Blink by Malcolm Gladwell | Teen Ink

Blink by Malcolm Gladwell MAG

June 5, 2015
By AlaNova ELITE, Naperville, Illinois
AlaNova ELITE, Naperville, Illinois
257 articles 0 photos 326 comments

Favorite Quote:
Dalai Lama said, "There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done. One is called YESTERDAY and the other is called TOMORROW, so today is the right day to love, believe, do, and mostly live..."


What happens in the first two seconds you initially meet someone? Do you pick up on more than their expression, hair, or clothes? Do these snap judgments impact us more than we realize? And how powerful are they, truly?

Malcolm Gladwell blends psychological thinking and his pen to change the way we think. Bringing together stories from military men to musicians, from speed-dating to saving lives, Gladwell introduces the theory of thin-slicing – “the ability of our unconscious to find patterns in situations and behavior based on very narrow slices of experience.”

I was dazzled by Blink, despite the fact that it was assigned for school. Categorized as nonfiction, the book seems to land in every genre. Any previous schema will be shattered as Gladwell brings our most accepted societal theorems down for recycling. And everything goes – from how much we really control our own race preferences, to “locked door” priming, to the disastrous consequences when our snap decisions are pushed into tight situations.

And all the while, the stories to prove the stats are immensely entertaining. Gladwell delves into every scenario as a masterful writer, only these are real people, and the scope and depth of the research astounds. Particularly amazing is the way Gladwell describes the arrival of each main player – again, all real people – as if he is doing the thin-slicing for you. The scene’s set, the predicament tangible, and the excitement high; all you have to do is blink.

The author's comments:

What does "THHRe" stand for? Good question! It's THE HOLY HITCHHIKE’S REVIEW...A shorter version of the Hitchhike, reviews of books, movies, music, and just about anything you can dream up. Enjoy, and let loose your commentary and suggestions below. A new column of THH every Friday!

 

And it's a double week! Don't forget to check out my review on Malcolm Gladwell's David and Goliath! 


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