Bibliophilia: David and Goliath – Malcolm Gladwell

David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants – Malcolm Gladwell

I fully admit to being a fan of Mr. Gladwells’s oeuvre. I waited with eager anticipation for this latest book of his, and enjoyed it. As always, it’s an engaging read that makes you consider things in a different light and makes you want to learn more.

The book explores the perceived notion that some have advantages and some have disadvantages is looked at in a different light. Could it be that people who are born without a silver spoon end up better off in some ways. Life may not be easy for them, but having the odds stacked against them, makes them adapt. Those adaptations sometimes give them skills and abilities that those born “normal” might envy.

I do have to say that while I liked the book, I wasn’t entirely convinced by his arguments. Correlation is not causation. A few anecdotes isn’t necessarily proof that privation early in life will necessarily make the person so resilient that they can surmount any obstacle. They’re interesting examples, but are any of them ironclad evidence that someone else with dyslexia can become a brilliant trial lawyer?

(On a slightly tangential note: about a year ago, I was surprised to see a photo in the Toronto Star of Malcolm Gladwell standing beside a man I had known for a long time: Bill Exley. 

I knew him as the lead singer of London, Ontario’s finest experimental noise band, The Nihilist Spasm Band. Having grown up with the kids of Greg Curnoe, I had known him for decades. A likeable oddball, who never stopped looking like a button down English teacher - which is exactly what he was - even when performing a classic like Destroy the Nations. Slacks, collared shirt, tie, sweater vest, proper haircut. And his deep stentorian voice - whether belting out What About Me? - or controlling a class full of teenagers - was a formidable thing. 

It turns that Mr. Exley was the high school english teacher of Malcolm Gladwell. And he credits him with being a looming inspiration.

Malcolm Gladwell’s high school teacher inspired many other greats )

Bibliophilia: What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures by Malcolm Gladwell

What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures – Malcolm Gladwell

What I love about Malcolm Gladwell’s books is that he can tackle the most mundane, everyday subject, and by the end you’re saying “now that was fascinating!” 

One essay, “The Pitchman” deals with Ron Popeil. I was vaguely aware of him as a late night kitchen gadget salesman. After reading it, you come away with a whole new appreciation for the man, the products he has created, infomercials and the job of the pitchman. Another essay is called “The Ketchup Conundrum”. Come on, 20 to 30 pages on ketchup? Who cares, it’s made from tomatoes and you put it on your burger. Well, I doubt I will ever look at condiments the same way after reading it. Another essay deals with hair dye. Who gives much thought to it? It is an education not so much about a chemical to transform the colour of hair, as it is a product that transformed society, and a history of advertising and the role of women in it.

Those and several others, (and all of his books) take pedestrian topics no one gives much thought to, into shining investigations into extraordinary knowledge and ideas hiding just beneath the surface.

Bibliophilia: The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make A Big Difference – Malcolm Gladwell

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make A Big Difference – Malcolm Gladwell

An intriguing look at why some things snowball into popularity and why other things, despite their merits, do not. Why some products become a success, and others don’t manage that same success has to do with things like “The Law of the Few” – that “word of mouth epidemics” ripple out from a few to the wider populace because of 3 very influential groups: Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen. Connectors are sociable individuals with a large network of acquaintances to apprise of a product or service they are aware of. Maven’s are innovators or early adopters, who are willing to try new things and pass along knowledge. Salesmen are people with a contagious charisma who can persuade those not in the know. These three significant and influential groups help to spread an idea to the masses. It almost takes a perfect storm of sorts. Your idea, product or concept has to be good, but you also need these 3 groups for it to reach a “Tipping Point”, when it suddenly catches fire with the population at large.

Another concept I found intriguing was his “Rule of 150”, that the number of people you can maintain a coherent social relationship with is about 150. He also delves into the “Stickiness Factor” and the “Power of Context.”

He cites quite a few examples of epidemics and how they spread. Everything from the resurgence in popularity of HushPuppies, the rise of Sesame Street, to crime waves.

I like how Malcolm Gladwell examines and explains ideas that normally one would never really consider or just totally overlook and gives the reader a whole new appreciation of the subject.

Bibliophilia: Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking – Malcolm Gladwell

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking – Malcolm Gladwell

An illuminating look at how we make snap judgments about things – and how they’re often better decisions than ones made with a lot of reflection and input and analysis. In this age of information overload, we often make better decisions with snap judgments than we do with volumes of analysis. We have come to confuse information with understanding. There are dangers in over-analyzing. Decisions made very quickly can be every bit as good as decisions made cautiously and deliberately. To trust our instincts more and that first impressions can be educated and controlled. Truly successful decision making relies on a balance between deliberate and instinctive thinking.


It all dovetails nicely with my interest in Col. John Boyd’s O.O.D.A. (Observe•Orient•Decide•Act) Loop, which boiled down to a far too imprecise nugget, is the ability to parse dynamic situations into split seconds, and react so that you overwhelm your opposition. And it also ties in with another book I highly recommend – The Gift of Fear by Gavin DeBecker – which deals a lot with trusting gut instincts, and listening to that ineffable “little voice in the back of your head.”