Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
Author(s) | Malcolm Gladwell |
ISBN10 | 0316057908 |
ISBN13 | 9780316057905 |
Format | Paperback |
Pages | 320 |
Year Publish | 2007 April |
Synopsis
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.
Praise:
"Blink presents scientific research in clear and compelling language. Gladwell's curiosity, enthusiasm, and humor permeate the book, and idealistic intellectuals should delight in his call to use "practical problem solving," grounded in our understanding of how our thinking actually works, to address social ills such as racially biased criminal convictions. As a reminder of the frequent flaws of conscious decisions and an introduction to the potential of the brain's unconscious power, this book is highly recommended."
--Armchairinterviews.com
"BLINK an 'intriguing exploration' of how, at a glance, we can understand the essence of something."
--USAToday
"Get the book, read it, understand the process behind it, and start utilizing the processes in your life. Blink and you will find yourself knowing more instantly without spending hours of constantly chasing the shadow for wanting more output or production or insight, or whatever it is you are seeking to have more power over."
--Myshelf.com
"If you get home from a shopping trip and find that you've made a number of impulse buys, recall Blink and the fact that advertisers are intentionally inundating you with information so as to influence that split second when you make a decision to buy. Although Gladwell's books have been quite influential to marketers, don’t forget that they can be just as informative to you as a buyer."
--Thesimpledollar.com
About The Author:
Malcolm Gladwell is the author of three other books, The Tipping Point, Blink, and What the Dog Saw, all of which are New York Times bestsellers. He has been a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1996, prior to which he was a reporter with the Washington Post, where he covered business and science and also served as the newspaper's New York City bureau chief. Gladwell was born in England, grew up in rural Ontario, and now lives in New York City.
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.
Praise:
"Blink presents scientific research in clear and compelling language. Gladwell's curiosity, enthusiasm, and humor permeate the book, and idealistic intellectuals should delight in his call to use "practical problem solving," grounded in our understanding of how our thinking actually works, to address social ills such as racially biased criminal convictions. As a reminder of the frequent flaws of conscious decisions and an introduction to the potential of the brain's unconscious power, this book is highly recommended."
--Armchairinterviews.com
"BLINK an 'intriguing exploration' of how, at a glance, we can understand the essence of something."
--USAToday
"Get the book, read it, understand the process behind it, and start utilizing the processes in your life. Blink and you will find yourself knowing more instantly without spending hours of constantly chasing the shadow for wanting more output or production or insight, or whatever it is you are seeking to have more power over."
--Myshelf.com
"If you get home from a shopping trip and find that you've made a number of impulse buys, recall Blink and the fact that advertisers are intentionally inundating you with information so as to influence that split second when you make a decision to buy. Although Gladwell's books have been quite influential to marketers, don’t forget that they can be just as informative to you as a buyer."
--Thesimpledollar.com
About The Author:
Malcolm Gladwell is the author of three other books, The Tipping Point, Blink, and What the Dog Saw, all of which are New York Times bestsellers. He has been a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1996, prior to which he was a reporter with the Washington Post, where he covered business and science and also served as the newspaper's New York City bureau chief. Gladwell was born in England, grew up in rural Ontario, and now lives in New York City.