The Tipping Point – Malcolm Gladwell

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell is one of the most interesting books I have read in a long time. Amazon.com comments on this book:

“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.

The tipping point essentially is the point of an epidemic, where a very small change leads to very drastic and sometimes catastrophic results. Gladwell takes his time to explain the tipping point using the examples of teen smoking, STDs in Baltimore, Paul Revere, and Vans Shoes. He also tries to explain the epidemic process and goes through and explains how “connectors,” people who know a lot of people, and “mavens,” trend-setters work to create vast changes in the world, even though they are a very small group.

I must admit that through the first chapter, I was thinking that Gladwell was some crackpot, who really didn’t have much to offer in terms of new ideas. But as I worked through The Tipping Point I began to see the world differently. I really cannot convey how great of an effect this book had on me, other than to urge you to read this book. IF you work in the business world, or health fields the theory of epidemics that Gladwell spells out is invaluable. By understanding the concepts of connectors and mavens, you can better map out your problems. But even beyond those fields which are specifically mentioned in The Tipping Point, the concepts contained within the book can help everyone to better understand how our world works. After reading this book, you’ll better understand that in order to solve the biggest problems in your life, or all of our lives for that matter, you many only have to make small changes.

As always, if you have read The Tipping Point and want to comment, or even if you want to comment on something else related, please do.  I always welcome other’s opinions.