July 2006: The Tipping Point (Gladwell)

Post date: Jan 07, 2010 8:45:23 PM

One of the key points in The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell (©2000) is the importance of context, and we noted the importance of place for good bookclub turnout. Recent meetings had smaller attendance--attributed to last-minute and too-noisy locations. Intrigued to check out Point Richmond on July 18, 2006, many of us were delighted at the scenic drive and the view from Monica's beautiful apartment, and 15 of us sat comfortably in a light-filled room. Discussion was good because not everyone bought the concept that there is a tipping point as Gladwell describes it. Because the book considers various factors in how trends and epidemics spread, discussion expanded to scenarios such as "Great-uncle Jim" and his Mississippi levees idea that needed a good "salesman" 90 years ago in addition to the fascinating examples and case studies covered in the book (which are at least as memorable as Gladwell's "law of the few," "stickiness factor" and "context" in affecting trends, or his thesis "that ideas, products, messages and behaviors spread just like viruses do," according to Publisher's Weekly). We appreciated the book for its provocation of thought as much as for its interesting reading and content.