Book Review | The Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcom Gladwell

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell explores how small actions or events can trigger large-scale changes in society. The book introduces the concept of a "tipping point," as he tries to answer two simple questions; why is it that some ideas, behaviours or products start epidemics and others don’t? And what can we do to deliberately start and control positive epidemics of our own?

In his usual brilliance, Gladwell covers everything from Sesame Street and Blue’s Clues, to petty crime on New York Subways to the syphilis epidemic, as he unpacks the moment when an idea, trend, or behaviour crosses a threshold and becomes widespread. Gladwell identifies three key factors that contribute to reaching the tipping point: the Law of the Few, the Stickiness Factor, and the Power of Context. This book is not only highly entertaining but extremely thought-provoking.

Key quotes from the book:

• "Ideas and behaviours and messages and products spread just like viruses do."
• "The power of context is that human behaviour is strongly influenced by its environment. People are more likely to act in a certain way depending on the situation they are in."
• “There is a maxim in the advertising business that an advertisement has to be seen at least six times before anyone will remember it.”

Link to Book

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