Blink (Hardcover: 277 pages)

Power of thinking without thinking!

By sriks  Feb 19, 2007

Pros: Very relevant but unrealized concept

Cons: Drowned in analysis

Blink - by Malcolm Gladwell I was very keen on this book because I realized it related to the way I went about making conclusions and many a times, even decisions. I wanted to see if there is something relevant in here. I also heard about the book a... lot from some of the friends that I respect for their sheer knowledge and love for books. It made me believe that there must be something good in here. I must accept, on both accounts, that I am not disappointed at all. Be it the decision on kouros acquired by the Paul Getty Museum, that opens up the book or the Warren Harding error - Blink is all about snap judgements and decisions. It not only talks about serious things like encounters, but also provides contemporary linked to the Iraq war and interesting observations that relate to the former Amercian President, Bill Clinton. Paul Van Riper's Big Victory and Seven Seconds in the Bronx are my personal favourite sections in the book. The former talks about a Vietnam war veteran's unique style in handling battle situations based on his instints and how he, by enabling rapid cognition, defeated a planned operation simulation game - the Millenium Challenge. The latter is out and out about encounters, high-speed chases, autism and expressions. It demonstrates failure of mind-reading and importance of face-reading with concrete and famous examples.Thin-slicing, the locked door and listening through you eyes - all relate to the one single core which is the power of thinking without thinking. The classic coke's example, in demonstrating how decisions are based on the context, is as classic as the name of the brand. One interesting aspect about Blink is that it has an element of almost everything - business, music, war, art, dating, marriage... you name it. Another thing I found is the kind of pace it generates according to situations. The only point which was bordering on the negative is the loads of analysis that gets on to your head as you read the book. With such an interesting title, the book already keeps you anxious with every page. All the data only add to the burden. However, it is probably needed to handle a topic as interesting (and under-played) as this one. My call - grab your copy & experience 'blinking' as you read!! Cheers! Read more Less