context, Paul Revere, Hush Puppies, Roger Horchow (more)
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 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
From Publishers Weekly The premise of this facile piece of pop sociology has built-in appeal: little changes can have big effects; when small numbers of people start behaving differently, that behavior can ripple outward until a critical mass or "tipping point" is reached, changing the world. Gladwell's thesis that ideas, products, messages and behaviors "spread just like viruses do" remains a metaphor as he follows the growth of "word-of-mouth epidemics" triggered with the help of three pivotal types. These are Connectors, sociable personalities who bring people together; Mavens, who like to pass along knowledge; and Salesmen, adept at persuading the unenlightened. (Paul Revere, for example, was a Maven and a Connector). Gladwell's applications of his "tipping point" concept to current phenomena--such as the drop in violent crime in New York, the rebirth of Hush Puppies suede shoes as a suburban mall favorite, teenage suicide patterns and the efficiency of small work units--may arouse controversy. For example, many parents may be alarmed at his advice on drugs: since teenagers' experimentation with drugs, including cocaine, seldom leads to hardcore use, he contends, "We have to stop fighting this kind of experimentation. We have to accept it and even embrace it." While it offers a smorgasbord of intriguing snippets summarizing research on topics such as conversational patterns, infants' crib talk, judging other people's character, cheating habits in schoolchildren, memory sharing among families or couples, and the dehumanizing effects of prisons, this volume betrays its roots as a series of articles for the New Yorker, where Gladwell is a staff writer: his trendy material feels bloated and insubstantial in book form. Agent, Tina Bennett of Janklow & Nesbit. Major ad/promo. (Mar.) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
First Sentence:
In the mid-1990s, the city of Baltimore was attacked by an epidemic of syphilis. Read the first pageStatistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
social epidemics, transactive memory, teenage smoking
Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Sesame Street, Power of Context, Paul Revere, Hush Puppies, Roger Horchow, Mark Alpert, East Village, Lois Weisberg, Los Angeles, Ya-Ya Sisterhood, William Dawes, Peter Jennings, San Diego, Harvard University, San Francisco, Judith Harris, New England, Dan Rather, Daniel Anderson, Good Samaritan, Madison Avenue, Kitty Genovese, Oscar's Blending, Kevin Bacon, Rebecca Wells
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Interesting Read, May 7, 2000
Reviewer: A reader Malcolm Gladwell, a staff writer for New Yorker Magazine, in The Tipping Point, writes a fascinating study of human behavior patterns, and shows us where the smallest things can trigger an epidemic of change. Though loaded with statistics, the numbers are presented in a way that makes the book read like an exciting novel. Gladwell also gives several examples in history, where one small change in behavior created a bigger change on a national level. He also studies the type of person or group that it takes to make that change.
Gladwell's first example is the resurgence of the popularity of Hush Puppies, which had long been out of fashion, and were only sold in small shoe stores. Suddenly, a group of teenage boys in East Village, New York, found the cool to wear. Word-of-mouth advertising that these trend-setters were wearing the once-popular suede shoes set off an epidemic of fashion change, and boys all over America had to have the "cool" shoes.
Galdwell also examines the difference in personality it takes to trigger the change. For example, we all know of Paul Revere's famous ride, but how many of us know that William Dawes made a similar ride? The difference was that people listened to Revere and not to Dawes. Why? Revere knew so many different people. He knew who led which village, knew which doors to knock on to rouse the colonists. Dawes didn't know that many people and therefore could only guess which people to give his message.
There are several other phenomena that Gladwell examines, showing the small things that spark a change, from the dip in the New York City crime rate to the correlation between depression, smoking and teen suicide. If you want to change the world for the better, this book will give you an insight into the methods that work, and those that will backfire. It's all in knowing where to find The Tipping Point.
Despite an earlier reviewer poo-pooing this book for shallow insights, I beg to differ. This book is a fascinating and original take on what makes people behave in a certain way en masse. Tying together Paul Revere, Hush Puppies and many other very accessible ideas makes this book, that is in some ways very academic, read like a thriller. I read it in three sittings. It has an impact on several levels. One, as a marketer, it gave me insights into how word-of-mouth really works. I'll be experimenting with these concepts for years. Second, as a member of society, I gained insight into why I am pulled this way and that by trends. If you enjoyed this, you'll also enjoy the groundbreaking book by Robert Cialdini called "Influence, the Psychology of Persuasion." It makes some of the same points. Finally, it makes me think that some savvy activists will find some ways to use these principles to start societal epidemics that will ultimately have a positive effect. I believe Gladwell has introduced a concept, "the Tipping Point," that will have a wide-ranging impact on how we view the world and human behavior.
Excellent read! It is a book that really gives me the sensation of AHA! and not many book does...Gladwel has done it. I have always wonder why sesame street is such a success among kids, and now i know. The amount of research that went into the show is amazing...and it really enforced the idea that whatever we do, we must give it our best. A really outstanding book...
Gladwell's experience as a journalist does two great things for this book. The first, is he has a terrific writing style that tends to make this factual book flow and makes it a breeze to read. Second, he is patient in his review of the research (when he was crafting the book) and the result for us (readers) is we get to read the juiciest and most interest aspects of phenomenon. It's obvious that he took the time to do this book right and it's great.
It is a fascinating discourse on human behaviour and how little details can have a big impact, tipping the scale. God is in the detail. Several cases are presented in a catching way. Two cases presented by Gladwell are worth the price of the book and the time spent reading it: chapter 3 on the stickiness factor, comparing, inter alia, Sesame Street and Blue's Clues; and chapter 4 on the power of context, which deals with the rise and fall of crime in New York and the popular Giuliani's zero tolerance policy. It is a nice application of "Micromotives and Macrobehavior" by Thomas Schelling, and "Influence" by Robert Cialdini.
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Interesting Read, May 7, 2000
