Thursday, November 13, 2008

Blink by Malcolm Gladwell


The subtitle (in case you can't read the book cover o'er yonder) is The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. If you are intrigued (as I am) at the workings of the human mind, then this book is for you. Mr. Gladwell's thesis is that in many cases snap judgments are every bit as valid and effective as cautious and deliberate ones. He gives many examples of how first impressions, often formed in a fraction of a second, are accurate and reliable. From judging art forgeries, to evaluating New Coke, to an underdog dominating a military war game, Gladwell weaves anecdote after anecdote into a comprehensive discourse on the workings of the subconscious mind. As I am a person of thrift and brevity and believe reviews should be shorter than the books they cover, I'll just say that while not transcendent, it's a worthy read. I'll give it 7.5 out of 10 Magical Reading Units (MRU's).

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