The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
Book Review: Fascinating yes - but also repetative
Summary: 3 Stars
Yes, this is a fascinating book and the few case studies are reasonably insightful. But, they are repeated so many times you become sick of hearing the same names (Paul Revere etc). This would be a great small pamphlet but even as a smallish hardback it is far too long for actual content presented.Obviously Gladwell is trying to use the concepts of 'stickiness' etc. that he proposes but, in conjunction with his gung-ho American style, the repitition simply becomes annoying and detracts from the message.
Book Review: An excellent framework for understanding trends
Summary: 5 Stars
The Tipping Point provides an excellent framework for understanding the evolution of a trend. Gladwell posits three primary preconditions to any trend, but augments these with additional examples and tools.This is an excellent book to read if you are interested in social analysis, historical trends, or the adoption of any new ideas or technologies. Many more case studies could be developed from the principles he describes, and I can't help feeling that this would be a most useful follow-up to the book. Whilst I didn't always agree with some of Gladwell's arguments in specific examples, I totally agree with the structure that he gives to the evolution of trends. This has been a most beneficial tool to apply in a variety of environments, from reading the paper, to considering marketing strategy and new technology adoption.
Book Review: Provocative and enjoyable
Summary: 4 Stars
I agree with all the other positive reviews - this is a fascinating book about social trends and the spread of ideas. My only reservation is that I thought it dragged a bit in the middle - how much discussion of "Sesame Street" can a person take!Book Review: Very readable and stimulating
Summary: 5 Stars
A page-turner of ideas. I'm in no position to judge the soundness of the author's claims, and I'm not about to chase up his footnotes, but I certainly found it highly readable and stimulating. I devoured it in a couple of train journeys and have recommended it to anybody who'll listen.There are enough big basic premises to get your teeth into, but not so many as to make it indigestible. I read it in between shots at Pinker's "How the Mind Works", which feels like a much denser, more complex and more "scholarly" work. The author seems to have done a fair bit of face-to-face research to get his story, and that helps to make it feel warm and personal. Come to think of it, he even brings Paul Revere to life, so he clearly has a knack with people!
Whether or not the author originated the concepts he presents, and whether or not they stand up to academic scrutiny, they became very "sticky" in this book - to borrow one of the most intuitively apposite ideas.
If you're a heavy-duty academic or social studies professional, it may well raise more questions than it answers. But if you're the sort who likes double-feature think pieces in serious mass-circulation magazines, this is a book for you.
Book Review: Very Thought-Provoking
Summary: 5 Stars
Whilst this book primarily focuses on American issues, the principles that it describes are undoubtedly universal in nature, and I found it both interesting and thought-provoking, with potential application in many different areas (e.g. the company for whom I work, web site design and my hobby of magic).