Elisha Lucero
While I’ve never read The Tipping Point due to the bevy of criticism levied against it, I have always cautiously enjoyed Gladwell’s other work. I’m also a sucker for a self-reflective reframing of where a previous idea might not have held up. This book did not satiate those expectations.
Admittedly, I was hoping this would serve as more of a rebuke of The Tipping Point’s misplaced influence and its solidification of discriminatory practices such as broken windows policing. What this turned into, however, was simply a “there’s more to the story”—and that story is, unfortunately, quite uninspired.
I found myself more intrigued by the individual stories told than by the through line of overstories and superspreaders that was intended to connect them.
One big plus though is the audiobook; I always love how Gladwell produces his audiobook versions to become something more than a read aloud. This particular book uses musical transitions and, more importantly, actual audio snippets of the interviews he is quoting.
While I’ve never read The Tipping Point due to the bevy of criticism levied against it, I have always cautiously enjoyed Gladwell’s other work. I’m also a sucker for a self-reflective reframing of where a previous idea might not have held up. This book did not satiate those expectations.
Admittedly, I was hoping this would serve as more of a rebuke of The Tipping Point’s misplaced influence and its solidification of discriminatory practices such as broken windows policing. What this turned into, however, was simply a “there’s more to the story”—and that story is, unfortunately, quite uninspired.
I found myself more intrigued by the individual stories told than by the through line of overstories and superspreaders that was intended to connect them.
One big plus though is the audiobook; I always love how Gladwell produces his audiobook versions to become something more than a read aloud. This particular book uses musical transitions and, more importantly, actual audio snippets of the interviews he is quoting.