03 February 2008
[ reading reflection and response ]
I recently finished the required reading for The Tipping Point. It was a useful tool for identifying trends. Unfortunately, it would also serve as a useful tool for putting oneself to sleep: Gladwell presents a lot of interesting points in the most fiercely boring, brain-atrophy-inducing way possible. The speed-reading technique I learned in BUM was useful here. I did, though, enjoy the book, brain atrophy aside. ("Hey, um, is that your brain trickling out of your ears there?" "What, this? I think so, never mind that; hey, try this book, it's great!" Repeat ad infinitum, and we'll have a Gladwell-esque zombie epidemic on our hands...) I liked a lot of the ideas Gladwell put forth, but I though the one on "stickiness" was a little narrow and weaker than the rest. Like, for example: a syphilis outbreak is NOT going to occur just because someone makes up a catchy phrase that promotes contracting it. On an unrelated note, we actually discussed Kitty Genovese in law class last semester. The bystanders' indifference was the result of the so-called "bystander effect," which Gladwell mentions, but not in name. According to the Wiki article on the bystander effect, this particular case of it is so famous that some call it the "Genovese effect."
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Gladwell uses many examples to illustrate his ideas and engage the reader. However, I would have to agree he could state his point without being so redundant. His ideas make sense, but they are obvious; most people already know the information he presents. Maybe he is setting the reader up for something to come later in the book, but in the meantime he needs to dig into the meat and potatoes and serve up some fresh content - maybe introduce the reader to some viral marketing techniques or the use of memes - to get the reader engaged and provoke thought. This would help us better understand why there is a "tipping point."
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