Book 21: Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

NUMBER: 21
TITLE: Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
AUTHOR: Malcolm Gladwell
STARTED: March 31, 2005
FINISHED: April 3, 2005
PAGES: 265
GENRE: Non-Fiction

FIRST SENTENCE: In September of 1983, an art dealer by the name of Gianfranco Becchina approached the J. Paul Getty Museum in California.

SUMMARY: [From barnesandnoble.com] How do we make decisions - good and bad - and why are some people so much better at it than others? That's the question Malcolm Gladwell asks and answers in the follow-up to his huge bestseller, The Tipping Point. Utilizing case studies as diverse as speed dating, pop music, and the shooting of Amadou Diallo, Gladwell reveals that what we think of as decisions made in the blink of an eye are much more complicated than assumed. Drawing on cutting-edge neuroscience and psychology, he shows how the difference between good decision-making and bad has nothing to do with how much information we can process quickly, but on the few particular details on which we focus. Leaping boldly from example to example, displaying all of the brilliance that made The Tipping Point a classic, Gladwell reveals how we can become better decision makers--in our homes, our offices, and in everyday life. The result is a book that is surprising and transforming. Never again will you think about thinking the same way.

REASON FOR READING: I may have to review this for my university's paper.

THOUGHTS: This book made me want to trust my gut instinct even more. While some of the book got into the nitty-gritty technical stuff that made me cringe, overall it was a good book. The author does a great job of collecting, analyzing, and retelling personal stories. The author takes a subject that people talk about all the time, but they never actually sit down and ponder what they're talking about. This book is great for anyone who has ever wondered why they trust instinct over rational thought.

MISCELLANEOUS: blink, blink, blink... nice

KEEP/SHARE/CRINGE(?): Giving back to the person I borrowed it from
RATING: 6/10 [Very Good]

CR: The Care and Feeding of Pirates by Jennifer Ashley
RN: Fire & Ice by Catherine Hart