What work of art, music, science, mathematics, or literature has surprised, unsettled, or challenged you, and in what way?
When assigned summer reading each year, I lack enthusiasm seeing as the only analysis of the books consist of solely reading quizzes and little discussion in the classroom. Yet while reading The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell over this last summer, I was increasingly drawn in by all of the different concepts he tied together to explicate trends and epidemics. I am usually rather skeptical of books on theories that describe human behavior, for they are often presented in a narrow-minded and pretentious approach; however, Gladwell delivers his premise in such an articulate manner that makes his argument difficult to deny.
Essentially, the Tipping Point describes the movement and expansion of trends, and why some are more infectious than others. Using various real-life examples, including views from scientists, marketers, public health experts and TV show creators, Gladwell establishes credibility to build upon a central point that little things can make a big difference. As the book progressed, I found myself shocked at how many of his examples related to my own life. For example, I connected the Sesame Street legacy to my own niece's infatuation with Elmo, and linked my own peers to connectors, mavens, and salesmen, Gladwell's influential trendsetters. One of Gladwell's main ideas is the "stickiness" factor of a fad-how well a message makes an impact-and to me; The Tipping Point holds a high stickiness factor, jarring my initial impressions.
When assigned summer reading each year, I lack enthusiasm seeing as the only analysis of the books consist of solely reading quizzes and little discussion in the classroom. Yet while reading The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell over this last summer, I was increasingly drawn in by all of the different concepts he tied together to explicate trends and epidemics. I am usually rather skeptical of books on theories that describe human behavior, for they are often presented in a narrow-minded and pretentious approach; however, Gladwell delivers his premise in such an articulate manner that makes his argument difficult to deny.
Essentially, the Tipping Point describes the movement and expansion of trends, and why some are more infectious than others. Using various real-life examples, including views from scientists, marketers, public health experts and TV show creators, Gladwell establishes credibility to build upon a central point that little things can make a big difference. As the book progressed, I found myself shocked at how many of his examples related to my own life. For example, I connected the Sesame Street legacy to my own niece's infatuation with Elmo, and linked my own peers to connectors, mavens, and salesmen, Gladwell's influential trendsetters. One of Gladwell's main ideas is the "stickiness" factor of a fad-how well a message makes an impact-and to me; The Tipping Point holds a high stickiness factor, jarring my initial impressions.
