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OWL BOOK REVIEW
AVIARY
Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point, How Little
Things Can Make a Big Difference.
Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 2000
ISBN: 0-316-31696-2
The Tipping Point is a must read book for a lot
of people: those in marketing, public relations, leadership, education,
and just about anyone who wants to learn while experiencing a good read.
Gladwell considers a fascinating question: How is it that
so many major changes occur suddenly, almost unexpectedly? He explains
the idea that he calls the Tipping Point, where a critical mass is reached
and a phenomenon takes off.
Gladwell identifies three characteristics of the Tipping
Point:
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contagiousness
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little causes can have big effects, and
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change happens not gradually but at one dramatic moment.
Throughout the rest of the book, Gladwell explains
these three characteristics in detail. For example, contagiousness
has something to do with what he calls the Stickiness Factor, which means
the message has an impact; The Law of the Few refers to the critical people
who sell the idea, who make it "sticky;" and The Power of Context, which
suggests that people are more influenced by their environment than we normally
credit them.
Gladwell's summary of the research is fascinating; his
capacity to take complicated materials and relate them in a story-like
fashion is reminiscent of Daniel Goleman's writing abilities. He then applies
his ideas to major social problems such as smoking, and explains why our
current efforts to curb smoking among teenagers is bound to fail.
If Gladwell is correct, then we need to "reframe the way
we think about the world." And while, he suggests that the Tipping Point
implies volatility, it also offers us hopefulness. As Gladwell concludes,
"With the slightest push—in just the right place—it can be tipped."
Janelle Barlow, President
TMI, USA
 Previous
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