BLINK and don't miss!. Review on Blink - Malcolm Gladwell

This is truly one of the most unique books I have ever read. Maybe because I don’t read nonfiction that often. Most nonfiction bores me to death. Not this one. Reading this I was pleasantly surprised not just because it was interesting but because of the content that has so far been alien to me. This is Malcolm Gladwell’s second book and I am eager to get my hands on his first book, Tipping point.

So what is it all about?

The power of thinking without thinking. That’s what the author calls it. It is about instant decisions, first impressions, instincts, all made in a blink of an eye that can be very powerful. How powerful? And how important? It could decide whether you are getting a heart attack, it could decide whether you are going be famous, it could decide if a product will sell, it could decide how good you are at what you do, it could also mean life and death.

Are you a good decision maker? If you are, what makes you one? These are few questions Blink tries to answer. This was what interested me the most because I am not good at making decisions especially if these decisions have to be taken at the spur of the moment. Most of you will agree that these situations come, no matter what profession you are in. The book attempts at teaching people to understand those few moments, that we otherwise ignore.

The author talks about a concept called thin slicing, the art of understanding those few seconds, rationalizing and making judgements. We don’t have to know all the details, and we don’t have to be flooded with unwanted information. Infact he says that, the more the information we have, the more difficult it is going to be to make decisions. Thin slicing is knowing what is important, just a little knowledge that matters.

Then of course he talks about the perils and adverse affects, and the devastating results of people who do it wrong.

What do I like about it?

1) He has proof

This is not some untested theory that the author imagined. Included in the book are numerous researches and studies done by psychologists, doctors and other eminent people which prove his point in one way or the other. I was completely taken aback by some of the results especially the one on the study of newly married couples.

2) Its non preachy

The book is categorized as Self-help/Psychology. Unlike most of the self-help books the tone is non-preachy and therefore fun to read.

3) Real people

Each chapter starts with stories, events and incidents all about real people. There are plenty of examples of how people who “thin slice” and are successful at what they do. I am tempted to reveal these stories, but they would ruin the fun so am going to restrain myself.

4) Both sides of the coin

If some people are good at it, some people are not. He talks about some of the errors people made and the disastrous results.

5) Tests

The author has included a few simple tests for readers, the results of which are again very surprising.

All said and done, has it made any difference in the way I think? Maybe not in a profound way but I am now aware of how important those first few moments can be before I jump to conclusions.

All in all its entertaining and enlightening!