Blink by Malcolm Gladwell (2005, Unabridged, Compact Disc)

In Blink, Malcolm Gladwell offers his account of humanity's seemingly instantaneous judgment in critical situations. The book features a series of fascinating anecdotal case studies, skilled interweavings of psychological experiments, explanations, and unexpected connections which have become part of Gladwell's writing style since Tipping Point.

At the outset of Blink, he illustrates how incredibly complex decisions are often made in the matter of seconds: experts on Greek art, who had no vested interest in judging a rare 6th-century sculpture of a youth as authentic, sensed immediately that it was fake. But Gladwell points out that if expertise, or mere accumulated experiences sufficed, humans could unerringly trust these decisions made as rapidly as the blink of an eye, but, as he illustrates through several counterpuntal stories, such blinks can also be deceptive. It should be noted that he seems to stretch some of his examples to conform to his blink-of-an-eye theory.

Gladwell is an impressive synthesizer and is, in that sense, a model for both teachers and students. Because of his skills as a journalist, the book is accurate and informative -- complete with numerous anecdotes. Blink is a satisfying and informative read, but not as scholarly as some might have you believe.

You don’t need to read this review. You’ve already made up your mind about the book Blink. You’ve received enough inputs from sources that you trust or don’t trust that your subconscious has already decided whether or not Blink is a good book. If this review agrees with your subconscious, you’ll agree with the review. If this review disagrees with your subconscious, you will attribute my opinions on this book to my incompetence. Why and how did you come to make such a hasty judgement on this book ? “Blink” seeks to answer those questions.

In this latest book, Gladwell (of “Tipping Point” fame) explores “thin slicing”, the theory that we only need a tiny bit of information or exposure to something to make a decision. The genius of Gladwell is that he examines how common people use thin slicing, usually unaware of the fact that they are thin slicing, and that he also examines subject matter experts using thin slicing to practice their chosen art with remarkable accuracy. Some examples of common people unknowingly thin slicing include speed daters who make remarkably sound choices about dating partners and police officers who, in “Matrix” like fashion, slow down time in the heat of a gunfight to make amazing decisions. Great examples of experts who practice thin slicing include the ability of a marriage counselor to determine whether a marriage will succeed or fail with 95% accuracy….based on 30 seconds of conversation between spouses.

It’s a fascinating book that has the potential to change the way you think about your own thoughts and interpret the actions and reactions of those you interact with.

This book provides numerous studies on they way we perceive things around us. Very informative and enlightening.

My 5 and a half car ride seemed very short listening to Malcolm Gladwell. I recommend it. If you like psychology and social sciences you will find this book interesting.

I love the pure science of this book. I have observed much of what the book talks about in my 22 year law enforcement career. I have also watched the media desensitize Americans toward whatever it is they choose. Not only the news media, but television as a whole. What was once taboo, (sex, homosexuality, unwed mothers, vulgarity, women in positions of power, etc.) is poured on anyone who watches. America is "primed" by the media. If you like this book, get "The Gift of Fear" by Gavin de Becker and see how it works. I bought "Blink" and "The Gift of Fear" after attending a conference where Janine Driver spoke on body language and suggested these books.

I bought it as a gift. It arrived promptly and by purchasing it on ebay I saved about 40% of the retail price.