Tipped: Insider on Malcolm Gladwell

 

Award winning author and speaker, Malcolm Gladwell

 The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell unexpectedly changed my life. It started off as just another summer reading assignment for school, and ended up giving me a new perspective on the world. It is an adventure story that takes you deep into the minds of others, investigating the social epidemics that surround us today. His story invokes thought and conversation and allows you to find further meaning.
     His writing in this book and many of his other pieces has helped me to see detail in life. We look past many things without even thinking about it. I have come to find that this life is full of crazy adventures that we may not even know we are on. Malcolm Gladwell thinks outside of the box and finds smaller details in larger aspects. Many things in this world happen because of one person or one thing. We may not realize that our actions can make a big impact. In The Tipping Point, Gladwell goes on to talk about different things that impact us as a society.
     When he speaks of these various situations and theories, it is almost as if he is speaking to you. His voice is strong and powerful. One of the many things that I like about his writing style is that he puts you in the story and allows you to question yourself. He writes, " Think, for a moment, about the last expensive restaurant you went to, the last expensive piece of clothing you bought, the last movie you saw. In how many of those cases was your decision about where to spend your money heavily influenced by the recommendation of a friend?" This type of writing is conversational and familiar because it is as if you are having a regular discussion with a friend. When he introduces a theory or an idea, he will more than likely say it by "talking" to you in a form such as this. I have never been a huge non-fiction fan, but after reading The Tipping Point, and many of his other books such as Outliers and Blink, I have given it a second chance. 

     Gladwell ends The Tipping Point by stating, “Look at the world around you. It may seem like an immovable, implacable place. It is not. With the slightest push- in just the right place- it can be tipped.” This inspirational advice led to me to the realization that although the world is a big place and most people think they cannot make an impact, with just the smallest push in the right place, it can be tipped. I can make a difference and you can make a difference too.