The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, by Malcolm Gladwell (read by the author)
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Remember the song, "Little Things Mean a Lot"? Well, The Tipping Point shows how the effect of doing one little thing can multiply exponentially to cause a great change. This book is full of examples of how society, science, commerce and history have changed as the result of someone or some group behaving in a particular way. Gladwell states that ideas and trends spread in a way similar to the way a virus causes an epidemic. He describes three rules of epidemics -- that they involve contagion, that little changes can have big effects, and that change is quick and dramatic. Then he gives recognizable examples. In each of these examples there is a tipping point, a point at which an idea or trend takes off.
Using three rules of The Tipping Point -- the Law of the Few, the Stickiness Factor and the Power of Context, Gladwell examines situations throughout history to help us understand why they occurred and how we can apply those same principles to effect change today. Why did Paul Revere stir so many more patriots to rise up than William Dawes, when they carried the same message? Why do we remember commercials and jingles long after the product has disappeared from the shelves? Why did the crime rate in New York City subways drop dramatically after an aggressive anti-graffiti campaign? Gladwell answers these and many more questions in his fascinating book.
Not only is the subject matter in this book engaging
and thought-provoking, but the delivery of the message is
very satisfying. Gladwell's reading of the book is like hearing
advice from a trusted family doctor-informed, concerned, warm
and instructive. By applying the concepts in this book, listeners
can become more effective instruments of change in their communities,
their workplaces, their personal lives. Even if change is
not on their agendas, this enlightening book will make listeners
more aware of how and why change takes place. This book should
be required reading for anyone embarking on the road of life.
Ruth
Mormon
10/14/07
