Rating: 
Summary: A fascinating analysis of why little things do matter
Review: Little things matter. That's the lesson of "The Tipping Point." Want to lower crime in New York? You could address all problems of poverty and alienation. Or you could just clean up graffiti and start arresting people who pee in the street. Gladwell's premise, which he states interestingly and for the most part convincingly, is that small social cues, linked with group effects, can produce major social changes. The book can be read in an evening, and offers an interesting departure from conventional wisdom. My only complaint is that Gladwell's analysis overlaps considerably with the study of memetics, which he unaccountably doesn't mention. But this is a quibble. An interesting and readable book.
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Summary: This might have appealed to me in college.
Review: Not a book for thinkers, but rather a tome for those who prefer to be told how to think, what's important, what's profound. If you are an intelligent reader, I suggest you pass on this bloated attempt at insight. In addition to being trite, the book is poorly written, almost like a term paper: a, b, c, d; with little journalistic asides of the most pedestrian kind. Those of you who have favorably reviewed this book should stop to examine your powers of discrimination and original thought.
Rating: 
Summary: Esoterica
Review: This is a fun book to read, but the dots remain uncconected.
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I much prefer works that are more practical, and guide you directly to where you are going, instead of this very indirect analysis.
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Some examples of this direct approach which are exceptionally well done include the CD "Voice Lessons to go" and the DVD "New Sex Now."
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All of these are fun and enjoyable and will improve your life.
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Summary: Three Cardinal Principles
Review: The Tipping Point-Malcolm GladwellThis terrific book isn't really about advertising or footwear although it begins and ends with two seemingly overnight sensations in that category, one of which, Airwalks, he ascribes to advertising, the other, Hush Puppies, he doesn't. (I think he may be wrong there, but more on that later.)
But the reason anyone in advertising or marketing will want to read this book is because Mr. Gladwell does such a good job of deconstructing and explaining how trends or fads or to use the current expression: "buzz" come to be. Drawing from an enormous range of sources, from history to sociology to anthropology and psychology, he ultimately attributes the emergence of the latest, new, new thing to three cardinal principles that no marketer or communicator should be unaware of.
His first law relates to the subject of the audience to which a message should be directed. As he explains, a small group of people he designates as "connectors", "mavens" and "salesmen" play an enormous role in determining if an idea (or product) takes off. This would seem to have an interesting application to how marketers identify their target audience.
His next law arises from his observation that even very subtle changes in how a message is delivered can have a huge impact on its memorability and how likely it is to prompt action. So this would seem to have a big bearing on what an advertiser's message should be.
And finally, he gets to the fact that the context in which a message is delivered can be every bit as important to building momentum as what the message itself is, i.e. how and where you say something is just as critical as what you say.
Three important lessons for anyone interested in changing people's behaviors, which is certainly key to what advertisers and their advertising agencies are interested in. But what about my beef with his Hush Puppies claim? Well, what Gladwell asserts is that Hush Puppies became all the rage after the fashionistas who troll the small stores of New York's lower East Side discovered them sometime around late 1993 or early 1994. No advertising necessary. But what I know is there was some terrific Hush Puppies advertising done around that time. However, when I went back to look for it, I discovered it ran from 1986-1989 and clearly there can't have been a four or five year gap between this advertising and the Hush Puppies craze. Unless...
Unless the great advertising was actually done as a tool to load up the trade (a not uncommon practice in the apparel business), and when the merchandise didn't move (possibly because the media budget was too small) the trade dumped its stock of Hush Puppies on wholesalers who eventually sold them to those small stores on the lower East Side where the trendsetters found them.
Who knows? But this book is well worth reading in any event.
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Summary: Everyone should read this
Review: Some critics have called this book pseudo-science. They say author Malcolm Gladwell strings together examples of over-simplified social and economic theories in order to take the reader for a ride. These critics are right about the book taking readers for a ride. For me it was a great one-enough for me to overlook some of the simplifications that make this important book accessible to all readers.
Gladwell's main thesis is illustrated in the title, "How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference." He asks the reader to consider looking at the way the world works in a different way. The best way to understand how the world changes (whether in terms of fashion trends, crime waves, or word of mouth phenomena) is to think of the changes as epidemics. Little changes called, `Tipping Points' mark the beginning and the end of these epidemics.
Gladwell sets up three rules for tipping points: the stickiness factor, power of context and the law of the few. The bulk of the book is filled with examples of epidemics following these rules. He provides unique explanations for the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, the decline of crime in New York City, how television shows Sesame Street and Blues Clues work pedagogically for children and even why the supermarket continues to use the sign "Everyday Low Price" as a successful sales tactic without ever having lowered prices. The narrative style Gladwell employs to link all of these examples together makes it hard for readers not to start praying to the god of tipping points.
And, honestly tipping points don't seem like that bad of a god to pray to. The idea of the Tipping Point itself is hopeful and refreshing. I agree with Gladwell's conclusion that they are, "a reaffirmation of the potential for change and the power of intelligent action." The book left me with a sense that the world is not an immovable and implacable place but a `tippable' place.
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Summary: An Interesting Read That Is Full Of Information.
Review: "The Tipping Point" was an interesting book. I thought I would be a little overwhelmed with all the data mentioned; however, it was all mentioned in a clear cut way. I was interested in this book, as I help my personal assistant market my books. Mr. Gladwell is really correct about many things that he mentions in this book. For, "word of mouth", is the most important marketing tool- at least for my book sales. I sold more books that any other for my publishing house in November, 2004. All I did was hand out business cards or tell people in stores. The fact that, "who you know" is also correct. For I know that my merchandising and speaking to groups in four states has me knowing more people than most. I really think this is a great book for authors, business owners, or anyone wanting to see how our society reacts to certain things that trigger, "tipping points."
Sicily Yoder aka Teresa Phillips
Author of, "Leaving Lancaster County."
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Summary: New terms for old theories
Review: I read this book last week over the course of a businesss trip. Gladwell presents a list of case studies where an idea, product, or disease did or didn't succeed. His case studies are superficially interesting, and Gladwell attempts to reorganize phenomena for better analysis, but his use of non-standard terminology for previously-defined phenomena (such as the network effect, first movers, etc.) are simply new decoration on old theories.
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Summary: Spread Something / Tip it over
Review: The Tipping Point - a book many people I know who are in leadership have already read - it is great. While some have maligned this book calling it a reach, I disagree. It makes sense. This in-depth analysis of trends, and how they happen, how to make them happen, is really well done. The think I enjoyed about this book is that the examples were from all walks of life, not just corporate. Almost anyone can pick up this book, relate to what it is saying, and take something away from it.
I would love to have a job where your job is to spot future trends. There is a person in this book for whom that is her job. She sits around in hip areas and watches what 'cool' people are wearing. It makes sense, and it works. This is a book every leader needs to read. Pick it up today - you will enjoy it.
Joseph Dworak
Rating: 
Summary: Valuable insights we can use to improve Homeland Security
Review: The lessons learned from the Tipping Point could be useful for communities fine-tuning their disaster response plans.
People communicate and congregate in ways that can be understood before a crisis crystallizes.
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Summary: Too many interesting stories with little focus
Review: After I read "Blink" by the same author, I become familiar with his characteristic style. He uses many references and tells many stories that are informative and amusing for a young person with little scope of the big world, or someone who wants to kill time.
The idea of this book is not new at all. It is merely a rehash of what is widely known in dealing with issues related to herd manipulation, be that disease epidemics or marketing. The so many stories in the book confound its theme and undermine the author's ability to communicate clear and convincing ideas.
For example, he claims that by understanding the rules of epidemics, we could manipulate their outcome and mentions issues like teenage smoking, movies, etc. Yet, his stories seem to show his desire for flexing his wide knowledge in every field in life. He talks about syphilis, AIDS, TV show, research, while blurring the main highlights of the book.
In Chapter 1, "The three rules of epidemics", he twists the concept of "vector" into his fancy rule of "The law of the few", twists the concept of "host resistance" to his fancy "Stickiness factor", twists the concept of "host to vector interaction" to his fancy "The power of context". Then he builds the entire book, with so many references on such twisted inventions.
In chapter 2, "The law of the few", he merely stretches the causative vector in any epidemics into connectors, informed mediators, and salesmen and demonstrates each in many stories.
Chapter 3, "The stickiness factor", explains the impact of the vector on the host through case studies on Sesame Street, Blue's clues show, and education virus.
Chapters 4 and 5, "The power of context", are full with stories such as the fall in New York City crime rate and Sesame Street to demonstrate the importance of the environment, where the vector and host interact, on the outcome of epidemics.
Chapters 6 and 7, "case study", many more stories to explain the already told many stories.
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