About a year ago, I enjoyed reading The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell. I promptly (and likely incorrectly) declared myself a Maven and found myself thinking about what I had read frequently.
This summer, I finally got around to reading Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. The book is based on a premise known as “thin-slicing” – that is, making decisions based on limited and quickly-gained information. This is opposed to thick slicing – gathering much data over a long period of time to make more rational, informed decisions.
Interestingly enough, thin slicing is often highly accurate and helpful. Then there are times when we fail miserably – such as high-stress situations and when preconceived notions or prejudices get in our way.
Using fascinating examples and excellent storytelling, Gladwell weaves together a number of tales to illustrate how this thin slicing can work beautifully, and fail miserably. I haven’t sat with the information long enough to know if/how this will be practical in my life. But I found it so fascinating that I can’t wait to read Outliers – Gladwell’s newest book.
The verdict: If you enjoyed Freakonomics, or really got into your Psych or Sociology classes in school, Blink is a must-read.
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