Customer Reviews

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Extremely interesting book with insightful theories on why and how we make decisions. Unfortunately, you don't find out until the disappointing end that the "chapters" were independent essays. As with most books, I looked forward to finding out how the author will wrap everything up and tie the stories together in the end. Apparently, Gladwell either didn't feel it was necessary, or ran out of steam. The ending was so abrupt that I found myself frantically scanning the notes at the end for some sort of closure (to no avail). That said... I do think this book is worth reading. Just read it as if it was a group of short stories, so you won't be disappointed.

Like The Tipping Point, Blink has a very simple point which it elaborates from a variety of perspectives. In this case, the point is that our subconscious mind can integrate small, subtle clues to very quickly make great decisions . . . as long as we have been trained to know what clues to focus on.

In developing that simple idea, Mr. Gladwell makes the case for "going with your gut" in many instances . . . especially when time is of the essence (such as during emergencies and in combat). He also rescues analysis to show how analysis can train people to know what to look for so they can use their instincts more effectively.

But instincts have a downside. Based on conditioning, we make associations that are harmful to ourselves and to others. He recounts how an innocent man became a victim of under trained, over stimulated police officers and how even African-Americans display prejudice against African-Americans.

Most of the book is devoted to looking at prejudice and how to overcome it. For those who are interested in that subject, this book will be much more interesting than for those who want to understand how to improve their decision-making.

I thought that the book failed to reach the average mark as a book about how to improve decision-making. There's no real guidance for what we can each do to improve our important decisions. We are just left with hope that we can do better. I graded the book up a bit because I liked the insights into racism.

I thought the material on branded products was much too long and didn't add anything to what I knew already.

Mr. Gladwell writes well, though, so it's mostly a pleasant trip in the book. He makes science more interesting, but leaves a bit too much of the science out to make the results satisfying. He's writing for a dumbed-down audience with science backgrounds at the 8th grade level.

The book's opening made me feel like I was really going to learn something. As the book continued, I found myself disappointed compared to the high expectations that the opening set for learning better decision-making practices. As a result, all I got from the book was to pay attention to external clues and my own physiological cues as I react to a situation. I already do that, so I felt that the book didn't really deliver a solid benefit to me beyond teaching me a few new stories about decision makers.

Malcolm Gladwell takes a "gee wiz" approach to the topic of split-second decision making, tossing around research without discrimination or critical analysis, and not following through on the implications of what he's saying.

For example, he starts with an example of an art forgery that the scientific tests missed while several art experts could tell "in a blink" that there was something fishy. Interesting anecdote and let's assume that it's true. Would any one of those art experts advise that scientific testing should no longer be used to detect forgeries? Of course not. Would any of them be able to detect forgeries on a consistent basis by gut reaction? No. Gladwell reads way too much into the anecdote. He also doesn't seem to get the fact that most of his examples of split-second decision making are done by people who are highly trained in the subject. A closer analogy might be learning to play the piano.

A much, much better take on this material (also a more engaging read) is Jay Ingram's "Theatre of the Mind: Raising the Curtain on Consciousness."

There is plenty of food for thought in the pages of Blink. Malcolm Gladwell does indeed, to some degree, inspire you to rethink your whole way of thinking. I'm not sure how much of a practical effect the book has on a reader, though, because Gladwell never really comes out with a systematic method for training yourself to think differently. I would sum the book up this way: Your unconscious is smarter than you are - but not always. It isn't that radical of an idea. We've all been such advice as: if you don't know the answer, go with your first instinct; you never get a second chance to make a first impression; and the ubiquitous follow your gut. What Gladwell does is validate these sorts of common sense notions. Going further, though, he also describes situations in which your unconscious can lead you astray. Ideally, one must strike a balance between instinct and deliberation.

The book features all manner of excellent examples to fit Gladwell's argument - although at times, it gets a little bogged down in minutiae (such as a veritable laundry list of scientific names for facial muscles). First, he talks about a Greek statue that was scientifically verified as authentic but almost immediately declared a fake (and rightly so) by a number of experts in that form of art. How could these experts see the truth instantaneously? Why can other people see and know things that logic dictates it is impossible to know? These are the questions Gladwell asks. It all comes down to thin-slicing, he tells us. Thin-slicing involves the filtering out of all but the most relevant data, and the human unconscious thrives at this special skill. Then comes the more interesting part - ask someone to explain how he knew something spontaneously, and he/she will struggle to do so. What is more, the very effort to describe one's reaction makes the person less sure of his/her conclusions. From here, it's only a hop, skip, and a jump to the argument that too much information can sometimes be a bad thing. This would seem to be bad news to those of us who prefer to sit and study about something before coming up with an opinion. It isn't always the case, mind you, but too much deliberation about too many things can be more of a hindrance than a help.

Thus, after showing what an unacknowledged genius our unconscious is, Gladwell proceeds to demonstrate how the unconscious sometimes gets things horribly wrong. He uses real world examples such as the Pepsi Challenge (and goes on to explain why New Coke seemed like a good idea at the time yet failed miserably), the shooting of an unarmed man by police officers, and the success of market-testing failures such as All in the Family. A number of fascinating insights are gleaned in the process: perception affects satisfaction, stereotypes (even those you strongly rebuke consciously) affect feelings and behavior, mood can be affected just by adopting certain facial expressions, spontaneity is not random, and others.

There is a level of contradiction worked into the book. Sometimes, for example, first impressions are right on the money, and sometimes they are not a good indicator at all. How do you know the difference? Sometimes, less information is more valuable than more, but sometimes it isn't. Gladwell's point is that sound decision making is borne of a balance between instinctive, reactive realization and deliberate, studied conclusions. I think he pretty well proves the point, but he doesn't really give us a road map for finding that balanced place. Thus, the book is made up mostly of thought-provoking, fascinating stories and examples. It makes for fascinating reading, but I'm not sure it will actually change the way I think about things on a routine basis.

I am glad I didn't buy this book. I heard reviews, I even caught part of a reading that the author did for a Toronto area event, and all the wonderful things that he talked about were very intriguing. But, my library already had a copy, so I read it. The momentous examples of split decision occurences were enticing but the promise of revelationary explanation for the sociology behind the burned pathways of our psyche is left unfulfilled. Not once was I satisfied with the why of the decision offered by the author. No insight offered, no learned opinion nor alterior reference for an interested party to turn to in order to better understand the anthropology of our patterned lives.

A bit long but as a whole, it's typical to Gladwell. Well researched and very good stories to back the facts.

heard of the book from multiple people. Lived up to every expectation. I am reading all his books in order and just finished Blink. I would definitely read this book.

I so enjoyed this book. As with all of Gladwell's material it is so easy to digest, and so entertaining through the case studies and interpretation. Contrary to some other reviews, I found the book flows very well. I will never forget some of the stories he presents, and of course, the over-riding theme is profound. Thank you Mr. Gladwell.

The entire premise of this book is; if you repeat something a trillion times, the process gets so ingrained in your brain that at a certain point, you no longer have to consciously 'think' in order to make the best decisions. In other words, the best decisions become blink decisions.

Think about that for a minute. Was it really necessary to cite all those studies to prove that point? Like is this such a provocative idea that this book needs to be on the bestseller's list for god knows how long?

Let me share a story with you. I grew up playing NES, SNES, PS, etc. When you play a game for the first time, the controls of the game a unfamiliar, the gameplay is naturally stiff. But soon after you get used to pressing the buttons in such and such combination that will win you the game. Eventually, you get to a point where you no longer have to think about the buttons you press yet you can control the game environment. You get to a point where you can impose your will on the game. For example, timing for the combination moves for Tekken 3 is crucial. Of course at first I had trouble memorizing the buttons as well as timing. But after a while, this no longer becomes a conscious process and I can do the 10-hit King combo moves, throw my enemies around like rag dolls and win at will. Did I need Mr. Let-me-give-you-a-new-way-of-looking-at-the-world Malcolm Gladwell? I figured that out when I was 12.

You get my point. Of course the problem is all of Gladwell's books are this useless. Yet the part of the population that considers themselves 'well-read' can't get enough of him. And that is sadder than the man himself.

Although the author offers an interesting approach toward making decisions, his continuing use of the same stories over and over again to illustrate his points drove me bonkers. Gladwell could (and should) have written the entire message in half the pages. He still would not have convinced me that his premise was correct, but at least I wouldn't have been bored. After reading The Tipping Point and Outliers, this book was a disappointment in both content and writing style.