The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell

Think about a match. Tiny. Simple. Seemingly innocuous. These are the things that may come to mind. Not at first do you think of forest fires and utter destruction. You probably didn't think about it causing people to flee from their homes or tattered belongings strewn across lawns. This is what The Tipping Point delves into--how the little things in life can actually make a big difference whether it be the reemergence of Hush Puppies, the success of Paul Revere, the effectiveness of the knowledge that Blues' Clues imparts to the young or any epidemic for that matter.

Malcolm Gladwell classifies his book as an "intellectual adventure story" and rightfully so. It's definitely an adventure as the book pulls you from the world of business, education, fashion and media drawing psychological conclusions from then all. Different than a novel in that it doesn't have a plot, it's just as entertaining for those of you who don't like to read non-fiction. Full of funny stories, interesting facts and great tips to succeed in life, The Tipping Point has it all. An example of Gladwell's entertaining and interesting writing starts in one of the first pages:

Yawning is incredibly contagious. I made some of you reading this yawn simply by writing the word "yawn". The people who yawned when they saw you yawn, meanwhile, were infected by the sight of you yawning--which is a second kind of contagion. They might even have yawned if they only heard you yawn, because yawning is also aurally contagious: if you play an audio-tape of a yawn to blind people, they'll yawn too. And finally, if you yawned as you read this, did the thought cross your mind--however unconsciously and fleetingly--that you might be tired? I suspect that for some of you it did, which means that yawns can also be emotionally contagious. Simply by writing the word, I can plant a feeling in your mind. Can the flu virus do that? Contagiousness, in other words, is an unexpected property of all kinds of things, and we have to remember that if we are to recognize and diagnose epidemic change.

Change and the path of epidemics were relatively untouched subjects until The Tipping Point. After it, a plethora of subject-related material emerged. Gladwell attributes the success of epidemics, trends and phenomena to three rules of epidemics: the Law of the Few, the Stickiness Factor and the Power of Context (all of which have a dedicated chapter).

Book Overview
The Three Rules of Epidemics:
1. The Law of the Few
- Connectors: have ties to connect people
- Mavens: want to help others make informed decisions
- Salemen: people with charisma who persuade people to make certain buying decisions
2. The Stickiness Factor
- the ability of a phenomena to retain its popularity by "sticking" in the minds of the people rather than turning into a fad
3. The Power of Context
- environment and timing is important for a trend to tip
- certain groups and certain types of groups must embrace it

Special Blog: Genre Plans

It's that time of the week! However, this week is a little more special than usual as the 3rd quarter comes to a close and the heat turns up. This quarter consisted of some good reading, although not as much as I had hoped. The genre that I have left for the 4th quarter, I believe, is a classic book having read a mystery book this quarter. This quarter, I chose a different path than I usually do. Rather than the realistic fiction like Sarah Dessen and Jodi Picoult I usually go for, I opted for an even more realistic genre: non-fiction. By reading books like Freakonomics, Superfreakonomics and The Tipping Point, I think that I'm really expanding my knowledge and having a fantastic time while doing. It's some really intriguing stuff that just might help in my day-to-day life. This quarter, I read the aforementioned Superfreakonomics, The Tipping Point as well as Angels & Demons (which also slightly strayed from the well trodden path) and I have to say, all these books were phenomenal. I am in the process of reading Talent is Overrated and I also got through A Crowd of One.
I really can't pick one book as my favorite. Honestly, they were all REALLY good. However, I will give out three(3) awards to showcase the versatility of my 3rd quarter reading:

The Best Vatican City Thriller Award goes to...Angels & Demons!
The Best Explanation of the Components of Trends goes to...The Tipping Point!
The Best Portmanteau Word goes to...Superfreakonomics!

AG

A Review of a Review: An NYT Review of a Very Reviewable Freakonomics

The New York Times takes on the two Ste(v/ph)ens. Jim Holt's review of Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner's Freakonomics delves into the intricacies of the book and reveals all the things that could have been done wrong. He highlights the fact that the economist of the two (Levitt) "strayed far from the customary paddock of the dismal science in search of interesting problems" which is something I touched on in my own review. It is true that Levitt did this, but he walks right back onto the path by connecting it to daily encounters and real-life situations. To so many, science has become boring and confusing. It's the kind of work Levitt and Dubner have shared that makes it interesting so much so that you wouldn't even call it science anymore--just freakonomics. Described as "an odd book" by Holt, I would never not not not agree to that statement. However, Holt implies that it's a bad thing. I checked the thesaurus and "bad" is not a synonym of "odd"..."freaky" is though. Holt does redeem himself, though, by crediting the great trivia and lengths that both authors (and others) went through in order to make this book possible--two of the things I most admire about this book. Holt ends his slight criticism and praise with a little paragraph about how economists are, for the most part, arrogant. (I can neither refute nor support that claim.) He gives Levitt and Dubner where credit is due and says that they are the odd ones out of his economist claim. Like Holt, I believed that this was a truly awesome book.

It's Been a While...Angels & Demons by Dan Brown

So...it's been a while. This time around I have a really good book to share: the very popular Angels & Demons by Dan Brown. It's definitely a change from my usual (sorry Sarah Dessen, Steven D. Levitt & Steven J. Dubner!). I'm glad I did start to read this because I had tried to read it before, but stopped because I didn't think I would like it...six pages in. I had heard a lot of good reviews (not on the movie though) from my brother and my friends, but never really got a chance to interrupt my reading roll of easier realistic fiction and entertaining economics books.

In short, Angels & Demons is the story of a well-known Harvard symbologist, Robert Langdon, who gets a mysterious call in the middle of night. Little did he know, that mysterious call would alter his perspective on life and put it in danger as well. That call came from a Maximilian Kohler, director of CERN--the European Organization for Nuclear Research as well as the inventors of the internet. Awaken and frankly annoyed by the call, Langdon gets up to find a picture printing in his fax machine: a disfigured man with a perfectly symmetrical brand on him that stated the group that Langdon had researched, pondered and questioned for so long. It was the Illuminati brand and he couldn't believe it. He travels to Switzerland then to the Vatican to try to save the world--yeah, it sounds cheesy, but read it to find out what happens!

So far (I'm 265 out of 569 pages in), it is an amazing book filled with suspense, an inevitable romance, facts that would blow your mind and writing that is equally amazing. Dan Brown captivates and makes a lot of small cliffhangers and creates the illusion that there is a dead end. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a great read.

Superfreakonomics Part Dos

Superfreakonomics continues to be super, Levitt and Dubner writing continue to dazzle, and I continue to read. I'm not quite finished yet, but it's mostly because I haven't had the time. With mid-winter break coming, I'll be sure to read more and maybe finish off a couple of books!

I really like these types of books--the ones that make you really think and see the inner workings of the world and the people that occupy it. Although this book has a more money, incentive perspective, it does reveal a lot about human nature. One chapter that directly related to this was Chapter 3: Unbelievable Stories About Apathy and Altruism which delves into the issue of people in pop culture and in reality and how they really connect.

I know I shouldn't really be thinking about this now, but the next book I want to read is of the same genre entitled Talent is Overrated by Geoff Calvin which was actually mentioned in this book how talent really doesn't matter when you're after something you really want to accomplish something. A segment of this book was supposed to be in this book but due to the amount of books addressing the topic, it wasn't included.

Overall, I'm really enjoying this book and I highly recommend it. No, it's not a story with an actual plot, but it is really captivating and it's not too difficult of a concept once you're into it.

Superfreaknomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

The time has come to admit that in our first book, we lied. Twice.
The first lie appeared in our introduction, where we wrote that the book had no "unifying theme."...But in truth, the book did have a unifying theme, even if it wasn't obvious at the time, even to us. If pressed, you could boil it down to four words: People respond to incentives. If you wanted to get more expansive, you might say this: People respond to incentives, although not necessarily in ways that are predictable or manifest. Therefore, one of the most powerful laws in the universe is the law of unintended consequences.

SUPERFREAKONOMICS (XIII-XIV)

That's how Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner begin "the explosive follow-up to Freakonomics" (which I also blogged about way back in October). After hours spent reading their book I was under the impression that it was a collection of random facts...and now they're telling me that they were lying? Yes, they are, and I am alright with that.

Superfreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes and why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance really is super so far. By tackling the questions and supporting the seemingly freaky raw data, Levitt and Dubner prove themselves to be the dynamic duo. Through their humor, personal anecdotes, and odd revelations through economics, they capture and push to read on.

The book is split into various chapters that question what most people dare not ask (or even think of): How is a street prostitute like a department-store Santa? and Why should suicide bombers buy life insurance? being just two of the mind-boggling and ultimately informative sections in this book.

What I like most about this book is that it's not only facts. It's not only economics. It's not only stories. It's not only the writing. It's all of it put together. This book has it all. The stories put the raw facts on a personal level while the facts put stories to bear more meaning. The writing keeps you hanging and the economic aspect...well, it makes you feel smart.

I highly recommend this book based on my freaky economic experience and the fact that I am enjoying this already. Packed with statistics and anecdotes written in a way that won't get you bored, this book is a good read. It's also not difficult and is relatively short. I have to get back to my reading now!

Escape to Manila Part II

Ephraim continues to impress and enlighten in Escape to Manila: From Nazi Tyranny to Japanese Terror. This engaging novel continues to state facts that are both interesting and informative. I've already learned so much about a topic that I thought I was well-informed about. In fact, in Global, we are currently learning about World War II and the Holocaust. I've heard stories about people escaping from the wrath of the Nazis by going to countries from all over Europe, but going to Asia and the Philippines specifically was a shock. I like how Ephraim makes this account so personal with the people he talks about and their connections with even others. Even though this book reads as a textbook at some points, it's been an enjoyable read.