Blink The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

Blink The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

Blink is about the first two seconds of looking–the decisive glance that knows in an instant. Gladwell, the best-selling author of The Tipping Point, campaigns for snap judgments and mind reading with a gift for translating research into splendid storytelling. Building his case with scenes from a marriage, heart attack triage, speed dating, choking on the golf course, selling cars, and military maneuvers, he persuades readers to think small and focus on the meaning of “thin slices” of behavior. The key is to rely on our “adaptive unconscious”–a 24/7 mental valet–that provides us with instant and sophisticated information to warn of danger, read a stranger, or react to a new idea.

Gladwell includes caveats about leaping to conclusions: marketers can manipulate our first impressions, high arousal moments make us “mind blind,” focusing on the wrong cue leaves us vulnerable to “the Warren Harding Effect” (i.e., voting for a handsome but hapless president). In a provocative chapter that exposes the “dark side of blink,” he illuminates the failure of rapid cognition in the tragic stakeout and murder of Amadou Diallo in the Bronx. He underlines studies about autism, facial reading and cardio uptick to urge training that enhances high-stakes decision-making. In this brilliant, cage-rattling book, one can only wish for a thicker slice of Gladwell’s ideas about what Blink Camp might look like. –Barbara Mackoff

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars fascinating, however…
This book was fascinating… Malcolm Gladwell can sure tell a good story and run a persuasive and provocative argument. As I was reading, I had some concerns about the implications, particularly about stereotypes and marketing, but Gladwell not only addressed them, but put them in a deeper context. An insightful read!

However…

I did get the uncomfortable sense that there may be studies or examples out there that did not agree with Gladwell’s hypothesis, and that he just ignored them. I assumed he just cherry-picked the studies that would help his case. I also couldn’t figure out enough ways to apply this personally to my own life and my own actions.Ultimately I am a very practical person, and I want to know what to DO with the information, not just have random facts floating around in my brain somewhere. I also was concerned about the marketing implications of this book, even after Gladwell’s discussion.

3 Stars interesting but…
A bit long on the anecdote and short on how to develop and employ this ability.

1 Star please
I didn’t finish blink, made it two-thirds of the way through. The whole premise is stupid to me, and the most bothersome part is that while the author tosses around buzz terms like thin slicing and this so-called built in ability to laser through the troublesome act of actually reflecting on a comprehensive picture, he never really touches on the fact that 9 out of 10 of his examples are the result of expert ability based on 20+ years of dedication to the respective discipline, or riding on the shoulders of the equally applied efforts of someone else. And what really bothers me is how many people flock to this *&% as this wonderful new way of thinking. I made it as far as I did because the anecdotes are entertaining, but c’mon gimme a break, and jeesh.

5 Stars such a fresh thinker
I have read several of Gladwell’s books and this is my favorite. I find his ideas fresh and interesting and I love the way he looks at the world. Mr. Gladwell certainly has many “sticky” ideas; my husband and I still find ourselves often saying, “So what’s your blink?” Meaning of course, What is your first impression? While we certainly believe the author is onto something when he says first impressions (often without even realizing you are having them) are accurate, there are certainly times when second and third and fourth are well deserved…and Gladwell does acknowledge this. Fun read.

5 Stars Been There, Done That
As I read this book, I could not help but feeling a sense of deja vu. Many of the concepts and examples that Gladwell presents have parallels in my own experiences. The knowledge that something is the right choice even before being able to consider all the circumstances can be both liberating and troubling in that you can spend as much effort second-guessing yourself as plodding through the decision process. In that manner, I really enjoyed the book as it seemed to reinforce that one could indeed experience effective thinking without thinking about it. However, I can also understand the negative reviews as well. The experience and enjoyment of the book can really be related in the old saw, “for those that have, no explanation is required – for those that can not, no explanation is possible.”

Buy/More Info