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Blink - Malcolm Gladwell

Blink

By Malcolm Gladwell

  • Release Date: 2007-04-03
  • Genre: Management & Leadership
Score: 4
4
From 950 Ratings

Description

From the #1 bestselling author of The Bomber Mafia, the landmark book that has revolutionized the way we understand leadership and decision making. In his breakthrough bestseller The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell redefined how we understand the world around us. Now, in Blink, he revolutionizes the way we understand the world within. Blink is a book about how we think without thinking, about choices that seem to be made in an instant--in the blink of an eye--that actually aren't as simple as they seem. Why are some people brilliant decision makers, while others are consistently inept? Why do some people follow their instincts and win, while others end up stumbling into error? How do our brains really work--in the office, in the classroom, in the kitchen, and in the bedroom? And why are the best decisions often those that are impossible to explain to others? In Blink we meet the psychologist who has learned to predict whether a marriage will last, based on a few minutes of observing a couple; the tennis coach who knows when a player will double-fault before the racket even makes contact with the ball; the antiquities experts who recognize a fake at a glance. Here, too, are great failures of "blink": the election of Warren Harding; "New Coke"; and the shooting of Amadou Diallo by police. Blink reveals that great decision makers aren't those who process the most information or spend the most time deliberating, but those who have perfected the art of "thin-slicing"--filtering the very few factors that matter from an overwhelming number of variables.

Reviews

  • Interesting Takeaways But Dragging

    3
    By M_Lubo
    While I appreciate the research and the important points the author makes, some of the anecdotes are repetitive. The book could have been much more condensed.
  • Good

    5
    By Tavowavo
    Good
  • Great for Engineers and project managers

    5
    By hmshector
    Does good job explaining the difference and use case for statistical analysis and quick judgement.
  • Superb

    5
    By Jeff prz
    Loved all of the stories. Gladwell is expert at drawing conclusions through storytelling. Such an enjoyable and insightful mean. I will carry these ideas with me for the rest of my life. Well done.
  • Incredibly invigorating

    5
    By TDSanchez031990
    M. Gladwell never ceases to amaze me. This book offers clear and concise examples that challenge the reader to think about decisions made from our unconscious mind and how easily our snap judgements can fail us. I love this book and will read again.
  • It was an excellent book.

    5
    By caribbean man
    I like how Blink explains snap decision making and it’s importance. It also discusses how to not get lost in information but rather use the information to better understanding.
  • Blink

    5
    By DonDominick
    Great book for unconventional thinkers
  • Metacognition

    5
    By J. Fix
    Malcom Gladwell simply makes one think about... well, how one actually thinks. “Blink” brings critical awareness of oneself as a thinker and learner. Appropriately thin-sliced into multiple vignettes, “Blink” helps one view problem sets from different perspectives that will expand ones thinking within a nanosecond or blink-of-an-eye.
  • Counterintuitive

    4
    By Richard Bakare
    Throughout the entirety of Blink you end up seeing how counterintuitive our first impressions to so many things are. From taste tests, to wartime strategy, and most importantly to how we interpret other people. To start to accept this idea you first have to accept a series of rules. The first is that snap judgments are natural and seem accurate enough for many scenarios. The second is that we can’t play an active part in that snap judgment. The next and probably biggest understanding is knowing which snap decisions to trust and which to actively work against. In his book, “Talking to Strangers,” Gladwell does a great job of explaining that third part, the filter. The filter being CONTEXT of course. In Blink he lays out how we quickly judge, and in the other he dives into how butcher context. For that reason you should absolutely read Blink first, followed closely by “Talking to Strangers.” All of this is done in Gladwell’s well established style. That trademark elaborate journey layered with anecdotes, tests, and expert insights that all combine to demonstrate powerful patterns. It’s how you wish we learned most everything. At least in an exploratory sense. Seeding the curiosity, watering it, and waiting for that lightbulb like bloom that represents the “aha” moment.
  • Outdated references to neuroscience literature

    2
    By Shtoh
    The author draws on research such as the IAT which has a test-retest factor of only -.35, if being generous. There are still some sound factors of reactive decision making proposed and that is valuable.

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