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Summary: EXCELLENT BOOK FOR THE NON-SCIENCE OREINTED
Review: I have read many technical/scientific books on epidemics and psychology, but what sets Gladwell's book apart is the manner in which he presents his information. It is an easy read, unlike many "scientific texts" and there is much to learn from this book. I highly recommend this book to someone who is interested in psychology/society but doesn't want to get bogged down with the technical terminology.
Rating: 
Summary: Brilliant Mind Candy
Review: Well-written, faxcinating, offbeat and full of information no one else knows. Makes you rethink a lot of social cause and effect conventional knowledge. Ignore the carping reviews; they're just showing off.
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Summary: Fascinating Insights!
Review: I began reading this book at night while others were asleep, and was immediately engrossed--the next morning I could not stop babbling about it, and made everyone try the list of names in the section on "Connectors" to see how they scored. Though I came in at an abysmally low "3" myself, I did act the roles of "Maven" and "Salesman" for the book, with my own tiny circle of friends, emailing the NY Times review of "The Tipping Point", published the day I finished reading the book, to everyone I could think of, saying, you must buy this book, the way Gladwell explains himself, the anecdotes provided, was one of the most interesting things I had read in ages. When I bought "The Tipping Point", intrigued by the jacket description, but knowing nothing about it, I did not realize that Gladwell was a New Yorker writer I had long admired. But once I started in, I recognized him and remembered how I had sent on several of his articles to friends--which amused me, and is part of why I score so poorly on the "Connector test", my lack of attention to names, despite fervent endorsement of "ideas" I find, to everyone I know. Along these lines, a book that had a similar impact on me, would be "Presidential Temperament" by Keirsey and Choiniere, a blend of theory about human differences, with vivid real world examples drawn from the Presidents, a method of analysis that just makes intuitive sense of people, the way Gladwell does here with social trends, very useful information for an election year, a book I enthusiastically endorse as much as this one.
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Summary: Six Degrees of Classic Status...
Review: I confess: I met and had dinner with Mr. Gladwell on two occasions, nine and twelve years ago, thanks to a mutual friend. (That mutual friend is the son of Lois Weisberg.) Although I don't actually really KNOW Malcolm Gladwell, I think we would consider each other acquaintances if we met in an airport lounge, for example. On reading this book, I determined that I am at best a semi-Conductor and a semi-Maven. All this is for the sake of disclosure, so please read my review with that in mind. It is the nature of these seemingly irrelevant details in human "connectivity" which are chronicled in Malcolm Gladwell's elegant little book. If you ever wondered how trends begin and rumors spread, you will have ample food for thought on reading these essays. They are a delight to read. But "The Tipping Point" also communicates something much deeper about the nature of human societies -- and human values -- without coming to hard and fast conclusions. I recommend this book. It is satisfying on several different levels. I am actually buying it for selected friends and acquaintances, part of my stealth campaign to create a minor classic. And why not? A former science writer for the Washington Post, Gladwell is easily the best of the young New Yorker writers (he is still in his 30s), and this is his first published book. His will be a career to follow, and he will cetainly go on to write other important works; why not follow him from the beginning? But don't take my word for it -- buy or borrow a copy, and see if you agree. Then tell your friends.
Rating: 
Summary: Written like a Tarantino film
Review: The Idea is interesting. But reads like a Q. Tarantino script
Rating:
Summary: Great Insights into Mass Behaviors
Review: Despite an earlier reviewer poo-pooing this book for shallow insights, I beg to differ. This book is a fascinating and original take on what makes people behave in a certain way en masse. Tying together Paul Revere, Hush Puppies and many other very accessible ideas makes this book, that is in some ways very academic, read like a thriller. I read it in three sittings. It has an impact on several levels. One, as a marketer, it gave me insights into how word-of-mouth really works. I'll be experimenting with these concepts for years. Second, as a member of society, I gained insight into why I am pulled this way and that by trends. If you enjoyed this, you'll also enjoy the groundbreaking book by Robert Cialdini called "Influence, the Psychology of Persuasion." It makes some of the same points. Finally, it makes me think that some savvy activists will find some ways to use these principles to start societal epidemics that will ultimately have a positive effect. I believe Gladwell has introduced a concept, "the Tipping Point," that will have a wide-ranging impact on how we view the world and human behavior.
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Summary: Multidisciplinary Mastery
Review: I've taught psychology at a university for twenty years, and was prepared to be dubious about Malcolm Gladwell's "The Tipping Point"; he is, after all, a journalist, not an academic. Despite his highly readable style, though, I was amazed by the level of sophistication and scholarship that he brings to his subjects. You can cavil about details, but the vigor and intellectual energy of the book is formidable. "The Tipping Point" assembles sometimes arcane findings from the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, the Journal of Consumer Researcher, Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, American Journal of Sociology, International Journal of Criminology and Penology and other scholarly resources. It explains and builds upon research by such major social-science figures as Marc Granovetter, Jonathan Crane, and the legendary Thomas Schelling. And the project is infused with an interdisciplinary ease: a special pleasure is the unexpected juxtapositions of research in linguistics, medical science, social psychology, marketing, political science, and mathematics All of which is to say that the erudition and theoretical sophistication of this work is truly impressive. It may be aimed at "civilians," but the guy can teach us scholars a few things
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Summary: great book!
Review: "The Tipping Point" is a great book! It's easy to read but its ideas are challenging. (I wish more academics wrote like Gladwell--strong ideas but without jargon.) And, I also found it hopeful: Gladwell argues that it's the little things that make a difference in how our society works; if that's true, then we common folk can have a positive effect on the problems we face. A highly worthwhile read!
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Summary: Social engineering section alone is worth your effort
Review: A Gem of a book. Makes me want to run out and tell everyone. Why? Because what is possible in memetics explains how we will soon usher in a new economy and why people will embrace it. Read "Transfer-the end of the beginning" See for yourself...
Rating:
Summary: Gladwell is a star
Review: I have not read the book yet, but Gladwell's 1996 _New Yorker_ article (on which it is based) was a tour de force -- a refreshing, marvelously thought provoking but never polemic take on an often tiresome and cliche-ridden subject. Gladwell is on his way to be a journalist/social scientist of legendary stature at a relatively young age. Anything he writes deserves to be read. I agree with the other reader that his "Six Degrees" article was great, but it's a long list: Gladwell's take on whether (and if so, why) blacks are better athletes than whites should also be read (I believe Gladwell is a Canadian of Jamaican lineage).
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