Review: Blink (Malcolm Gladwell)

Average with flashes of being nice.

My feelings on reading this book at the end of some pages:

page:35 - Easy read but not quite intriguing or challenging the thought process. Not really pushing me to read more

90: Amazing (This was probably the place where he was discussing Implicit Association Tests)

120: Good piece.

150: Stories dragged too long. e.g. the hospital one.

190: After long wait, a good test about Colas in three glasses.

End: Good to see it cleared the initial perception that this book builds. I have heard people saying that this book is about "Intuition vs Logical thinking" or this book says "first-few-seconds-impression is better than the logical thinking". This book is *not* saying those things. This book just shows that how powerful can first-few-seconds-impression be in our judgement making and how can that be intelligently used to correct people's perceptions about several things (e.g. how those women got into the music group).

Though somehow the high expectations created by "The Tipping Point" were let down. Stories were way too stratched than what was required. Probably a thinner book would have been far more slick.

Smile

Recently while watching a Cricket match, one of my friends said,
"McGrath always keeps smiling. Even if he gets a four hit on his ball, he smiles. It is like he means to say that 'Okay you have hit it this time, but you will get out anyway'. Such an arrogant person he is."

Now I don't quite get this. McGrath might be arrogant, but I don't understand why his continuously smiling is being misinterpreted that way? Why is not being taken that he means to be cheerful in all odd conditions?

To continue watching match and since others were in agreement with this view, I had to stop arguing there, but I still din't get this :)

Fashion?

Wondering if it is a fashion nowadays -

- To hate Siddhu
- To hate Aishwarya Rai
- To hate Shahrukh Khan
- To hate Himesh Reshammiya
- To hate Indian music/movies
- To hate remakes
- To hate software engineers
...

I have encountered many people boasting about these sentiments. Besides not considering achievements of these hated people, my main worry is 'hate' being the fashion. Why is 'liking' something considered less important than 'hating'?

Also, I believe 'hate' is a way too strong a word to be used so frequently and freely without any thoughts on its meaning.