1. “The tipping point is a biography of an idea. That idea is that ideas spread just like viruses do” Malcolm Gladwell (Tipping Point). The author Malcolm Gladwell wrote this book to explain to the public that the trends we encounter daily are very comparable to communicable diseases. Gladwell supports his thesis by making his research from many industries, fields, and stories. Gladwell explains that in order for a trend or an idea to spread, there are many factors that make it a phenomenon. Factors called the Law of the Few, The Stickiness Factor, and the Power of Context. Gladwell utilizes these factors all throughout the book with stories and research to support his thesis explaining why some trends spread while other failed. …show more content…
How influential people that are categorized as Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen help these trends get started. And when a trend or idea is able to stick to the consumer or the public mind it is called the stickiness factor. How the environment a person dwells is in has a greater influence upon a person’s emotions and personalities. That with a bit of luck and these factors an idea or trend can reach the tipping point can become just a like a contagious …show more content…
Initially I would have never read a book like this unless it was not part of the summer work. However this book has sparked an interest in me to find and read more books such as the Tipping Point. Reading this book was very rewarding if was opened up to a new horizon of thinking and how the world operates. When the author talked on the Law of the Few it made me thinks which category I stood in was I connector, maven, or a salesperson or maybe a mixture. Due to the fact that Gladwell had done such in depth research for this book I learned many new stories such as how Sesame Street was created and how a community of women was able to be educated upon breast cancer. As well as the idea were in the midst of a crisis and there are multiple people around and no one call for help, because they assume there neighbor has called or will called but when they are alone they arise to the problem. That is why in a crisis it is important to make eye contact or some sort of contact with another individual to call 911 or find help. Gladwell 's theory on the power of context was very relatable with the idea that once we become adapted to a certain atmosphere it is very likely we will change to adapt to that atmosphere. A theory such as this I am able to relate to my own life in my tenth grade Spanish class there were many eleventh and twelfth graders who were slackers and in order to fit in I became a slacker so I could adapt to that environment. As well as when my cousins came to
What would happen if our world today was monotonous, sorrowful, and grey? What if no one was here to form new creations, and think of bold ideas? Would triumph have a definition? Would there be outliers in our world today? We are constantly thinking, always generating new ideas and forming new thoughts. People even proceed by creating inventions, and building objects no one would of thought would be made today. But, what we don’t perceive is how they became successful and how they took advantage of the moment that was given to them. In the novel, Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell, the author explains that an outlier is one who is given an opportunity and knows how to take advantage. He believes that in order for a person to be successful they need at least ten thousand hours of hard work and effort in order to succeed at a skill. It is clear to me that like Malcolm Gladwell, I believe
In the article Threshold of Violence published by The New Yorker Magazine, author Malcolm Gladwell alludes to the cause of school shootings and why they transpire. Gladwell tries to make sense of the epidemic by consulting a study of riots by stanford sociologist Mark Granovetter. Granovetter sought to understand “why people do things that go against who they are or what they think is right, for instance, why typically non-violent, law-abiding people join a riot”(Granovetter). He concluded that people’s likelihood of joining a riot is determined by the number of people already involved. The ones who start a riot don’t need anyone else to model this behavior for them that they have a “threshold” of zero. But others will riot only if someone
Perez, Sarah. "Tipping Point Author Malcolm Gladwell Says Facebook, Twitter Won't Lead to Social Change." ReadWrite.com. ReadWrite, 4 Oct. 2010. Web. 27 Feb. 2014.
Malcom Gladwell, is an author of numerous New York Times Best Sellers, who uses several techniques in his writing to clarify and support his argument. Gladwell’s techniques are using stories to appeal to the reader’s emotions. Using scientific facts and research to logically strengthen his argument. Also, writing about controversial issues to establish credibility with the readers. These techniques are found in “Offensive Play”, “Small Change”, and “Harlan, Kentucky”, works by Gladwell.
In Malcolm Gladwell’s book, Outliers, (2011) the author presents his readers with a series of exceptional individuals and cultures, discussing the abilities that facilitate their rise to power or notoriety. Taking the audience on an exploration of “hidden advantages and extraordinary opportunities and cultural legacies that allow them to…make sense of the world in ways that others cannot” (19), Gladwell provides a flow chart for the understanding of seemingly exceptional entities. Defense Secretary James Mattis is a present-day example of an outlier and, true to Gladwell’s theories, his rise to power is heavily influenced by familial and organizational cultures.
In his book, Outliers: The Story of Success, Malcolm Gladwell makes the claim that IQ does not have an accurate correlation to success after a certain point. Specifically, he says, “The relationship between success and IQ works only up to a point. Once someone has reached an IQ of somewhere around 120, having additional IQ points doesn’t seem to translate into any measurable real-world advantage.” IQ tests and other talent assessments have long been used to enroll students in gifted education initiatives. It has been argued that not only are IQ tests inaccurate, but gifted programs are detrimental to a child’s education. While I concede that IQ tests are not the best way to determine intelligence, I still insist that gifted programs are beneficial for children that show a special aptitude in different school subjects. Without advanced programs to challenge children with unique abilities, these students are unable to reach their full potential.
What is the definition of true success? Everyone has his or her own definition of success. For me success is to have earned the appreciation of honest critics and tolerate the betrayal of deceptive friends and most importantly being self-reliant. Some great writers have their own special wise thoughts on prosperity, for example, in Self- Reliance and Other Essays “Self-Reliance”, by Waldo Ralph Emerson suggest we all need to be individuals and put ourselves before anyone else. However, in Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, he gives a different meaning of prosperity. He claims success is never the result of talent alone. Both of the writers Emerson and Gladwell have similar and different thoughts on what makes a content opulence and self-reliant
Overall I enjoyed reading this book, I read it a few years ago in high school, but I took more from it this time and was able to apply it more to my experiences and events I have witnessed. I’m glad the novel was assigned for me to read because it really made me think about the world today and how we interact in the world. It actually brought up questions and connections that I didn’t see when I read the book years ago. This novel will always be relevant and I’m sure will be read years from now.
The book makes me understand the importance of reading and know how weak I’m in reading comprehension. Not only is my reading speed slow, but also my thoughts after reading are immature. I haven’t fix some time to read English books before so my background knowledge and vocabulary are far from abundant.
In Malcolm Gladwell’s essay “The Moral Hazard Myth”, Gladwell introduces the topic about uninsured Americans, and the consequences they face since they are unable to afford their medical expenses. The author talks about Americans oral health problems, and one of the reason behind it is because people simply cannot afford it. This leads them to take maters in their own hands, whether its pulling out their teeth, or taking twenty Ibuprofens so they would be in less pain. All scenarios which uninsured Americans face due to the lack of affordable health insurance programs in America. Gladwell also talks about the “moral hazard” theory which is, the more health coverage available the more Americans use it inefficiently just because it is free.
In this article Malcolm Gladwell criticizes health care Industry and harsh realities of uninsured Americans .He analyzes various facets presented by various researchers and politicians which only leads to further denial of health care for the needy and increased complexity of the system. He starts with the paper presented by Susan Starr Sered and Rushika Fernandopulle about the “Uninsured in America” which according to them is mainly because of poverty. People cannot afford it because they do not have Jobs and they cannot work because they are sick. If they happen to visit the doctor, they have to pay bills which they cannot afford and end up bankrupting, the perfect vicious cycle. Next, he analyzes the various solutions suggested. According to the economists it is the “Moral hazard” the over consumption of the health care by the insured is to be blamed .This fear of “Moral Hazard” is believed to be the
Gladwell sets his goal in chapter one “The Matthew Effect” that he wants to make readers understand success profoundly and
The most prominent of those scholars is Everett M. Rogers who is considered to be the foremost authority on the diffusion of innovation theory. He published his first book The Diffusion of Innovation in 1962, in it he compiled about five hundred different studies conducted by other researchers and from that he postulated that a unifying theory could explain why, how and at what rate innovations would be adopted by a certain culture (Singhal 2003). E.M. Rogers as stated compiled other people’s research, which were predominately surveys of individuals, from that research he was able find the elements that he believed had an impact on diffusion. One of the strengths of this theory is that it can be used on an individual, group, or some other social order, which makes it qui...
As stated before Malcolm Gladwell presents a calm tone that doesn’t seem to push his argument but at the same time his argument is semi-flawed. He proves that there can be trends and patterns that can be correlated to success. He successfully showed this by stating the success stories of Bill Gates, the beatles and the soon to be successful Choir. Even though here and there he makes a couple of assumptions like the children in the academy his thesis is solid. (where? make an example) Malcolm Gladwell makes a lasting effect on how you view life, if patterns can be shown in overall success what else can their be patterns to. This piece really makes you think hard about things you might never have considered before and just accepted.
...umstances. I feel like their theory best illustrates how an individual with weak bonds to society from childhood throughout adulthood can change their deviant behavior if met with a salient life event. This theory explains why some people can change while others cannot. Some people are met and choose to embrace these salient life force events that allow them to conform to society while other people either do not have these salient life force events or choose to not embrace them.