52books: 52Books - #51 (!): Blink by Malcom Gladwell
Here is what I...
keller
· 1 year ago
great book. just spent this weekend reading gladwell's latest, outliers, and it is just as good if not better than blink.
bryon41
· 1 year ago
Thanks for writing this. I've been hearing a lot about Malcolm Gladwell lately in psychology circles, and was curious what his books were about. Examining consciousness has always been either the "easy problem" of defining neural correlates, or the "hard problem" of determining how subjective experience arises from objective brain activity. This sounds more like the latter, and therefore I am interested to see what he has to offer. I'm curious, though, what makes Gladwell unique or more interesting than other writers on these subjects?
Laura
· 1 year ago
Although I have not read extensively in the field of psychology, I have a professional background in mental health and continue to have an interest in the subject. This is also the only book I have read by Gladwell, so I cannot speak for his other works. However, there are a couple of reasons why Gladwell appealed to me: 1) In Blink, he writes about experiences that ordinary people have everyday and in a language they can understand. When I was reading the book, I didn't feel like he was talking down to me. We were just having an intellectual conversation. 2) Gladwell takes into account more than simple brain activity. His arguments often include environmental factors and outside influence. In academic settings, the outside world is sometimes forgotten, yet it has a major impact on our un/conscious.
Most importantly, the book was fun. I liked what it had to offer and enjoyed the learning process that came from it. I guess in the end, that's all that really matters.
bryon41
· 1 year ago
Thank you! This is very true: "In academic settings, the outside world is sometimes forgotten, yet it has a major impact on our un/conscious," which is why I make sure to look outside the academic journals, so I don't get stuck reading the same citations and therefore the same ideas. I think the most inspirational things are those that we can relate to our lives, and it sounds like Gladwell achieves this; I'm definitely going to check him out now. Thanks again :-)
If you liked Blink, you should read the counter-point book called "Think!: Why Crucial Decisions Can't Be Made in the Blink of an Eye" by Michael R. LeGault, for some perspective on the other side of the coin.
All Comments
Most importantly, the book was fun. I liked what it had to offer and enjoyed the learning process that came from it. I guess in the end, that's all that really matters.
his new book is on my christmas list.