Blink
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How do we make decisions--good and bad--and why are some people so much better at it than others? Thats 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 … More »
How do we make decisions--good and bad--and why are some people so much better at it than others? Thats 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.
Baker & Taylor
Draws on a range of case studies to explore the process by which people make decisions, explaining how the difference between good and bad decision making is directly related to the details on which people focus, and counseling readers on how to become better decision makers in every aspect of life. 200,000 first printing.
Book News
In this best-seller, a staff writer for The New Yorker weighs the factors that determine good decision-making. Drawing on recent cognitive research, Gladwell concludes that those who quickly filter out extraneous information generally make better decisions than those who discount their first impressions. The author of The Tipping Point (2000) cites the implications for such areas as emergency situations and marketing, plus some notable exceptions. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Hachette Book Group
In his landmark 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.
Baker
& Taylor
Explores the process by which people make decisions, explaining how the difference between good and bad decision making is directly related to the details on which people focus, and offers advice on how to improve decision making skills.
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Add Age SuitabilityIndigo_Fox_1 thinks this title is suitable for 11 years and over
Bazooka_B9 thinks this title is suitable for 10 years and over
Quotes
Add a QuoteMy favorite subtitle in the book (and there were a few contenders), had to be, "A man, a woman and a lightswitch"
"the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog"
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Add a CommentGut feeling, intuition, hunches: they are all real. They might not work quite the way we thought, but they are very real and Malcolm Gladwell tells us some things about them that certainly surprised me. Fascinating book.
Anyone who enjoys knowing how the mind works should enjoy this book. I also read Tipping Point, and found this to be much more approachable.
As hard as it has been to think about some of the limits to my attitudes Blink has created a new awareness in me of areas where my judgements have been too quick and based on prejudices. It helped me see areas where I have been influenced and not really thought about how I think. A great read.
The mind is constantly gathering, sorting and often discarding endless sensory inputs from the world. Most of it is noise, but often thoughts are flagged as worthy of our conscious attention. Occasionally, the mind insists something is important though our consciousness doesn't understand why. One might describe this as 'that nagging feeling'. This book is a collection of case studies that are mercifully light on scientific jargon and relate well to experiences we all know. I've interacted with and worked under people who consistently misunderstood the power of intuitive decision making. It's easy and intellectually lazy to point to a chart, a graph, a spreadsheet, or an equation and say, 'This is why we should go this way'. It takes guts and willpower to rely equally on your own life experience too. You won't always be right, but I believe, as this book does, that you'll be right much more often than you think.
very eye opening
Couldn't finish.
I a bit bias towards Malcolm Gladwell books. His writing is ego free, simple, engrossing and very interesting. In "Blink" Gladwell explains that the reader needs to trust their instinct. If something does not feel right at first glance you should trust your judgment. Humans have developed a keen sense of judgment that has been developed over millennia to survive and we can use those skills to interpret things in life. If you are like me you will finish this book in a record amount of time with a smile on your face.
Profiles professionals who are able to make accurate snap judgements in their field of expertise but doesn't really explain how they know what they know nor does it give practical advice as to how the ordinary person can make an accurate versus erroneous assessment in the blink of an eye.
I don't tend to read a lot of nonfiction, but a friend highly recommended Gladwell's works. Gladwell covered a vast area in this book, documenting thought in relation to everything from spousal realationships to the marketing of Pepsi and Coke. I was both impressed and disturbed at the thought of someone being able to determine the longevity of a relationship in a matter of minutes. Yet, when it comes down to it, we all make conclusions like that everyday. I find myself more aware of my thought process and curious as to what has led me to make the impressions I have due to this book.
one of my all-time favourites "edit details"