Product Description

"The Tipping Point" is the biography of an idea, and the idea is quite simple: that many of the problems we face - from murder to teenage delinquency to traffic jams - behave like epidemics. They aren't linear phenomena in the sense that they steadily and predictably change according to the level of effort brought to bear against them. They are capable of sudden and dramatic changes in direction. Years of well-intentioned intervention may have no impact at all, yet the right intervention - at just the right time - can start a cascade of change. Many of the social ills that face us today, in other words, are as inherently volatile as the epidemics that periodically sweep through the human population: little things can cause them to "tip" at any time and if we want to understand how to confront and solve them we have to understand what those "tipping points" are. In this study, Malcolm Gladwell explores the ramifications of this. Not simply for politicians and policy-makers, his method provides a way of viewing everyday experience and seeking to enable us to develop strategies for everything from raising a child to running a company.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #378 in Books
• Published on: 2002-02-14
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
"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 behaviours spread just like viruses do." Although anyone familiar with the theory of mimetics will recognise this concept, Gladwell's The Tipping Point has quite a few interesting twists on the subject.

For example, Paul Revere was able to galvanise 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

Review
Gladwell argues that many contemporary problems - from crime to teenage delinquency and traffic jams - behave like epidemics that are capable of sudden and dramatic changes in direction. Yet the right intervention at just the right time - the Tipping Point - can start a cascade of change and provide a method for developing strategies for everything from raising a child to running a company.

You can't help feeling that when Malcolm Gladwell was a schoolboy, his teachers probably described him as 'too clever by half'. This is a very clever book indeed, but whether its central thesis holds water or not is another matter. Gladwell's argument is simple. He believes that social epidemics, like disease epidemics, can be caused by very small and apparently insignificant events. There's a 'tipping point' at which a particular phenomenon, whether it's an idea like Methodism or a fashion like the unexpected trend for wearing Hush Puppies in the mid-1990s, suddenly becomes an epidemic. Overnight, everyone is doing it. There are three rules which make something 'tip', according to Gladwell. He has named these the Law of the Few, the Stickiness Factor and the Power of Context. The Law of the Few says that certain people are good at spreading ideas - without those people on board, the idea won't spread. The Stickiness Factor says, in essence, that there has to be something about the idea or fashion that makes it 'stick' - that makes it memorable. And the Power of Context pretty much boils down to the idea that you have to be in the right place at the right time. You can have a great message and great people to spread the message but if you're trying to sell snow to Eskimos, then you're not going to succeed. It's a compelling argument, and Gladwell uses lots of engaging examples to illustrate his point - the success of Sesame Street, the reduction in violent crime in New York, the rise in cigarette smoking in teenagers. The book is lightly peppered with research findings from social psychologists that back up his argument. It's easy to read, presents a seductively simple idea we can all understand and relate to, and flatters the reader by suggesting that the thesis is backed by academic research. It's 'sticky', all right. Unfortunately, it's also very glib. There are no shades of grey - nothing that suggests there are ever any flaws in the thesis. After all, what if a phenomenon has all the rules Gladwell identifies and still doesn't create an epidemic? How would we know? There are elements to the argument that are tautological. How do we know a message is 'sticky'? Well, because it sticks. And why does it stick? Because it's 'sticky', of course. Perhaps the most striking aspect of the glibness comes when Gladwell cites academic research to back up his views. For example, he argues that there's a correlation between smoking and depression - that depressed people smoke because smoking prompts their brain to produce chemicals such as serotonin that regulate happiness. In other words, they are treating their own depression. But this is dangerously over-simplifying a complicated area. There are other explanations for the correlation, including the possibility that smoking is what makes people depressed in the first place. This is undoubtedly a very enjoyable book. It's thought-provoking too, and readers will no doubt come up with their own examples of phenomena that have 'tipped'. But it's worth reading with a critical mind - it's not all quite as straightforward as Gladwell would have us believe. (Kirkus UK)

Synopsis
"The Tipping Point" is the biography of an idea, and the idea is quite simple: that many of the problems we face - from murder to teenage delinquency to traffic jams - behave like epidemics. They aren't linear phenomena in the sense that they steadily and predictably change according to the level of effort brought to bear against them. They are capable of sudden and dramatic changes in direction. Years of well-intentioned intervention may have no impact at all, yet the right intervention - at just the right time - can start a cascade of change. Many of the social ills that face us today, in other words, are as inherently volatile as the epidemics that periodically sweep through the human population: little things can cause them to "tip" at any time and if we want to understand how to confront and solve them we have to understand what those "tipping points" are. In this study, Malcolm Gladwell explores the ramifications of this. Not simply for politicians and policy-makers, his method provides a way of viewing everyday experience and seeking to enable us to develop strategies for everything from raising a child to running a company.

Customer Reviews

Does not disappoint.
The book is about the "tipping point", that is, that moment when an idea or social behaviour has reached a level where it "tips" and spreads like crazy.

The book makes sense about how these things happen by using three rules- The Law of the Few, The Stickiness Factor, and the Power of Context. Taking three rules, then, the book uses them to explain seemingly puzzling epidemic situations in society such as teen smoking or bestsellers.

Fun and interesting, if this kind of topic appeals to you, you'll like the book- its well written and an easy read. Other books that might appeal to general interest readers include The Sixty-Second Motivator.

A brilliant read
A short review this, but an intelligently written book, and a book that can appeal to most people; whether they want to know how trends start, through to a business which is trying to go to the next level, but is not succeeding because they have not found the little thing that will make the big difference.

A truly engaging page-turner and solely recommended

Infectious and Infatuating
Malcolm Gladwell is a true storyteller. Whether its recounting the American Revolution or dipping into the craze of teenage smoking, Gladwell tells a good tale. Well researched and well thought through, this book will be of use to business and creative types alike. Whether you are looking to change your focus or change the world, the key may be within this text.

Gladwell starts by exploring the concept of infectious illnesses and factors affecting their transmission. He continues onto explain in terms of key players in the spreading of new ideas. Are you a Salesperson, Maven or a Connector? As you meet the most important people who influence the book, Gladwell shows you how to use his findings to achieve your goals.

I read this after Blink, his second offering, and was equally impressed with how he manages to round up such diverse content to demonstrate his points. Whether you're a sceptic or a believer you will learn a lot from this well researched book.