Book Review: The Tipping Point
Recently, I finished reading "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell.
Amazon gives an excellent synopsis of the book: "The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a small but precisely targeted push cause a fashion trend, the popularity of a new product, or a drop in the crime rate. This widely acclaimed bestseller, in which Malcolm Gladwell explores and brilliantly illuminates the tipping point phenomenon, is already changing the way people throughout the world think about selling products and disseminating ideas."
I didn't take me a long time to read it because it was so good! To me, it shows a new way of understanding how change occurs so quickly and unexpectedly without any knowledge of where it came from. Gladwell goes into such depth as to how ideas and behaviors sometimes increase and disperse as rapidly as infectious diseases. The Tipping point is an "examination of the social epidemics around us," It's "the moment of critical mass, the threshold, the boiling point."
Gladwell's book explains two rules that spoke to me: The Rule of 150 and The 80/20 Rule. The first rule represents the total number of people that we can keep a relationship with - 150. When a group or society begins to reach that maximum number, it can be beneficial for that group to divide. In my eyes, The 80/20 Rule is the most potent rule; it can be used in most aspects of a business.
Surprisingly, my favorite chapter is chapter 1. Most people don't like the first chapter because it's usually mundane to them, but I love it because it sets up the story and it tells you what direction the novel is taking. It gives me an idea of what I can start to picture.
The chapter starts with a story: a medical epidemic. Baltimore's rise in syphilis in the mid-1990s has Gladwell come up with three explanations, or "agents of change" that may cause an epidemic to start. The infection itself, the people who spread it and the environment it's in. The author examines a few laws like the Law of the Few (people), the Power of Context (environment) and the Stickiness Factor. These three laws set up the rest of the book, and he expresses that the three laws are life-changing.
I began to see the world through a new viewpoint after reading this. I started to look at the smaller things in life, and all the pieces intakes to make a bigger picture. All small parts can make a big difference, and we need it to produce great work and keep the world going round. I went to Cedar Key last weekend, and they had their annual art show. I thought to myself how some of the working artists were selling was very trendy, just like a fashion trend. It started with one person having an idea to put a flair on their style and be unique. The type of drawings was of beachy landscapes and tropical paradises. It's funny how one person's work and eclectic idea can become too big.
Give this book a try; you'll love it!
Give this book a try, you'll love it!
Amazon gives an excellent synopsis of the book: "The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a small but precisely targeted push cause a fashion trend, the popularity of a new product, or a drop in the crime rate. This widely acclaimed bestseller, in which Malcolm Gladwell explores and brilliantly illuminates the tipping point phenomenon, is already changing the way people throughout the world think about selling products and disseminating ideas."
I didn't take me a long time to read it because it was so good! To me, it shows a new way of understanding how change occurs so quickly and unexpectedly without any knowledge of where it came from. Gladwell goes into such depth as to how ideas and behaviors sometimes increase and disperse as rapidly as infectious diseases. The Tipping point is an "examination of the social epidemics around us," It's "the moment of critical mass, the threshold, the boiling point."
Gladwell's book explains two rules that spoke to me: The Rule of 150 and The 80/20 Rule. The first rule represents the total number of people that we can keep a relationship with - 150. When a group or society begins to reach that maximum number, it can be beneficial for that group to divide. In my eyes, The 80/20 Rule is the most potent rule; it can be used in most aspects of a business.
Surprisingly, my favorite chapter is chapter 1. Most people don't like the first chapter because it's usually mundane to them, but I love it because it sets up the story and it tells you what direction the novel is taking. It gives me an idea of what I can start to picture.
The chapter starts with a story: a medical epidemic. Baltimore's rise in syphilis in the mid-1990s has Gladwell come up with three explanations, or "agents of change" that may cause an epidemic to start. The infection itself, the people who spread it and the environment it's in. The author examines a few laws like the Law of the Few (people), the Power of Context (environment) and the Stickiness Factor. These three laws set up the rest of the book, and he expresses that the three laws are life-changing.
I began to see the world through a new viewpoint after reading this. I started to look at the smaller things in life, and all the pieces intakes to make a bigger picture. All small parts can make a big difference, and we need it to produce great work and keep the world going round. I went to Cedar Key last weekend, and they had their annual art show. I thought to myself how some of the working artists were selling was very trendy, just like a fashion trend. It started with one person having an idea to put a flair on their style and be unique. The type of drawings was of beachy landscapes and tropical paradises. It's funny how one person's work and eclectic idea can become too big.
Give this book a try; you'll love it!
Give this book a try, you'll love it!
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