Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking
by Malcolm Gladwell
by Malcolm Gladwell
Published by Little, Brown and Company; 2005; 288 pp.
There is a risk that this book
could be taken as just another pop-psychology fad. That would be a serious error. All of us have had the sense that we knew the
right answer to a complex problem as soon as we were faced with it. Gladwell takes that thought and provides
scientific and common-sense insight as to why and how we can make snap
decisions with confidence. This book is
not, however, simply a scientific review of a psychological approach to problem
solving. It is an intelligent and
engaging series of stories that keep the reader captivated. Going into this book one might think it will
be stuffy. However, Gladwell’s style and
assembly of information makes this closer to a mystery that needs to be solved
than a scientific summary. He has
written a true page-turner.
The book also has some warnings,
especially for those in positions to make critical decisions. The lead story, presented in the
introduction, shows how an aggressive institution seeking to make a name for
itself fell into a trap of believing what they wanted to believe. The so-called experts supported conventional
wisdom which was probably not so wise.
Experienced observers who were not consulted for their expertise,
provided a dissenting view. The result
was that the Getty
Museum
In the business world, sometimes
there are those in power who got there by – what Gladwell calls – the Warren
Harding Error. This phenomenon is
manifested by raising up those to whom we look up; tall men (and, yes, it’s
often men) who have an air of distinction are elevated to leadership
roles. This is often how presidents are
elected, including Warren Harding.
Everyone in business has witnessed this phenomenon. Of course, there are some exceptional
examples of great business leaders – Jack Welch and Lou Gerstner come to mind –
who were not large in stature. However,
there are many with whom we come in contact that have more height than
brains. We’ve all seen it and know
individuals who qualify.
Other examples in this book
present us with how decisions are made in war settings, how marketing the
“right” idea to the right audience can be elusive, how assumptions and
interpretation of people’s thinking can result in a tragic response or
brilliant insight. Anyone who wants to
think smarter should read this book.
Anyone who wants to gain insight into how people react to each other
(that is also to say, how others react to each of us) should read this
book. Anyone involved in critical
decisions – from waging war to determining compatibility in marriage – should
read this book. It is as easy to
recommend this book as it is to read it; in fact, recommending it is made easy
by its ease of reading.
