Malcolm Gladwell Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! == Works == With the release of ''[[The Bomber Mafia|The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War]]'' in April 2021, Gladwell has had seven books published. When asked for the process behind his writing, he said: "I have two parallel things I'm interested in. One is, I'm interested in collecting interesting stories, and the other is I'm interested in collecting interesting research. What I'm looking for is cases where they overlap".<ref name=aps>Jaffe, Eric. [http://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/getArticle.cfm?id=1954 "Malcolm in the Middle"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322224304/http://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/getArticle.cfm?id=1954 |date=22 March 2012 }}, psychologicalscience.org, March 2006.</ref> ===''The Tipping Point''=== {{Main|The Tipping Point}} The initial inspiration for his first book, ''The Tipping Point'', which was published in 2000, came from the sudden drop of crime in [[New York City]]. He wanted the book to have a broader appeal than just crime, however, and sought to explain similar phenomena through the lens of [[epidemiology]]. While Gladwell was a reporter for ''The Washington Post'', he covered the [[AIDS]] epidemic. He began to take note of "how strange epidemics were", saying epidemiologists have a "strikingly different way of looking at the world". The term "[[Tipping point (sociology)#Other uses|tipping point]]" comes from the moment in an epidemic when the virus reaches [[critical mass]] and begins to spread at a much higher rate.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/unbound/interviews/ba2000-03-29.htm|title=Interview {{!}} ''Epidemic'' Proportions|date=29 March 2000|first=Toby|last= Lester|website=www.theatlantic.com|access-date=6 July 2018}}</ref> Gladwell's theories of crime were heavily influenced by the "[[broken windows theory]]" of policing, and Gladwell is credited for packaging and popularizing the theory in a way that was implementable in New York City. Gladwell's theoretical implementation bears a striking resemblance to the "[[Stop-and-frisk in New York City|stop-and-frisk]]" policies of the NYPD.<ref name="Smithsonian">{{cite web |url = http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sorry-malcolm-gladwell-nycs-drop-in-crime-not-due-to-broken-window-theory-12636297/?no-ist|title = Sorry, Malcolm Gladwell: NYC's Drop in Crime Not Due to Broken Window Theory|date = 6 February 2013|access-date = 10 April 2015|last = Nuwer|first = Rachel|author-link = Rachel Nuwer|website = [[The Smithsonian Magazine]]}}</ref> However, in the decade and a half since its publication, ''The Tipping Point'' and Gladwell have both come under fire for the tenuous link between "broken windows" and New York City's drop in violent crime. During a 2013 interview with [[BBC]] journalist [[Jon Ronson]] for ''[[The Culture Show]]'', Gladwell admitted that he was "too in love with the broken-windows notion". He went on to say that he was "so enamored by the metaphorical simplicity of that idea that I overstated its importance".<ref name="PubliclyShamed">{{cite book | title=So You've Been Publicly Shamed | publisher=Pan MacMillan |author=Ronson, Jon |year=2015 | pages=160–162 | isbn=978-1-59448-713-2}}</ref> ===''Blink''=== {{Main|Blink (book)}} After ''The Tipping Point,'' Gladwell published ''Blink'' in 2005. The book explains how the human [[Unconscious mind|unconscious]] interprets events or cues as well as how past experiences can lead people to make informed decisions very rapidly. Gladwell uses examples like the [[Getty kouros]] and psychologist [[John Gottman]]'s research on the likelihood of [[divorce]] in [[Marriage|married couples]]. Gladwell's hair was the inspiration for ''Blink''. He stated that once he allowed his hair to get longer, he started to get speeding tickets all the time, an oddity considering that he had never gotten one before and that he started getting pulled out of airport security lines for special attention.<ref name=Independent>{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/malcolm-gladwell-a-good-hair-day-470479.html|title=Malcolm Gladwell: A good hair day|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|first=Johnny|last=Davis|date=19 March 2006|access-date=6 July 2018|language=en-GB}}</ref> In a particular incident, he was apprehended by three police officers while walking in downtown Manhattan because his curly hair matched the profile of a rapist, despite the fact the suspect looked nothing like him otherwise.<ref name=Independent /> Gladwell's ''The Tipping Point'' (2000) and ''Blink'' (2005) were international bestsellers. ''The Tipping Point'' sold more than two million copies in the United States. ''Blink'' sold equally well.<ref name=nyt/><ref>{{cite news |title = Gladwell: I was an outsider many times over |url = http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article6436694.ece |newspaper = [[Times Online]] |date = June 2009 |first = Jenny |last = Booth }} {{subscription required}}</ref> As of November 2008, the two books had sold a combined 4.5 million copies.<ref name=timeoutliers/> ===''Outliers''=== {{Main|Outliers (book)}} Gladwell's third book, ''Outliers'', published in 2008, examines how a person's environment, in conjunction with personal drive and motivation, affects his or her possibility and opportunity for success. Gladwell's original question revolved around lawyers: "We take it for granted that there's this guy in New York who's the corporate lawyer, right? I just was curious: Why is it all the same guy?", referring to the fact that "a surprising number of the most powerful and successful corporate lawyers in New York City have almost the exact same biography".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Q and A with Malcolm |url=http://gladwell.com/outliers/outliers-q-and-a-with-malcolm/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171110154713/http://gladwell.com/outliers/outliers-q-and-a-with-malcolm/ |archive-date=10 November 2017 |access-date=14 April 2021 |website=Gladwell.com }}</ref><ref name=timeoutliers/> In another example given in the book, Gladwell noticed that people ascribe [[Bill Gates]]'s success to being "really smart" or "really ambitious". He noted that he knew a lot of people who are really smart and really ambitious, but not worth $60 billion. "It struck me that our understanding of success was really crude—and there was an opportunity to dig down and come up with a better set of explanations." ===''What the Dog Saw''=== {{Main|What the Dog Saw}} Gladwell's fourth book, ''What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures'', was published in 2009. ''What the Dog Saw'' bundles together Gladwell's favourites of his articles from ''[[The New Yorker]]'' since he joined the magazine as a staff writer in 1996.<ref name="IanSample">{{cite news|last=Sample|first=Ian|title=What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell|work=The Guardian|date=17 October 2009|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/oct/17/what-the-dog-saw-gladwell-review|access-date=27 October 2009|location=London}}</ref> The stories share a common theme, namely that Gladwell tries to show us the world through the eyes of others, even if that other happens to be a dog.<ref name=nytimes>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/15/books/review/Pinker-t.html|title=Book Review – 'What the Dog Saw – And Other Adventures', by Malcolm Gladwell|last=Pinker|first=Steven|date=7 November 2009|work=The New York Times}}</ref><ref name=latimes>Reynolds, Susan Salter (22 November 2009), [https://articles.latimes.com/2009/nov/22/entertainment/la-ca-malcolm-gladwell22-2009nov22 "'What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures' by Malcolm Gladwell – The New Yorker writer's sense of curiosity burns bright in this collection of essays"], ''Los Angeles Times''.</ref> ===''David and Goliath''=== {{Main|David and Goliath (book)}} Gladwell's fifth book, ''David and Goliath'', was released in October 2013, and examines the struggle of underdogs versus favourites. The book is partially inspired by an article Gladwell wrote for ''The New Yorker'' in 2009 entitled "How David Beats Goliath".<ref>{{cite web|first=Malcolm|last= Gladwell|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/05/11/how-david-beats-goliath |title=How David Beats Goliath|website= newyorker.com|date= 4 May 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/books/2012/07/malcolm-gladwells-book-about-underdogs.html|title=Malcolm Gladwell's book about underdogs|publisher=Cbc.ca|date=11 July 2012|access-date=9 July 2013|archive-date=4 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004223356/http://www.cbc.ca/books/2012/07/malcolm-gladwells-book-about-underdogs.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The book was a bestseller but received mixed reviews.<ref>Maslin, Janet (4 October 2013). "[https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/books/david-and-goliath-by-malcolm-gladwell.html Finding Talking Points Among the Underdogs]", ''The New York Times''.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/8042fae0-2a7f-11e3-8fb8-00144feab7de.html|title='David and Goliath' by Malcolm Gladwell|first=Lucy|last=Kellaway|work=Financial Times|date=4 October 2013}} {{subscription required}}</ref><ref>Junod, Tom (25 November 2013). "[http://www.esquire.com/fiction/books/malcolm-gladwell-1213 Malcolm Gladwell Runs Out of Tricks]", ''Esquire''.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-09-29/gladwell-tells-us-stuff-only-dummies-don-t-know-books|title=Gladwell Tells Us Stuff Only Dummies Don't Know: Books|work=Bloomberg|date=29 September 2013|first=Craig|last=Seligman}} {{subscription required}}</ref> ===''Talking to Strangers''=== {{Main|Talking to Strangers}} Gladwell's sixth book, ''Talking to Strangers'', was released September 2019. The book examines interactions with strangers, covers examples that include the deceptions of [[Bernie Madoff]], the trial of [[Amanda Knox]], the suicide of [[Sylvia Plath]], the [[Jerry Sandusky]] pedophilia case at [[Penn State]], and the death of [[Sandra Bland]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/books/new-malcolm-gladwell-book-titled-talking-to-strangers-coming-in-september-1.5007696|title=New Malcolm Gladwell book, titled Talking to Strangers, coming in September|last=Balser|first=Erin|date=6 February 2019|website=CBC Books}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first1=Sean|last1=O'Hagan|access-date=1 September 2019|title=Malcolm Gladwell: 'I'm just trying to get people to take psychology seriously'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/sep/01/malcolm-gladwell-interview-talking-to-strangers-apolitical|newspaper=The Guardian|date=1 September 2019|issn=0261-3077|via=www.theguardian.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first1=Amy|last1=Chozick|access-date=1 September 2019|title=With 'Talking to Strangers,' Malcolm Gladwell Goes Dark | via=Cengage | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191217213720/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/30/business/malcolm-gladwell-talking-to-strangers.html | archive-date=17 December 2019 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/30/business/malcolm-gladwell-talking-to-strangers.html|newspaper=The New York Times| date=1 September 2019 | page=1L | orig-date=30 August 2019|issn=0362-4331 | id={{Gale|A598281962}}}}</ref> Gladwell explained what inspired him to write the book as being "struck by how many high profile cases in the news were about the same thing—strangers misunderstanding each other."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thenextchapter/full-episode-jan-4-2020-1.5410673/why-malcolm-gladwell-believes-humans-are-terrible-at-detecting-lies-and-why-we-all-need-to-get-better-at-it-1.5410826|title=Why Malcolm Gladwell believes humans are terrible at detecting lies – and why we all need to get better at it|last=Rogers|first=Shelagh|date=3 January 2020|work=CBC|access-date=30 January 2020}}</ref> It challenges the assumptions we are programmed to make when encountering strangers, and the potentially dangerous consequences of misreading people we do not know.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/307823/talking-to-strangers/9780241351567.html|title=Talking to Strangers|last=Gladwell|first=Malcolm|website=www.penguin.co.uk|language=en|access-date=5 September 2019|archive-date=5 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905131203/https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/307823/talking-to-strangers/9780241351567.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> ===''The Bomber Mafia''=== {{Main|The Bomber Mafia}} Gladwell's seventh book, ''[[The Bomber Mafia|The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War]]'', was released in April 2021. The book weaves together the stories of a Dutch genius and his homemade computer, a band of brothers in central Alabama, a British psychopath, and pyromaniacal chemists at Harvard to examine one of the greatest moral challenges in modern American history.<ref>{{Cite book|isbn = 978-0316296618|title = The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War|last1 = Gladwell|first1 = Malcolm|year=2021| publisher=Little, Brown }}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page