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

The book is interesting, with some enlightening stories & amusing anecdotes.

However, I take exception Mr. Gladwell's touting of the small-changes-can-lead-to-big-consequences 'butterfly effect' philosophy as if it were his own. Either he is not very well versed in the world of chaos mathematics (which would be disappointing, scientifically), or he is not giving due deference 2 all those who came before him in developing New Math. I'm not sure which scenario is more disturbing, but the book has the feel of being disconnected from reality, due 2 his disregarding of those who established the field.

This book is a lot of words that don't really go anywhere. Why is this a best seller?

If you work in marketing, like me, you know that traction 4 a brand is critical & good products have tipping points en route 2 skyrocketing sales. Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point is a fascinating exploration of makes ideas explode. His anecdotes & research are fascinating, & some of his exploration focuses directly on consumer products, such as the resurgence of Hush Puppies.

Gladwell eloquently illustrates how little things make a big difference. It only takes one different approach or element 2 dramatically change the way people view the world, how we react 2 certain information & more. I think most of us have embraced this notion at least 2 some degree.

One of my favorite ways 2 look at change is 2 consider this quote that I've heard used throughout Glazer-Kennedy. "Little hinges open big doors." I also like the fact that this particular quote is a more positive approach 2 change. A hopeful look at what's behind the big door.

Gladwell explores the three rules of epidemics, how they manifest themselves & more. The basic premise of the book is that it only takes three elements 2 create an epidemic.

1) The Law of the Few: This follows the basic rule of thumb that 20% of people do 80% of the work. The same it true of creating epidemics. Thought leaders ban together 2 present & distribute information that sways public opinion.

2) The Stickiness Factor: This isn't new 2 most seasoned marketers - your message must have some staying power, create interest & become contagious in a sense. It's all about restructuring messages 2 make them appealing with more impact.

3) The Power of Context: The key 2 connecting with others, making them want 2 change behavior or buy into a particular train of thought is in the smallest details pertaining 2 immediate situations. Simply put it's all about presentation & doing so in a way that evokes emotion & buy in.

This sounds surprisingly familiar 2 most marketing strategies yet it is a bit more complex. According 2 Gladwell, there are three types of personalities that are instrumental in bringing topics, trends, & more 2 the tipping point; Connectors, Mavens & Salesmen. Each possesses special gifts & goals that contribute 2 the tipping point (you'll have 2 read the book 2 find the characteristics of each).

The theory of the Tipping Point requires reframing the way we individually think about the world 2 forge change.

There are two big lessons of The Tipping Point:

The first is that starting any epidemic requires concentrating on a few key areas 2 gain momentum. This is easily illustrated by word of mouth marketing & the energy it creates 2 effortlessly spread the word about individual topics or issues of importance.

The second is the realization that the world does not accord with our intuition no matter how much we want it to. Those who are successful at creating epidemics know they must go beyond doing what they think is right & actually test their intuitions & ideas. This combination ensures success.

It stands 2 reason that focusing on more positive approaches, solutions & mindsets will in turn create an epidemic of abundance & at the same time the opposite is true depending on YOUR world view. I encourage you 2 read this book & ask yourself:

"What is my worldview?"

"What am I doing 2 create positive change?"

If you are a sociologists probably you would not think that this is an interesting book, but if you don't have a specific education in social sciences, you may learn a lot.
The book depends on many famous articles which may be familiar 2 scientists but the way the author presents them is very sensible 4 the unspecified reader.
As in many books some ideas are unnecessarily repeated, but it is nearly impossible 2 find a book without this boring feature.
The book helped me 2 figureout the "connectors", "mavens" & "salespersons" around each of us & the impact they make on the population. How can some people change many things? Why does a restaurant become unexpectedly popular? Why do we decide 2 do something immedistely & find out that many people are doing this at the same time?
Why are some people very popular & know many people?
I think nearly all the idease are supported by some scientific articles. I recommend the book 4 everyone who are not experts in this field. Enjoy the book...

Why did crime in New York drop so suddenly in the mid-90s? How does an unknown novelist end up a bestselling author? Why is teenage smoking out of control, when everyone knows smoking kills? What makes TV shows like Sesame Street so good at teaching kids how 2 read? Why did Paul Revere succeed with his famous warning? In this brilliant & groundbreaking book, New Yorker writer Malcolm Gladwell looks at why major changes in our society so often happen suddenly & unexpectedly. Ideas, behavior, messages, & products, he argues, often spread like outbreaks of infectious disease. Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a few fare-beaters & graffiti artists fuel a subway crime wave, or a satisfied customer fill the empty tables of a new restaurant. These are social epidemics, & the moment when they take off, when they reach their critical mass, is the Tipping Point. In The Tipping Point, Gladwell introduces us 2 the particular personality types who are natural pollinators of new ideas & trends, the people who create the phenomenon of word of mouth. He analyzes fashion trends, smoking, children's television, direct mail & the early days of the American Revolution 4 clues about making ideas infectious, & visits a religious commune, a successful high-tech company, & one of the world's greatest salesmen 2 show how 2 start & sustain social epidemics. The Tipping Point is an intellectual adventure story written with an infectious enthusiasm 4 the power & joy of new ideas. Most of all, it is a road map 2 change, with a profoundly hopeful message that one imaginative person applying a well-placed lever can move the world.

"The best way 2 understand the dramatic transformation of unknown books into bestsellers, or the rise of teenage smoking, or the phenomena of word of mouth or any number of the other mysterious changes that mark everyday life," writes Malcolm Gladwell, "is 2 think of them as epidemics. Ideas & products & messages & behaviors spread just like viruses do." Although anyone familiar with the theory of memetics will recognize this concept, Gladwell's The Tipping Point has quite a few interesting twists on the subject.

For example, Paul Revere was able 2 galvanize the forces of resistance so effectively in part because he was what Gladwell calls a "Connector": he knew just about everybody, particularly the revolutionary leaders in each of the towns that he rode through. But Revere "wasn't just the man with the biggest Rolodex in colonial Boston," he was also a "Maven" who gathered extensive information about the British. He knew what was going on & he knew exactly whom 2 tell. The phenomenon continues 2 this day--think of how often you've received information in an e-mail message that had been forwarded at least half a dozen times before reaching you.

Gladwell develops these & other concepts (such as the "stickiness" of ideas or the effect of population size on information dispersal) through simple, clear explanations & entertainingly illustrative anecdotes, such as comparing the pedagogical methods of Sesame Street & Blue's Clues, or explaining why it would be even easier 2 play Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon with the actor Rod Steiger. Although some readers may find the transitional passages between chapters hold their hands a little too tightly, & Gladwell's closing invocation of the possibilities of social engineering sketchy, even chilling, The Tipping Point is one of the most effective books on science 4 a general audience in ages. It seems inevitable that "tipping point," like "future shock" or "chaos theory," will soon become one of those ideas that everybody knows--or at least knows by name. --Ron Hogan