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The Tipping Point #2
Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Audiobook (2024), Nominee for Readers' Favorite Nonfiction (2024)Twenty-five years after the publication of his groundbreaking first book, Malcolm Gladwell returns with a brand-new volume that reframes the lessons of The Tipping Point in a startling and revealing light.
Why is Miami…Miami? What does the heartbreaking fate of the cheetah tell us about the way we raise our children? Why do Ivy League schools care so much about sports? What is the Magic Third, and what does it mean for racial harmony? In this provocative new work, Malcolm Gladwell returns for the first time in twenty-five years to the subject of social epidemics and tipping points, this time with the aim of explaining the dark side of contagious phenomena.
Through a series of riveting stories, Gladwell traces the rise of a new and troubling form of social engineering. He takes us to the streets of Los Angeles to meet the world’s most successful bank robbers, rediscovers a forgotten television show from the 1970s that changed the world, visits the site of a historic experiment on a tiny cul-de-sac in northern California, and offers an alternate history of two of the biggest epidemics of our day: COVID and the opioid crisis. Revenge of the Tipping Point is Gladwell’s most personal book yet. With his characteristic mix of storytelling and social science, he offers a guide to making sense of the contagions of modern world. It’s time we took tipping points seriously.
Why is Miami…Miami? What does the heartbreaking fate of the cheetah tell us about the way we raise our children? Why do Ivy League schools care so much about sports? What is the Magic Third, and what does it mean for racial harmony? In this provocative new work, Malcolm Gladwell returns for the first time in twenty-five years to the subject of social epidemics and tipping points, this time with the aim of explaining the dark side of contagious phenomena.
Through a series of riveting stories, Gladwell traces the rise of a new and troubling form of social engineering. He takes us to the streets of Los Angeles to meet the world’s most successful bank robbers, rediscovers a forgotten television show from the 1970s that changed the world, visits the site of a historic experiment on a tiny cul-de-sac in northern California, and offers an alternate history of two of the biggest epidemics of our day: COVID and the opioid crisis. Revenge of the Tipping Point is Gladwell’s most personal book yet. With his characteristic mix of storytelling and social science, he offers a guide to making sense of the contagions of modern world. It’s time we took tipping points seriously.
9 pages, Audiobook
First published October 1, 2024
7108 people are currently reading
82007 people want to read
About the author
Malcolm Gladwell
139 books39.6k followersMalcolm Timothy Gladwell is a Canadian journalist, author, and public speaker. He has been a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1996. He has published seven books. He is also the host of the podcast Revisionist History and co-founder of the podcast company Pushkin Industries.
Gladwell's writings often deal with the unexpected implications of research in the social sciences, such as sociology and psychology, and make frequent and extended use of academic work. Gladwell was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2011.
Gladwell's writings often deal with the unexpected implications of research in the social sciences, such as sociology and psychology, and make frequent and extended use of academic work. Gladwell was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2011.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,909 reviews
August 8, 2025
I think his books often point out small things in our society that we don’t usually notice. 🤔
The author likes to use numbers and facts to explain stories and show the truth.
Small actions or ideas can grow into something big when they reach a "tipping point," like how one small push can make all the dominoes fall.
Stories and ideas can spread quickly, like a virus, and they can change the way we think or act.
But it is not just good ideas that spread. Bad ones can spread too, causing problems or harmful trends.
It is important not to believe everything you hear. Always think carefully about the information you get and how it might be affecting you.
People, businesses, and governments can use these ideas to make something grow, like a new product, a campaign, or a movement.
The trick is to focus on small, smart steps instead of trying to do everything at once. 🙌
The big message is that sudden, big changes usually happen because of lots of small, smart moves coming together at the right time.
The author likes to use numbers and facts to explain stories and show the truth.
Small actions or ideas can grow into something big when they reach a "tipping point," like how one small push can make all the dominoes fall.
Stories and ideas can spread quickly, like a virus, and they can change the way we think or act.
But it is not just good ideas that spread. Bad ones can spread too, causing problems or harmful trends.
It is important not to believe everything you hear. Always think carefully about the information you get and how it might be affecting you.
People, businesses, and governments can use these ideas to make something grow, like a new product, a campaign, or a movement.
The trick is to focus on small, smart steps instead of trying to do everything at once. 🙌
The big message is that sudden, big changes usually happen because of lots of small, smart moves coming together at the right time.
September 5, 2024
I really enjoy Malcolm Gladwell's books and feel he's popularized many interesting sociological theories. However this felt subpar. It was a bit of a rehash of TP with new stories.
Honestly if you've followed the Oxycontin story it felt a bit tired as the book started and ended with showing how Purdue/Sacklers took advantage of Tipping Point elements that ended up creating the opiod crisis.
I hope Malcolm Gladwell writes more books with his particular fresh perspective in the future and doesn't draft off earlier work.
Honestly if you've followed the Oxycontin story it felt a bit tired as the book started and ended with showing how Purdue/Sacklers took advantage of Tipping Point elements that ended up creating the opiod crisis.
I hope Malcolm Gladwell writes more books with his particular fresh perspective in the future and doesn't draft off earlier work.
August 31, 2024
A Thought-Provoking Journey Through Social Epidemics
We humans have an insatiable desire to understand the world around us—to make sense of the seemingly random events and trends that shape our societies. Few writers have tapped into this curiosity as successfully as Malcolm Gladwell. Twenty-five years ago, his runaway bestseller The Tipping Point provided a framework for understanding how ideas, behaviors, and products spread like viruses through populations. Now, in a fascinating return to form, Gladwell revisits this territory with Revenge of the Tipping Point—a book that both builds on and challenges his earlier insights in surprising ways.
As I dove into this book, I found myself swept up once again by Gladwell's signature blend of compelling anecdotes, social science research, and big ideas. But there's a darker, more complex tone to this work that reflects how our understanding of social contagion has evolved over the past quarter century. Where The Tipping Point was brimming with optimism about our ability to engineer positive change, Revenge grapples with the unintended consequences and ethical dilemmas that arise when we try to manipulate social dynamics.
A Tour de Force of Storytelling and Analysis
True to form, Gladwell takes readers on a globe-trotting adventure, weaving together seemingly disparate threads into a rich tapestry of insight. We visit 1980s Los Angeles to unravel the mystery of a bank robbery epidemic. We travel to a small cul-de-sac in Northern California where an idealistic experiment in racial integration yields unexpected lessons. And we even take a detour into the world of cheetah conservation to understand the dangers of monocultures.
At every turn, Gladwell challenges our assumptions and forces us to look at familiar phenomena through fresh eyes. His exploration of how Miami became...well, Miami...is particularly illuminating. By tracing the confluence of drug money, demographic shifts, and institutional collapse in 1980, he paints a vivid picture of how a city's character can change virtually overnight. This sets the stage for one of the book's central themes—the power of overstories in shaping human behavior.
The Magic of the Third and Other Key Insights
One of Gladwell's most intriguing concepts is what he dubs "the Magic Third." Drawing on research into group dynamics, he argues that profound shifts occur when a minority reaches roughly one-third of a population. This insight is applied to everything from corporate boardrooms to classroom integration, offering a fresh perspective on diversity and inclusion efforts.
Equally compelling is Gladwell's exploration of superspreaders—those rare individuals who play an outsized role in propagating ideas, behaviors, or even diseases. His analysis of how a single conference attendee sparked a massive COVID outbreak is both fascinating and chilling. It forces us to reckon with the ethical implications of identifying and potentially restricting these influential outliers.
A More Nuanced View of Social Engineering
Where Revenge of the Tipping Point truly shines is in its exploration of social engineering - deliberate attempts to shape group behavior. Gladwell takes us behind the scenes of Harvard's admissions process, revealing how the university uses sports teams to maintain certain demographic ratios. He delves into the history of triplicate prescription forms and their surprising impact on the opioid crisis. These case studies highlight both the power and peril of trying to manipulate social dynamics.
Throughout the book, Gladwell grapples with thorny ethical questions. When is it acceptable to engineer social outcomes? Who gets to decide? What happens when well-intentioned interventions backfire? He doesn't offer easy answers, but he does provide a framework for thinking through these complex issues.
Gladwell's Evolution as a Writer and Thinker
Longtime Gladwell readers will notice a shift in tone and approach in Revenge of the Tipping Point. While his trademark storytelling prowess remains on full display, there's a greater emphasis on synthesizing complex ideas and grappling with contradictions. This book feels more personal, with Gladwell occasionally inserting himself into the narrative and reflecting on how his own thinking has evolved.
The result is a work that feels both familiar and fresh. Gladwell's ability to distill academic research into accessible prose remains unparalleled. But there's a newfound depth and nuance to his analysis that reflects his growth as a writer and thinker over the past 25 years.
A Few Minor Quibbles
No book is perfect, and Revenge of the Tipping Point does have a few minor weaknesses. At times, Gladwell's anecdotes can feel a bit too neatly packaged, leaving the reader wondering if messy real-world complexities have been smoothed over for narrative effect. Additionally, some of his leaps between seemingly unrelated topics can be jarring, even if they ultimately pay off.
These are small critiques, however, in the face of such an ambitious and thought-provoking work. Gladwell's ability to synthesize disparate ideas and present them in a compelling narrative format remains unparalleled.
A Worthy Successor to a Modern Classic
Revenge of the Tipping Point is not merely a rehash of Gladwell's earlier work - it's a substantial evolution of his ideas that reflects how our understanding of social dynamics has grown more sophisticated (and perhaps more cynical) over the past quarter century. It's a book that will appeal to longtime fans while also serving as an excellent entry point for those new to Gladwell's work.
Like all great non-fiction, this book doesn't just inform - it changes the way you see the world. After reading it, you'll find yourself noticing potential tipping points everywhere, from office politics to global events. You'll be more attuned to the hidden forces shaping group behavior and more skeptical of simplistic explanations for complex social phenomena.
We humans have an insatiable desire to understand the world around us—to make sense of the seemingly random events and trends that shape our societies. Few writers have tapped into this curiosity as successfully as Malcolm Gladwell. Twenty-five years ago, his runaway bestseller The Tipping Point provided a framework for understanding how ideas, behaviors, and products spread like viruses through populations. Now, in a fascinating return to form, Gladwell revisits this territory with Revenge of the Tipping Point—a book that both builds on and challenges his earlier insights in surprising ways.
As I dove into this book, I found myself swept up once again by Gladwell's signature blend of compelling anecdotes, social science research, and big ideas. But there's a darker, more complex tone to this work that reflects how our understanding of social contagion has evolved over the past quarter century. Where The Tipping Point was brimming with optimism about our ability to engineer positive change, Revenge grapples with the unintended consequences and ethical dilemmas that arise when we try to manipulate social dynamics.
A Tour de Force of Storytelling and Analysis
True to form, Gladwell takes readers on a globe-trotting adventure, weaving together seemingly disparate threads into a rich tapestry of insight. We visit 1980s Los Angeles to unravel the mystery of a bank robbery epidemic. We travel to a small cul-de-sac in Northern California where an idealistic experiment in racial integration yields unexpected lessons. And we even take a detour into the world of cheetah conservation to understand the dangers of monocultures.
At every turn, Gladwell challenges our assumptions and forces us to look at familiar phenomena through fresh eyes. His exploration of how Miami became...well, Miami...is particularly illuminating. By tracing the confluence of drug money, demographic shifts, and institutional collapse in 1980, he paints a vivid picture of how a city's character can change virtually overnight. This sets the stage for one of the book's central themes—the power of overstories in shaping human behavior.
The Magic of the Third and Other Key Insights
One of Gladwell's most intriguing concepts is what he dubs "the Magic Third." Drawing on research into group dynamics, he argues that profound shifts occur when a minority reaches roughly one-third of a population. This insight is applied to everything from corporate boardrooms to classroom integration, offering a fresh perspective on diversity and inclusion efforts.
Equally compelling is Gladwell's exploration of superspreaders—those rare individuals who play an outsized role in propagating ideas, behaviors, or even diseases. His analysis of how a single conference attendee sparked a massive COVID outbreak is both fascinating and chilling. It forces us to reckon with the ethical implications of identifying and potentially restricting these influential outliers.
A More Nuanced View of Social Engineering
Where Revenge of the Tipping Point truly shines is in its exploration of social engineering - deliberate attempts to shape group behavior. Gladwell takes us behind the scenes of Harvard's admissions process, revealing how the university uses sports teams to maintain certain demographic ratios. He delves into the history of triplicate prescription forms and their surprising impact on the opioid crisis. These case studies highlight both the power and peril of trying to manipulate social dynamics.
Throughout the book, Gladwell grapples with thorny ethical questions. When is it acceptable to engineer social outcomes? Who gets to decide? What happens when well-intentioned interventions backfire? He doesn't offer easy answers, but he does provide a framework for thinking through these complex issues.
Gladwell's Evolution as a Writer and Thinker
Longtime Gladwell readers will notice a shift in tone and approach in Revenge of the Tipping Point. While his trademark storytelling prowess remains on full display, there's a greater emphasis on synthesizing complex ideas and grappling with contradictions. This book feels more personal, with Gladwell occasionally inserting himself into the narrative and reflecting on how his own thinking has evolved.
The result is a work that feels both familiar and fresh. Gladwell's ability to distill academic research into accessible prose remains unparalleled. But there's a newfound depth and nuance to his analysis that reflects his growth as a writer and thinker over the past 25 years.
A Few Minor Quibbles
No book is perfect, and Revenge of the Tipping Point does have a few minor weaknesses. At times, Gladwell's anecdotes can feel a bit too neatly packaged, leaving the reader wondering if messy real-world complexities have been smoothed over for narrative effect. Additionally, some of his leaps between seemingly unrelated topics can be jarring, even if they ultimately pay off.
These are small critiques, however, in the face of such an ambitious and thought-provoking work. Gladwell's ability to synthesize disparate ideas and present them in a compelling narrative format remains unparalleled.
A Worthy Successor to a Modern Classic
Revenge of the Tipping Point is not merely a rehash of Gladwell's earlier work - it's a substantial evolution of his ideas that reflects how our understanding of social dynamics has grown more sophisticated (and perhaps more cynical) over the past quarter century. It's a book that will appeal to longtime fans while also serving as an excellent entry point for those new to Gladwell's work.
Like all great non-fiction, this book doesn't just inform - it changes the way you see the world. After reading it, you'll find yourself noticing potential tipping points everywhere, from office politics to global events. You'll be more attuned to the hidden forces shaping group behavior and more skeptical of simplistic explanations for complex social phenomena.
January 6, 2025
Look, Malcolm Gladwell can turn any antidote into a compelling argument for just about anything. He does that again and again in this book. However, as with all of his books, the logic and research do not back him up. He makes up ideas and then takes large leaps of logic to make them true. I find his books fun to read and infuriating to think about after the fact. This one follows that pattern for sure.
November 2, 2024
Two decades ago, I really enjoyed Gladwell’s books for their engaging, well-told stories.
Lately, though, it seems his focus has shifted to lecturing readers on his worldview and political preferences. In this book, for example, he criticizes schools that teach children learn to think for themselves instead of following authority. I swear.
The book is also confusing. He uses interlacing narratives to weave together multiple stories, but I often couldn’t tell if a story had ended or if he would return to give it a more satisfying conclusion.
Boring, preachy and confused.
Lately, though, it seems his focus has shifted to lecturing readers on his worldview and political preferences. In this book, for example, he criticizes schools that teach children learn to think for themselves instead of following authority. I swear.
The book is also confusing. He uses interlacing narratives to weave together multiple stories, but I often couldn’t tell if a story had ended or if he would return to give it a more satisfying conclusion.
Boring, preachy and confused.
November 14, 2024
Malcolm Gladwell’s Revenge of the Tipping Point reintroduces readers to his landmark concept of tipping points, but this time he explores the less obvious and sometimes unsettling impact of societal shifts. With this book, Gladwell expands upon his original theories by examining how contagious ideas, behaviors, and trends influence society in both beneficial and problematic ways.
True to his distinctive style, Gladwell takes readers on a compelling journey, blending history, science, and narrative to reveal how subtle societal changes can snowball into transformative shifts. He guides us through intriguing case studies—from 1980s Los Angeles bank heists to an experimental neighborhood in California—each one showcasing different angles on social tipping points. A particularly engaging chapter examines how Miami’s character was shaped by complex forces, from population shifts to economic influences, while another introduces the “Magic Third,” a unique theory about how minorities within groups can spark cultural change.
What sets Revenge of the Tipping Point apart is its examination of social engineering—the intentional shaping of group behavior. Gladwell digs into timely ethical questions about who gets to influence societal trends and at what cost. His look at “superspreaders”—individuals with an outsized role in spreading ideas, behaviors, or even viruses—is especially relevant in a post-pandemic world, revealing both the risks and ripple effects of these influential few.
With an introspective tone, Gladwell shares insights on his own growth as a thinker, making this book feel both familiar and refreshingly layered. For dedicated fans, his reflections add depth to his signature style, while newcomers will find a thoughtful introduction to his ability to make intricate ideas accessible. Although some stories feel a bit condensed, Revenge of the Tipping Point remains a fascinating look at how small, often unseen factors can drive large-scale social changes.
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True to his distinctive style, Gladwell takes readers on a compelling journey, blending history, science, and narrative to reveal how subtle societal changes can snowball into transformative shifts. He guides us through intriguing case studies—from 1980s Los Angeles bank heists to an experimental neighborhood in California—each one showcasing different angles on social tipping points. A particularly engaging chapter examines how Miami’s character was shaped by complex forces, from population shifts to economic influences, while another introduces the “Magic Third,” a unique theory about how minorities within groups can spark cultural change.
What sets Revenge of the Tipping Point apart is its examination of social engineering—the intentional shaping of group behavior. Gladwell digs into timely ethical questions about who gets to influence societal trends and at what cost. His look at “superspreaders”—individuals with an outsized role in spreading ideas, behaviors, or even viruses—is especially relevant in a post-pandemic world, revealing both the risks and ripple effects of these influential few.
With an introspective tone, Gladwell shares insights on his own growth as a thinker, making this book feel both familiar and refreshingly layered. For dedicated fans, his reflections add depth to his signature style, while newcomers will find a thoughtful introduction to his ability to make intricate ideas accessible. Although some stories feel a bit condensed, Revenge of the Tipping Point remains a fascinating look at how small, often unseen factors can drive large-scale social changes.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
medium.com
January 12, 2025
“Epidemics have rules. They have boundaries.”
“... They change in size and shape when they reach a tipping point – and it is possible to know when and where those tipping points are. They are driven by a number of people, and those people can be identified. The tools necessary to control an epidemic are sitting on the table, right in front of us. We can let the unscrupulous take them. Or we can pick them up ourselves, and use them to build a better world.”
Malcolm Gladwell’s series of essays covers a lot of acreage but they are uniformly brilliant, evocative, informative, provocative, well thought out and compelling. They are revelatory and often terrifying when we are led to the realization that the term “epidemic” does not apply strictly to illnesses, diseases or viruses such as SARS, flu, or Covid.
Gladwell shows us that the forms in which epidemics might appear in society are myriad and shocking – crime waves such as bank robberies or Medicare fraud; teen suicide; hatred, racism, and xenophobia; anti-Semitism; homophobia; oxycontin, fentanyl and the opioid crisis; and more.
Gladwell demonstrates with a remarkable series of examples how “epidemics” – regardless of the particular form that one might be discussing – thrive in “monocultures” and that the opposite is true, that diversity is one of the greatest bulwarks against the advances of such epidemics.
If REVENGE OF THE TIPPING POINT has a weakness (and it is almost certainly my personal opinion alone that characterizes it as such), it is that the reality of the current version of US Republicanism, MAGA politics, and the global flirtation with modern fascism are hinted to be modern “epidemics”. Sadly, however, analysis and further study of what the tipping points might be in the battle to turn the tide against such an epidemic are not explored.
Paul Weiss
“... They change in size and shape when they reach a tipping point – and it is possible to know when and where those tipping points are. They are driven by a number of people, and those people can be identified. The tools necessary to control an epidemic are sitting on the table, right in front of us. We can let the unscrupulous take them. Or we can pick them up ourselves, and use them to build a better world.”
Malcolm Gladwell’s series of essays covers a lot of acreage but they are uniformly brilliant, evocative, informative, provocative, well thought out and compelling. They are revelatory and often terrifying when we are led to the realization that the term “epidemic” does not apply strictly to illnesses, diseases or viruses such as SARS, flu, or Covid.
Gladwell shows us that the forms in which epidemics might appear in society are myriad and shocking – crime waves such as bank robberies or Medicare fraud; teen suicide; hatred, racism, and xenophobia; anti-Semitism; homophobia; oxycontin, fentanyl and the opioid crisis; and more.
Gladwell demonstrates with a remarkable series of examples how “epidemics” – regardless of the particular form that one might be discussing – thrive in “monocultures” and that the opposite is true, that diversity is one of the greatest bulwarks against the advances of such epidemics.
If REVENGE OF THE TIPPING POINT has a weakness (and it is almost certainly my personal opinion alone that characterizes it as such), it is that the reality of the current version of US Republicanism, MAGA politics, and the global flirtation with modern fascism are hinted to be modern “epidemics”. Sadly, however, analysis and further study of what the tipping points might be in the battle to turn the tide against such an epidemic are not explored.
Paul Weiss
October 20, 2024
I think I'm done with Gladwell. His podcast has been underwhelming for a while, and this book really didn't do it for me. In here, he's using concepts such as small area variation, epidemics, and 'the magic third' as frameworks upon which to hang several stories and examples that fit more or less well within the frame. At it's best, there are some surprising stories to learn about. But at it's worst, the linkages feel shoehorned, the conclusions dubious. He's either telling me something very obvious (policies in different states produce different outcomes) or very suspect (it would have been better for the opioid crisis if oxycontin weren't turned from a crushable pill into an indestructible gummy). I kept saying "but what about...." and Gladwell never answered. Also the cover is unforgivable.
October 20, 2024
Disappointed with so many things, but mainly the use of this sentence "he fought in Israel's war for independence" like????!!!!!!!
Beyond outrageous, calling literal genocide by a colonizer "war for independence" is just on a whole other level of evil and deception. Staying mad about it till the end of time. Boils my blood.
Beyond outrageous, calling literal genocide by a colonizer "war for independence" is just on a whole other level of evil and deception. Staying mad about it till the end of time. Boils my blood.
December 27, 2024
Are you ready to challenge the way you think about pandemics, epidemics, social movements…and bank robbing? If you want to keep living in your cave, just don’t bother. For everyone else, come out into the light: the new Malcolm Gladwell is here!
I find it tough to “review” this in a detailed way, as I’d end up giving away spoilers. If I told you, for example, what the mating patterns of cheetahs in captivity have to do with COVID, you wouldn’t have to read that chapter. So, I’ll revert to my thirteen-year-old capacity for description and say the stuff he talks about is really awesome. I mean, so freaking cool!
Though he speaks often of returning to the original twenty-five years later, I don’t think you need to have read The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. You can just sink into the topic, probably one well-known to you and entirely relatable. He strings you along for a while, usually with an anecdote of something innocuous. Then, WHAM! Knowledge dropped. There’s some research, and a story that would ordinarily have no connection to the original topic. By chapter’s end, what you believed is now flipped.
Gladwell separates this into three semi-related parts. You might just turn to the table of contents to learn for yourself, because again: to explain gives away important info. I thought what I’d read about the opioid crisis had already been written in Empire of Pain, and hence it felt repetitive. I felt that about his chapter on Harvard admissions, too. But he does give reasons and explanations for these phenomena that I hadn’t considered. Huh.
OK, I said no spoilers but: “Magic Third”? So freaking cool. The “Law of the Very, Very, Very Few”? YES!
More great thinking from a brilliant, wildly intelligent storyteller.
I find it tough to “review” this in a detailed way, as I’d end up giving away spoilers. If I told you, for example, what the mating patterns of cheetahs in captivity have to do with COVID, you wouldn’t have to read that chapter. So, I’ll revert to my thirteen-year-old capacity for description and say the stuff he talks about is really awesome. I mean, so freaking cool!
Though he speaks often of returning to the original twenty-five years later, I don’t think you need to have read The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. You can just sink into the topic, probably one well-known to you and entirely relatable. He strings you along for a while, usually with an anecdote of something innocuous. Then, WHAM! Knowledge dropped. There’s some research, and a story that would ordinarily have no connection to the original topic. By chapter’s end, what you believed is now flipped.
Gladwell separates this into three semi-related parts. You might just turn to the table of contents to learn for yourself, because again: to explain gives away important info. I thought what I’d read about the opioid crisis had already been written in Empire of Pain, and hence it felt repetitive. I felt that about his chapter on Harvard admissions, too. But he does give reasons and explanations for these phenomena that I hadn’t considered. Huh.
OK, I said no spoilers but: “Magic Third”? So freaking cool. The “Law of the Very, Very, Very Few”? YES!
More great thinking from a brilliant, wildly intelligent storyteller.
December 18, 2024
Though I read The Tipping Point ages ago, I have to say that Revenge of the Tipping Point is an absolute smash in audio format. Gladwell has taken the lessons learned from podcasting to add appropriate music, audio snippets, and clear, clean narration to make a terrific listening experience.
In Revenge, Gladwell shows us how many recent calamities (the pandemic, the opioid epidemic) owe their rapid expansion to small factors that make disproportionate changes to the landscape in which they operate. It is a remove from the positive tone of the first book, but a spin that makes for compelling storytelling throughout.
Do I think all of Gladwell's observations and arguments are air tight? Nope! In fact, there's times where it feels like some key pieces of information are simplified or excluded in the interest of a tight argument. These exclusions make for a tighter narrative, but for those of us who want greater detail, you may want to use this book as a jumping off point for each of the individual stories presented in Revenge.
Highly compelling stuff, but make sure you give the audiobook a listen!
In Revenge, Gladwell shows us how many recent calamities (the pandemic, the opioid epidemic) owe their rapid expansion to small factors that make disproportionate changes to the landscape in which they operate. It is a remove from the positive tone of the first book, but a spin that makes for compelling storytelling throughout.
Do I think all of Gladwell's observations and arguments are air tight? Nope! In fact, there's times where it feels like some key pieces of information are simplified or excluded in the interest of a tight argument. These exclusions make for a tighter narrative, but for those of us who want greater detail, you may want to use this book as a jumping off point for each of the individual stories presented in Revenge.
Highly compelling stuff, but make sure you give the audiobook a listen!
March 25, 2025
This was just a long podcast
I like Malcolm Gladwell but there is nothing rigorous about his books. Its all anecdote and speculation and his newest book is no exception. I'm not saying that's bad. I think he uses anecdote appropriately and doesn't veer too far off because his speculations and conclusions are tame and reasonable and that is the value of his books: to show the boundaries and realms of possibilities. I listened to the Audiobook and, no exaggeration here, this was just a long podcast. It was produced in the exact same way and with the exact same spoon-fed anecdotes that someone may believe has scientific rigor but let me stress again: it's doesn't. Is this entertaining? Very. Did I enjoy it? I did. Is this a facsimile of reality based on an overall narrative the author has crafted? Yes.
The main thesis of this book is that epidemic events are usually driven by a minority of "super spreaders". He uses many examples: COVID super spreaders, bank robbers, opiate epidemic, teen suicides and changing zeitgeists like recognizing the Holocaust or accepting gay marriage. He attempts to identify pivotal people or tv shows (like Will and Grace leading to Americans accepting gay marriage way earlier than predicted) that tip mass change. Once again, this is all anecdote with zero scientific rigor. I think his theory is very interesting and it certainly could be true but you must remember this book is a narrative and is not reality.
I like Malcolm Gladwell but there is nothing rigorous about his books. Its all anecdote and speculation and his newest book is no exception. I'm not saying that's bad. I think he uses anecdote appropriately and doesn't veer too far off because his speculations and conclusions are tame and reasonable and that is the value of his books: to show the boundaries and realms of possibilities. I listened to the Audiobook and, no exaggeration here, this was just a long podcast. It was produced in the exact same way and with the exact same spoon-fed anecdotes that someone may believe has scientific rigor but let me stress again: it's doesn't. Is this entertaining? Very. Did I enjoy it? I did. Is this a facsimile of reality based on an overall narrative the author has crafted? Yes.
The main thesis of this book is that epidemic events are usually driven by a minority of "super spreaders". He uses many examples: COVID super spreaders, bank robbers, opiate epidemic, teen suicides and changing zeitgeists like recognizing the Holocaust or accepting gay marriage. He attempts to identify pivotal people or tv shows (like Will and Grace leading to Americans accepting gay marriage way earlier than predicted) that tip mass change. Once again, this is all anecdote with zero scientific rigor. I think his theory is very interesting and it certainly could be true but you must remember this book is a narrative and is not reality.
November 28, 2024
I always think Gladwell is worth reading, even if you don’t like his style, because he really is a great writer. His ability to translate an idea, a person, or even a story into an absolutely absorbing narrative is nearly unparalleled, and I attribute my development of an affinity for nonfiction in large part to Outliers.
That being said, I was a little underwhelmed by this book for a number of reasons. For one, the conclusions of it - which are a rather large part of the structure of the book - seem really flimsy to me. I’m just not convinced of what he’s putting forward here. Whatever the grand theory of this book is supposed to be, or how that theory is at all connected to the original Tipping Point, remains a mystery to me.
The whole book seems like “data being fit to a model” rather than vice versa. It’s like a prosecutor who has a lot of evidence he doesn’t know what to do with, and he just strings together a bunch of crimes to try to see what sticks with a jury. This book felt like a bunch of random and disjointed (but nonetheless interesting) stories that Gladwell tried to squeeze unconvincingly into some larger theory that one can recognize and manipulate in the real world. It’s just not clear to me what that “theory” is or how any of the evidence presented is supposed to convince me of its validity…
It’s still worth reading if you tend to like Gladwell’s writing (which I do). But I’d recommend approaching it as if it were a series of semi-related but independent long form articles rather than a sequence of chapters all seeking to support some larger narrative claim.
That being said, I was a little underwhelmed by this book for a number of reasons. For one, the conclusions of it - which are a rather large part of the structure of the book - seem really flimsy to me. I’m just not convinced of what he’s putting forward here. Whatever the grand theory of this book is supposed to be, or how that theory is at all connected to the original Tipping Point, remains a mystery to me.
The whole book seems like “data being fit to a model” rather than vice versa. It’s like a prosecutor who has a lot of evidence he doesn’t know what to do with, and he just strings together a bunch of crimes to try to see what sticks with a jury. This book felt like a bunch of random and disjointed (but nonetheless interesting) stories that Gladwell tried to squeeze unconvincingly into some larger theory that one can recognize and manipulate in the real world. It’s just not clear to me what that “theory” is or how any of the evidence presented is supposed to convince me of its validity…
It’s still worth reading if you tend to like Gladwell’s writing (which I do). But I’d recommend approaching it as if it were a series of semi-related but independent long form articles rather than a sequence of chapters all seeking to support some larger narrative claim.
January 13, 2025
Malcolm Gladwell presents his idea that change happens at a tipping point that forever alters a place's overstory or narrative that shapes behavior. A few people can be super spreaders of change like the two TV executives: who produced a miniseries that turned Nazi genocide of the Jews from a taboo topic into a widely discussed subject. Malcolm Gladwell is a writer that can make what a college professor would make a droning lecture into a great read. I still peruse this book long after I first read it because it is that good.
November 12, 2024
"Twenty-five years ago, in The Tipping Point, I was fascinated by the idea that in social epidemics little things could make a big difference..."
Revenge of the Tipping Point is my 6th book from the author. I have generally really enjoyed his books, up until this one. Unfortunately, it did not meet the high water mark established in his other works; for a few reasons. More below.
Author Malcolm Timothy Gladwell is an English-born Canadian journalist, writer, and public speaker. He has been a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1996.
Malcolm Gladwell:
Gladwell writes with a fairly decent style here, although I found the overall narrative structure of this book to be a bit less cohesive than previous books of his. Gladwell narrates the audio version of this book, and he did a great job with the voicing. He drops the quote above in the book's intro, and it continues:
Although the topic of cascades; be they social, biological, or other is extremely interesting, Gladwell's thesis fell apart for me here. I didn't feel that the strength of his arguments were as persuasive as in his other works. On the positive side, he did have some interesting writing about the spread of COVID-19, and the American opioid epidemic.
Unfortunately, however, quite a large chunk of the writing here focuses on woke politicking and leftist nonsense. He's got a big drawn out narrative about racism in Harvard admissions that comes back to a women's rugby team, after a very long and winding road. FWIW, I found his "conclusion" here to be pretty tenuous, at best, and ridiculous - at worst. What was actually going on over at Harvard Admissions was a move away from merit-based admissions, to race-based criteria. Asian applicants were being penalized for their high scores, while black applicants are being given a leg up, via an "affirmative action" campaign. How is this remotely fair or just?? Well, it's not, and in 2023, the Supreme Court ruled as much. But you won't read about any of this in Gladwell's book, because he is myopically focused on how black people are nothing more than poor victims.
Gladwell also spends a bit of time lecturing the reader about the long historical black-and-white academic achievement gap. He says that academics have been pondering the cause of this "for decades." It doesn't seem to occur to him that group-level differences in IQ and/or culture could be playing into this disparity...
He's got lots of talk in here about a "critical mass" of minority students as if this is something that needs to happen. Why does this need to happen? Universities, companies, and life in general should reward based solely on meritocracy. If you can pass muster, then great. Life is structured hierarchically. Why should university applications be any different? As soon as you start to put your finger on the scale one way or another, fairness has left the process. Also, trying to give a "leg up" to groups you consider to be "historically marginalized" is a complete can of worms. Has the son of the multi-millionaire Nigerian immigrant been "marginalized?" Does the son of a West Virginian laid-off coal miner have "white privilege?" All this garbage is just race-based Marxism, and has no rightful place in the halls of academia.
********************
Unfortunately, all this leftist nonsense in here left a bad taste in my mouth... I would say I expected better from Gladwell, but he's been riding the victimology train for at least a few years now. Anyone interested in a masterclass of strawman debate tactics should check out his slimy race-baiting in this 2022 debate with Douglas Murray.
2 stars for this one. I would not recommend it.
Revenge of the Tipping Point is my 6th book from the author. I have generally really enjoyed his books, up until this one. Unfortunately, it did not meet the high water mark established in his other works; for a few reasons. More below.
Author Malcolm Timothy Gladwell is an English-born Canadian journalist, writer, and public speaker. He has been a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1996.
Malcolm Gladwell:
Gladwell writes with a fairly decent style here, although I found the overall narrative structure of this book to be a bit less cohesive than previous books of his. Gladwell narrates the audio version of this book, and he did a great job with the voicing. He drops the quote above in the book's intro, and it continues:
"...In Revenge of the Tipping Point, I want to look at the underside of the possibilities I explored so long ago. If the world can be moved by just the slightest push, then the person who knows where and when to push has real power. So who are those people? What are their intentions? What techniques are they using? In the world of law enforcement, the word forensic refers to an investigation of the origins and scope of a criminal act: “reasons, culprits, and consequences.” Revenge of the Tipping Point is an attempt to do a forensic investigation of social epidemics."
Although the topic of cascades; be they social, biological, or other is extremely interesting, Gladwell's thesis fell apart for me here. I didn't feel that the strength of his arguments were as persuasive as in his other works. On the positive side, he did have some interesting writing about the spread of COVID-19, and the American opioid epidemic.
Unfortunately, however, quite a large chunk of the writing here focuses on woke politicking and leftist nonsense. He's got a big drawn out narrative about racism in Harvard admissions that comes back to a women's rugby team, after a very long and winding road. FWIW, I found his "conclusion" here to be pretty tenuous, at best, and ridiculous - at worst. What was actually going on over at Harvard Admissions was a move away from merit-based admissions, to race-based criteria. Asian applicants were being penalized for their high scores, while black applicants are being given a leg up, via an "affirmative action" campaign. How is this remotely fair or just?? Well, it's not, and in 2023, the Supreme Court ruled as much. But you won't read about any of this in Gladwell's book, because he is myopically focused on how black people are nothing more than poor victims.
Gladwell also spends a bit of time lecturing the reader about the long historical black-and-white academic achievement gap. He says that academics have been pondering the cause of this "for decades." It doesn't seem to occur to him that group-level differences in IQ and/or culture could be playing into this disparity...
He's got lots of talk in here about a "critical mass" of minority students as if this is something that needs to happen. Why does this need to happen? Universities, companies, and life in general should reward based solely on meritocracy. If you can pass muster, then great. Life is structured hierarchically. Why should university applications be any different? As soon as you start to put your finger on the scale one way or another, fairness has left the process. Also, trying to give a "leg up" to groups you consider to be "historically marginalized" is a complete can of worms. Has the son of the multi-millionaire Nigerian immigrant been "marginalized?" Does the son of a West Virginian laid-off coal miner have "white privilege?" All this garbage is just race-based Marxism, and has no rightful place in the halls of academia.
********************
Unfortunately, all this leftist nonsense in here left a bad taste in my mouth... I would say I expected better from Gladwell, but he's been riding the victimology train for at least a few years now. Anyone interested in a masterclass of strawman debate tactics should check out his slimy race-baiting in this 2022 debate with Douglas Murray.
2 stars for this one. I would not recommend it.
September 30, 2025
"Moving from the position that a problem belongs to all of us to the position that a problem is being caused by a few of us is really difficult.”
I first read the author’s book, “The Tipping Point” as a book we discussed during our Library Book Discussion Group years ago. For thoughts and reactions to that book go to my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Bottom line, that first book gave us insights into the hidden workings of society and how we can influence or “tip” the trends that shape it.
With this latest book, 25 years later, he is attempting to offer a more mature version of himself as he has us review a variety of issues affecting societal change and, our understanding of it.
Which makes this book an update to his first book, “The Tipping Point.” This time he puts the spotlight on our anxieties in current contemporary America. (Take into consideration that this was published in October, 2024, prior to the November elections in America.)
He shares statistics that are wrapped around opioid addiction rates, racial quotas and Covid, amongst other hot topics. He still is provocative as a writer, and proves a fascinating storyteller. But have we heard these stories already?
As an example, when he talks about diversity in admissions, he shares that Harvard tends towards accepting more predominantly rich white applicants. Is this new information – or is he just trying to get readers to pay attention to what is going on?
Still there are moments that can cause readers to pause. As is his discussion on Covid. In one story, what happens when a company in early 2020 ignores the shelter-in-place, and expects employees to attend an annual leadership retreat which becomes a cause of more than 300,000 infections? Scandalous? Or just another round-up of statistics and references to how our modern world is reflected?
From what he shares, we can’t help but conclude in many ways how messy we are as a human race. Wondering if we can ever recover at any point, if we keep making so many wrong turns in our society.
The author considers ‘Revenge’ “a new set of theories, stories, and arguments about the strange pathways that ideas and behavior follow through our world.” But he also says that “the very same tools we use to build a better world can also be used against it.” Which reminds us again about what messy humans we are. And, something we are obviously witnessing first hand.
Especially now with the obvious actions occurring that reveal a chaos coup with intent of overturning our democracy and American government.
The question then becomes, do his stories/insights/statistics provide any better comprehension on how we can get along better in our society? Not sure. But I still appreciate the storyteller.
I first read the author’s book, “The Tipping Point” as a book we discussed during our Library Book Discussion Group years ago. For thoughts and reactions to that book go to my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Bottom line, that first book gave us insights into the hidden workings of society and how we can influence or “tip” the trends that shape it.
With this latest book, 25 years later, he is attempting to offer a more mature version of himself as he has us review a variety of issues affecting societal change and, our understanding of it.
Which makes this book an update to his first book, “The Tipping Point.” This time he puts the spotlight on our anxieties in current contemporary America. (Take into consideration that this was published in October, 2024, prior to the November elections in America.)
He shares statistics that are wrapped around opioid addiction rates, racial quotas and Covid, amongst other hot topics. He still is provocative as a writer, and proves a fascinating storyteller. But have we heard these stories already?
As an example, when he talks about diversity in admissions, he shares that Harvard tends towards accepting more predominantly rich white applicants. Is this new information – or is he just trying to get readers to pay attention to what is going on?
Still there are moments that can cause readers to pause. As is his discussion on Covid. In one story, what happens when a company in early 2020 ignores the shelter-in-place, and expects employees to attend an annual leadership retreat which becomes a cause of more than 300,000 infections? Scandalous? Or just another round-up of statistics and references to how our modern world is reflected?
From what he shares, we can’t help but conclude in many ways how messy we are as a human race. Wondering if we can ever recover at any point, if we keep making so many wrong turns in our society.
The author considers ‘Revenge’ “a new set of theories, stories, and arguments about the strange pathways that ideas and behavior follow through our world.” But he also says that “the very same tools we use to build a better world can also be used against it.” Which reminds us again about what messy humans we are. And, something we are obviously witnessing first hand.
Especially now with the obvious actions occurring that reveal a chaos coup with intent of overturning our democracy and American government.
The question then becomes, do his stories/insights/statistics provide any better comprehension on how we can get along better in our society? Not sure. But I still appreciate the storyteller.
October 28, 2024
Given the premise of the book, Revenge of the Tipping Point is pieced around the downside of the spreading epidemics – an enduring concept that he first introduced in his debut novel – which in turn, had itself become less surprising for me in approaching it initially. It is less prominent with his other works, but considering the amount of journalism in his portfolio, Gladwell had himself more delicately shaped as an engaging storyteller here.
Being the host of the podcast, Revisionist History has turned out to be a greater edge over the years, in his simple organization of stories. It is a defining work of research that brought out together coherence and concreteness in reinforcing this one concept that once made him tip and walk along the halls of bestselling authors.
If there is one chapter that brings me back to that same Malcolm Gladwell prowess from the past in an instant, it's the discussion revolving around "The Magic Third", which is truly reminiscent of his generalizing the 10,000 Hours of mastery before. You may want to agree or not with his beliefs and findings; at the end of the day, his narrative is just entertaining to follow through.
Overall, Revenge of the Tipping Point is a fluid reading, one that doesn't try its hardest to win back the affection of his readers. But that same old feeling witnessing his works for the first time again has immediately brought me back in that same old rotation.
3.5 ⭐️ (10/18/24)
Being the host of the podcast, Revisionist History has turned out to be a greater edge over the years, in his simple organization of stories. It is a defining work of research that brought out together coherence and concreteness in reinforcing this one concept that once made him tip and walk along the halls of bestselling authors.
If there is one chapter that brings me back to that same Malcolm Gladwell prowess from the past in an instant, it's the discussion revolving around "The Magic Third", which is truly reminiscent of his generalizing the 10,000 Hours of mastery before. You may want to agree or not with his beliefs and findings; at the end of the day, his narrative is just entertaining to follow through.
Overall, Revenge of the Tipping Point is a fluid reading, one that doesn't try its hardest to win back the affection of his readers. But that same old feeling witnessing his works for the first time again has immediately brought me back in that same old rotation.
3.5 ⭐️ (10/18/24)
August 14, 2025
I am a fan of Gladwell's books, I know they shouldn't be taken at face value but nonetheless I love listening to the audiobooks narrated by Gladwell himself. Up to this point, I have read everything by the author and this time even went as far as buying a physical copy and mixed reading and listening to the book.
This is also unique in that it is a sequel for his first book, The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference which is weird given it is a non-fiction book. The author takes some of the concepts in that book and expands them with his usual style.
But with this book, there was something missing, the connection between the different stories didn't feel as good as usual, the book kept going in circles around a few basic concepts and it made me question if Gladwell is losing his magic. The tone is a little bit preachy too, which is not new but more obvious in this entry.
Overall, not a bad book but I already have expectations for this author, and I hope he takes a small break before his next book, maybe rejuvenating some of the magic I loved in the previous books.
This is also unique in that it is a sequel for his first book, The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference which is weird given it is a non-fiction book. The author takes some of the concepts in that book and expands them with his usual style.
But with this book, there was something missing, the connection between the different stories didn't feel as good as usual, the book kept going in circles around a few basic concepts and it made me question if Gladwell is losing his magic. The tone is a little bit preachy too, which is not new but more obvious in this entry.
Overall, not a bad book but I already have expectations for this author, and I hope he takes a small break before his next book, maybe rejuvenating some of the magic I loved in the previous books.
December 30, 2024
As a fan of accessible sociological writing, I was excited to read this book. I spent much of it feeling like I was missing something profound (I wasn’t), and by the end I was hate reading it; I know that Gladwell is often criticized, and after reading this book, I can see why.
Gladwell is too generalistic in his theories and oversimplifies and cherry picks to the point that I don’t feel confident taking anything meaningful away from this book. Of the few footnotes he uses, the majority are either entirely unnecessary, a snarky attempt at humor, or a soapbox for him to advance his worldview (and sometimes, his self-referential aggrandizement was included directly in the text). While he does quote (often in block quotes, similar to how I tried to hit page count requirements in college), I question if he is correctly applying the findings of the study or just choosing things that support his argument, since there is no depth to them.
Each chapter introduces a “puzzle” that Gladwell then “solves” using overly simplistic ex post facto explanations. There are often multiple narratives introduced throughout the chapter, which feel unfinished and serve to confuse more than elucidate; Gladwell largely struggles to connect the weave of his central argument, so the addition of more strands just serves to introduce more untied strings.
For a 300 page book, this lacked depth; it reads more like a collection of multiple pseudo-intellectual articles poorly edited into a rushed and uncohesive book. I found the majority of his explanations to be superficial and lacking any greater point. His ending is a total word salad cop out that may seem profound at first glance, but ultimately says nothing.
The most interesting parts were his explanation of the law of very few and how he applied it to bank robbers, COVID super-spreaders, and opioid prescribing physicians. I was also interested in his description of how rugby is used to skirt affirmative action in favor of privileged students (although, despite my frustrations with higher ed, I am hesitant to fully embrace this without deeper research). Outside of these compelling stories, many of his examples fell flat and lacked the stickiness I’d expect.
Gladwell likes to position himself as intelligent, and his smooth storytelling may give him a veneer of sophistication at first glance. However, upon a closer look, his explanations are dubious and rely on cherry-picked ex post facto reasoning.
All in all, I found this book lacking in cohesion, predictive power (and also, surprisingly for a man who thinks so highly of himself, prescriptiveness), and staying power. Even the few interesting sections felt kind of vapid, since Gladwell avoids making any bold claims; he manages to go the entire book without staking any positions of consequence. It’s easy to position yourself as the smartest guy in the room when you’re holding the pen, but it’s a lot harder to offer any sort of prediction or falsifiable claim, which Gladwell sidesteps doing at every point.
1.5 stars rounded down to 1.
Gladwell is too generalistic in his theories and oversimplifies and cherry picks to the point that I don’t feel confident taking anything meaningful away from this book. Of the few footnotes he uses, the majority are either entirely unnecessary, a snarky attempt at humor, or a soapbox for him to advance his worldview (and sometimes, his self-referential aggrandizement was included directly in the text). While he does quote (often in block quotes, similar to how I tried to hit page count requirements in college), I question if he is correctly applying the findings of the study or just choosing things that support his argument, since there is no depth to them.
Each chapter introduces a “puzzle” that Gladwell then “solves” using overly simplistic ex post facto explanations. There are often multiple narratives introduced throughout the chapter, which feel unfinished and serve to confuse more than elucidate; Gladwell largely struggles to connect the weave of his central argument, so the addition of more strands just serves to introduce more untied strings.
For a 300 page book, this lacked depth; it reads more like a collection of multiple pseudo-intellectual articles poorly edited into a rushed and uncohesive book. I found the majority of his explanations to be superficial and lacking any greater point. His ending is a total word salad cop out that may seem profound at first glance, but ultimately says nothing.
The most interesting parts were his explanation of the law of very few and how he applied it to bank robbers, COVID super-spreaders, and opioid prescribing physicians. I was also interested in his description of how rugby is used to skirt affirmative action in favor of privileged students (although, despite my frustrations with higher ed, I am hesitant to fully embrace this without deeper research). Outside of these compelling stories, many of his examples fell flat and lacked the stickiness I’d expect.
Gladwell likes to position himself as intelligent, and his smooth storytelling may give him a veneer of sophistication at first glance. However, upon a closer look, his explanations are dubious and rely on cherry-picked ex post facto reasoning.
All in all, I found this book lacking in cohesion, predictive power (and also, surprisingly for a man who thinks so highly of himself, prescriptiveness), and staying power. Even the few interesting sections felt kind of vapid, since Gladwell avoids making any bold claims; he manages to go the entire book without staking any positions of consequence. It’s easy to position yourself as the smartest guy in the room when you’re holding the pen, but it’s a lot harder to offer any sort of prediction or falsifiable claim, which Gladwell sidesteps doing at every point.
1.5 stars rounded down to 1.
June 29, 2025
This books delves into a variety of curious examples of social epidemics and related human behavior which I found to be interesting reading. One of the reasons I found it so interesting is that many of the curiosities addressed are unanswered questions I’ve raised in my conversations with my friends; (1) why the thirty year wait after WWII before the Holocaust was dealt with in widely viewed TV program? (2) why the dramatic swing in popular acceptance of gay marriage? (3) how could oxycodone be marketed as non-habit forming?
These and many other questions and curiosities are addressed and the author comes up with various rules-of-thumb such as a “one third rule” and “over story.” He applies these rules-of-thumb to a variety of different situations giving the impression that maybe they’re sociological laws of human behavior. That of course is an overstatement, but it does seem curious how groups of people behave. It’s almost as if it’s the human manifestation of the herding instinct.
So were the subjects addressed by this book explained to my satisfaction? Generally yes, but my question about oxycodone wasn't addressed directly. This book focused on the reasons why the opioid problem was worse in some States than in others. What I wanted addressed is how could a pharmaceutical industry claim that a new opioid was not addictive when they are required to spend millions of dollars on testing the safety of other new drugs. Is there no way to test for addictiveness?
These and many other questions and curiosities are addressed and the author comes up with various rules-of-thumb such as a “one third rule” and “over story.” He applies these rules-of-thumb to a variety of different situations giving the impression that maybe they’re sociological laws of human behavior. That of course is an overstatement, but it does seem curious how groups of people behave. It’s almost as if it’s the human manifestation of the herding instinct.
So were the subjects addressed by this book explained to my satisfaction? Generally yes, but my question about oxycodone wasn't addressed directly. This book focused on the reasons why the opioid problem was worse in some States than in others. What I wanted addressed is how could a pharmaceutical industry claim that a new opioid was not addictive when they are required to spend millions of dollars on testing the safety of other new drugs. Is there no way to test for addictiveness?
Read
October 8, 2024Looks like a re-read is in order
October 9, 2024
A classic work of Gladwellian pop-nonfiction. As such, it rightfully deserves 5-stars and a wide readership. The book investigates extraordinarily prescient issues in contemporary society, all bundled under the themes of overstories, social engineering, and superspreaders. In the wake of the COVID pandemic and in the midst of other crises (e.g. the opioid crisis and widespread discrimination) Gladwell does a fine job of highlighting the mechanisms and superstructures driving these problems with fascinating and novel concepts to help explain them.
My only qualm with the book is the length, in both a positive and negative sense. On the plus side, I would humbly beg Malcom to PLEASE WRITE MORE, PLEASE. The content is interesting and hyper-engaging. In a more critical context, these incredible stories and characters feel, at times, glossed. This opinion is much less a critique than a sincere wish for more (I had to deliberately force myself to pause my reading in order to savor the book before, all too suddenly, I was reading the acknowledgments).
If you’ve never read Malcom Gladwell (shame on you), this book will give you a delicious taste of what is to come when you inevitably devour everything else he’s written and recorded. My only advice (besides obviously read this and everything else he’s written) is to download the audiobooks so you can experience their superior quality and listen to them over and over for years to come.
Well done, and f**k the Ivy League.
My only qualm with the book is the length, in both a positive and negative sense. On the plus side, I would humbly beg Malcom to PLEASE WRITE MORE, PLEASE. The content is interesting and hyper-engaging. In a more critical context, these incredible stories and characters feel, at times, glossed. This opinion is much less a critique than a sincere wish for more (I had to deliberately force myself to pause my reading in order to savor the book before, all too suddenly, I was reading the acknowledgments).
If you’ve never read Malcom Gladwell (shame on you), this book will give you a delicious taste of what is to come when you inevitably devour everything else he’s written and recorded. My only advice (besides obviously read this and everything else he’s written) is to download the audiobooks so you can experience their superior quality and listen to them over and over for years to come.
Well done, and f**k the Ivy League.
January 28, 2025
Good food for thought here but, as is now usually the case with anything produced by Mr. Gladwell, after the intellectual sugar rush of the initial anecdotes, data and ideas I feel myself strangely unsatisfied. Are these notions (like his whole 10,000 hours thing) actually scientifically verifiable or just convenient rules of thumb? He should be a little more clear on this.
On the positive side, though, I love that he's still out here taking solid shots at the crass hypocrisy of elitist institutions (the Ivy League can go suck a lemon, but it'll never be as satisfying as when he landed haymakers on Golf).
Sorry Bob but you were on the wrong side of this one.
On the positive side, though, I love that he's still out here taking solid shots at the crass hypocrisy of elitist institutions (the Ivy League can go suck a lemon, but it'll never be as satisfying as when he landed haymakers on Golf).
Sorry Bob but you were on the wrong side of this one.
October 7, 2024
Neat read (listen)! Highly recommend the audiobook, which is formatted more like a podcast and includes original audio from some of the sources the author quotes. Malcolm Gladwell has a unique way of investigating things that, even if I’ve already heard about them, he adds new perspective to.
October 18, 2024
Superb.
Read it twice (audio)
Runner-up for non fiction of the year or winner for non fiction that excludes memoirs.
Read it twice (audio)
Runner-up for non fiction of the year or winner for non fiction that excludes memoirs.
February 28, 2025
A welcome return to form for Gladwell, whose ideas are always eye-opening and thought-provoking, with the benefit of being conveyed by a writer who's also a master stylist.
June 6, 2025
The way Malcolm Gladwell writes and expresses these seemingly simple overarching ideas and concepts and blow them up and scope down so minutely that it becomes simultaneously remarkable and at times almost a little too overthought. That being said I can definitely tell he’s a very intelligent guy with an inviting and witty way of writing and bringing you in to his chapters that almost feel more like a friendly conversation rather than a learning lecture. His tales and explanations especially into superspreaders and overstories as a concept as a whole was truly fascinating and even though it’s written supposedly in a completely different light than this one I think I’m going to have to try and read the original tipping point novel as well now. 3.75/5
October 8, 2024
Journalist and author Malcolm Gladwell's way of celebrating the 25th anniversary of his bestselling book The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference is apparently to release another book based on the same general concept, Revenge of the Tipping Point.
I listened to the audiobook version, which was made more engaging by audio excerpts from court hearings, a television movie, and various interviews (either from their original speakers or recreated by voice actors). The stories in this book are generally darker than in the original Tipping Point (from what I recall -- it's been a long time since I read it), and told in a more fragmented way than I remember from most other Gladwell books, with so many narrative threads weaving in and out of the story that it was sometimes hard to keep track or recollect vignettes revisited over many chapters. Though I don't think every story included fit the overarching framing (read: there's a significant amount of filler here), I understood where Gladwell was going with the main vignettes. Basically, a subgroup representation of 1/4 to 1/3 of a larger group is enough to influence behavior, change an "overstory" (the predominant cultural narrative of a subject), and serve as a tipping point. One example Gladwell uses several times is the male:female ratio of corporate boards -- if a corporate board has 10 members, then having only 1 or 2 females to 8 or 9 males makes it hard for the females to have influence, but adding a 3rd female/a 0.3 female ratio usually enough for the women's opinions to be listened to (sad, but true, in non-corporate board but other group settings I've seen). Gladwell also tackles more complex topics -- like why the opioid epidemic was much more prevalent in some US states vs. others (according to Gladwell pro-tipping point factors included laxer opioid prescription monitoring, the tendency of doctors to adjust their individual practice settings based on their local practice norms, the McKinsey-Purdue Pharma strategy of selectively and persistently targeting certain doctors, and Purdue's decision to change from a quicker-acting to a slower-acting oxycontin formulation around 2010 that made many people battling opioid addiction shift to harder drugs to find their next highs) -- though stories like this didn't neatly fit into the overall narrative.
Overall, an interesting read, with the caveat that many of the vignettes don't quite fit the overall narrative.
My statistics:
Book 232 for 2024
Book 1835 cumulatively
I listened to the audiobook version, which was made more engaging by audio excerpts from court hearings, a television movie, and various interviews (either from their original speakers or recreated by voice actors). The stories in this book are generally darker than in the original Tipping Point (from what I recall -- it's been a long time since I read it), and told in a more fragmented way than I remember from most other Gladwell books, with so many narrative threads weaving in and out of the story that it was sometimes hard to keep track or recollect vignettes revisited over many chapters. Though I don't think every story included fit the overarching framing (read: there's a significant amount of filler here), I understood where Gladwell was going with the main vignettes. Basically, a subgroup representation of 1/4 to 1/3 of a larger group is enough to influence behavior, change an "overstory" (the predominant cultural narrative of a subject), and serve as a tipping point. One example Gladwell uses several times is the male:female ratio of corporate boards -- if a corporate board has 10 members, then having only 1 or 2 females to 8 or 9 males makes it hard for the females to have influence, but adding a 3rd female/a 0.3 female ratio usually enough for the women's opinions to be listened to (sad, but true, in non-corporate board but other group settings I've seen). Gladwell also tackles more complex topics -- like why the opioid epidemic was much more prevalent in some US states vs. others (according to Gladwell pro-tipping point factors included laxer opioid prescription monitoring, the tendency of doctors to adjust their individual practice settings based on their local practice norms, the McKinsey-Purdue Pharma strategy of selectively and persistently targeting certain doctors, and Purdue's decision to change from a quicker-acting to a slower-acting oxycontin formulation around 2010 that made many people battling opioid addiction shift to harder drugs to find their next highs) -- though stories like this didn't neatly fit into the overall narrative.
Overall, an interesting read, with the caveat that many of the vignettes don't quite fit the overall narrative.
My statistics:
Book 232 for 2024
Book 1835 cumulatively
October 9, 2024
You know, some non-fiction makes you feel like you’re wading through a textbook, squinting at the tiny print and wondering if it’s worth the pain just to appear smarter?? Gladwell says hold my beer. He does this thing where he takes what should be dense, heady topics and makes them feel like you’re having a late-night convo with your smartest friend—engaging, casual, but with just enough substance to leave you thinking, “Okay, that was actually pretty cool.”
This time around, he dives into everything from the Ivy League admissions scandals (hello, Olivia Jade star USC rower??) to the tangled mess of the opioid epidemic in America. And that whole storyline? He doesn’t just give it a quick mention. No, he frames the entire book with it, opening and closing with a deep dive that had me SAT. It’s heavy, yeah, but he makes it so digestible, like sneaking veggies into your kid's dinner.
Then there’s this idea of “overstories,” which sounds way more complicated than it actually is. It’s all about those invisible forces that shape the stories we cling to, without us even realizing. It’s like learning there’s this hidden blueprint behind how we understand the world, and suddenly you can’t unsee it. It made me question a lot of the narratives we take for granted, and let’s be real, I love a good existential crisis!
If I had to sum this book up in a sentence, it’s like: Gladwell makes you feel smarter without making you feel like you’re working for it. It’s thought-provoking without being pretentious, and honestly, a great reminder that non-fiction doesn’t have to be boring. If you like books that’ll keep you thinking, this is that.
TLDR: A deep dive into the dark side of social shifts, told in classic Gladwell style. Worth the read—especially if you want to feel like you’ve learned something without breaking a sweat.
This time around, he dives into everything from the Ivy League admissions scandals (hello, Olivia Jade star USC rower??) to the tangled mess of the opioid epidemic in America. And that whole storyline? He doesn’t just give it a quick mention. No, he frames the entire book with it, opening and closing with a deep dive that had me SAT. It’s heavy, yeah, but he makes it so digestible, like sneaking veggies into your kid's dinner.
“Small variations lead to monumental shifts, and nowhere is that more apparent than behind the polished doors of Ivy League admissions.”
Then there’s this idea of “overstories,” which sounds way more complicated than it actually is. It’s all about those invisible forces that shape the stories we cling to, without us even realizing. It’s like learning there’s this hidden blueprint behind how we understand the world, and suddenly you can’t unsee it. It made me question a lot of the narratives we take for granted, and let’s be real, I love a good existential crisis!
“The stories we tell ourselves aren’t always organic—they’re constructed, influenced by the invisible hands of overstories, subtly shaping the way we interpret the world.”
If I had to sum this book up in a sentence, it’s like: Gladwell makes you feel smarter without making you feel like you’re working for it. It’s thought-provoking without being pretentious, and honestly, a great reminder that non-fiction doesn’t have to be boring. If you like books that’ll keep you thinking, this is that.
“I’m not as sunny and full of possibility as I was back then.”
TLDR: A deep dive into the dark side of social shifts, told in classic Gladwell style. Worth the read—especially if you want to feel like you’ve learned something without breaking a sweat.
December 21, 2024
This was… not good. I want to start by saying that up until now, I haven’t had a problem with Gladwell. I enjoyed Talking to Strangers and I liked his podcast Revisionist History in its early days — he’s a great storyteller. I was hopeful that he hadn’t flopped though people having been saying he did… and people are right.
Overall, this book felt like a rushed homework assignment where you use bits of essays you already wrote. Lots of supposition and loose logic, and the threads of the different chapters barely tied together. I think he thought that repeating the definitions of “epidemic,” “index case,” and “superspreader” would help, but it didn’t, and honestly really annoyed the MPH in me. The book was about social engineering and he had a few good examples, but most of the others were much less powerful, and at times, overly preachy. Some chapters just sounded like he was beefing with a brick wall — like, did he really need 40 pages to gripe about the Harvard women’s rugby team?
This was a slog, but I finished it because I started it. The strongest chapter was the conclusion, which focus on Purdue Pharma. It would’ve been better as a standalone essay and saved me a lot of time. Even so, his conclusions about the opioid crisis are… dubious. Can’t even pull a good quote for this review because I don’t want to open the book again.
Overall, this book felt like a rushed homework assignment where you use bits of essays you already wrote. Lots of supposition and loose logic, and the threads of the different chapters barely tied together. I think he thought that repeating the definitions of “epidemic,” “index case,” and “superspreader” would help, but it didn’t, and honestly really annoyed the MPH in me. The book was about social engineering and he had a few good examples, but most of the others were much less powerful, and at times, overly preachy. Some chapters just sounded like he was beefing with a brick wall — like, did he really need 40 pages to gripe about the Harvard women’s rugby team?
This was a slog, but I finished it because I started it. The strongest chapter was the conclusion, which focus on Purdue Pharma. It would’ve been better as a standalone essay and saved me a lot of time. Even so, his conclusions about the opioid crisis are… dubious. Can’t even pull a good quote for this review because I don’t want to open the book again.
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