Rating: 
Summary: Relevant to many current issues -- and fun too
Review: Let me start be saying that I'm not connected in any way with the publisher of this book. I further suggest that the glowing reader reviews for this book might be due to the fact that most people who have read it enjoyed it. The positive reviews are long because these readers are supporting their opinions with reasons, rather than just giving knee-jerk reactions and conspiracy theories. On to more important matters... I was quite surprised that The Tipping Point was not an overly thick book. At 288 pages, it is a good length, but not a difficult book to finish in a reasonable amount of time. Gladwell's experience as a magazine writer really shows in the way he manages to fill those pages with as much relevant information as one might find in a much longer book. In teaching us about the way social epidemics behave, Gladwell obviously uses many of his own ideas to make the lesson enjoyable to a wide range of people. Parts of the book are written in a way that invites the reader to participate. Gladwell administered a "connectedness" test to a variety of people, to compare how many people they know. The test is included in the book for the reader to try. The section on the contagiousness of yawns is written so suggestively that it makes the reader part of a live demonstration. I yawned at least four or five times while reading a page and a half on the subject. Real-world examples are used extensively. Gladwell analyzes Paul Revere's ride to illustrate how word-of-mouth travels. Children's shows serve as examples of how to get (and hold) a person's attention. The Hutterites and Gore, the company that makes Gore-Tex, both illustrate the same principle of group behaviour. The list goes on and on. The Tipping Point is filled with the views of real people interviewed by Gladwell. They include scientists, marketing experts, TV show creators, and many others who personify the ideas expressed in the book. All of these individual ideas and principles are neatly tied into one central argument. I found that many seemingly illogical things were clearly explained in The Tipping Point. I now have a better understanding of why some popular children's shows are virtually unwatchable by adults, or why teenagers suddenly start dressing in ways would have made them a target of ridicule only a couple of years before (and will again in a couple of years). In fact, it was nothing short of amazing the way Gladwell's book can be applied to so many of the important issues facing my community right now. Squeegee laws, crime, government reform, and smoking bylaws -- The Tipping Point has information relevant to all of them. Some of what Gladwell writes about human behaviour seems logical enough, but other ideas fly in the face of conventional thinking. I don't necessarily agree with all of his interpretations, but Gladwell does make a very convincing case. He backs his statements up with a substantial amount of research, citing studies whose results range from curious to humorous to downright disturbing. In all, The Tipping Point is a thought-provoking and thoroughly enjoyable book that was very hard to put down.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting, compelling & useful non-fiction
Review: This was a fascinating book. Gladwell seeks to explain how ideas can be passed like viruses, how ideas reach a "tipping point" when many people start adopting them and how this exponential growth of these ideas often takes us by surprise. I am constantly being reminded of the anecdotes that Gladwell uses to illustrate his points. There were stories regarding how cracking down on non-paying subway riders helped encourage the reduction of crime in New York City, how breast cancer education taught to hairdressers was more effective than many other means of education and why much of our anti-drug campaign may actually increase the likelihood of teens smoking or using drugs. Gladwell tries to explain all these phenomena through the theory of the "tipping point". Gladwell has been so successful in the marketing for this book that the tipping point has entered our cultural lexicon. I see it pop up in news articles all the time now. Gladwell forces his theory onto some situations and his evidence is not statistically overwhelming but the rationale of his argument is compelling and difficult to deny. A winner.
Rating:
Summary: The science of Big Bird
Review: This book, at its heart is about the theoretical "tipping point", but it is also a pretty cool compendium of interesting information. Including things such as:-The counter-intuitive method NYC used to lower the crime rate.
-The incredible amount of developmental psychology work that went into creating shows like Sesame Street and Blues Clues.
-How suicide and smoking are as contagious as fashion fads.
-Why Paul Revere's ride was successful, but not William Dawes, who did the same thing on the same night.
-How spouses, or even close groups of people tend to use their collective memory as one unit.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting, compelling & useful non-fiction
Review: This was a fascinating book. Gladwell seeks to explain how ideas can be passed like viruses, how ideas reach a "tipping point" when many people start adopting them and how this exponential growth of these ideas often takes us by surprise. I am constantly being reminded of the anecdotes that Gladwell uses to illustrate his points. There were stories regarding how cracking down on non-paying subway riders helped encourage the reduction of crime in New York City, how breast cancer education taught to hairdressers was more effective than many other means of education and why much of our anti-drug campaign may actually increase the likelihood of teens smoking or using drugs. Gladwell tries to explain all these phenomena through the theory of the "tipping point". Gladwell has been so successful in the marketing for this book that the tipping point has entered our cultural lexicon. I see it pop up in news articles all the time now. Gladwell forces his theory onto some situations and his evidence is not statistically overwhelming but the rationale of his argument is compelling and difficult to deny. A winner.
Rating: 
Summary: Watered down hype
Review: A combination of dry prose, extremely watered down social theory, and journalistic over-simplification. A few witticisms here and there would have helped the project along a bit. I somehow had the feeling that I was reading an extended magazine article rather than a book. No new ideas to speak of.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting ideas on how to change the status quo
Review: What do anti-smoking campaigns, NYC crime, STD epidemics, and the secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood have in common? They're states of equilibrium that get pushed beyond a tipping point into a new, and very different equilibrium. Interesting in changing the status quo? This book will give you ideas. Gladwell does an excellent job of synthesis, taking seemingly diffferent phenomenon, and capturing a theory that unifies them. The end of the analysis is a toolset for the reader to analyze situations on their own. If have a dilemna that we need to think systemically about, we can divide our targets into Connectors (those people who make it a point to connect to large groups), Mavens (information banks) and Salesmen (idea spreaders). The book cites examples of each, such as a Connector whose personal connections made his famous ride so successful. Indeed the impact of the book is seen in it's own proliferation. I received it from a friend, and recommended it to another, and here I am posting about it to Amazon. The ideas stick! My one complaint on the book is that despite the hype, the material isn't original. The issue isn't plagirism, it is just that much of the material has been hyped before. Followers of chaos theory or complexity know that a small change can have a big impact. Many of the studies cited here have appeared elsewhere, such as Caldini's "Influence." Despite that, if you've read the material before, it's a good reminder, and if you haven't, welcome to the new material. :-)
Rating:
Summary: A very pleasant read ing experience
Review: This is one of the easiest and best reading books that I have ever read! So stimulating! So much powerful information! So many nonfiction books are dry and boring, not this one. You'll love it. We did. Must reading for all visionaries.
Rating: 
Summary: Must reading for all entrepreneurs
Review: If you are an entrepreur, a trend setter, want to find out how to set a new trend, read this book. The Tipping Point is for entrepreneurs; for pace setters, innovators and originators. Not me too people. I got a lot out of this book. Just the story on hush puppies alone was inspiring. How many Michael Dell's, Bill Gate's etc. will be created from this book? Read it and become one yourself. This book is must reading. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Typical Journalistic Tripe
Review: This book has a few interesting ideas--about a short magazine article's worth. The rest is padding, like so many other non-fiction books on the market today. The writing style is dry, as if ironed out to fit some kind of common denominator, without a scrap of vitality or wit. The author, while beating the obvious to absolute pulp, is also full of himself. I found reading The Tipping Point an unpleasant experience indeed, and regret ever having purchased the book.
Rating:
Summary: Very interesting read; compelling
Review: I really for the life of me cannot understand the 1 star reviews here. This is a powerful book and one that should, not must be read by everyone. Highly recommended, but only for those who read books, not just the free information available here at Amazon.
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