The Tipping Point - By Malcolm Gladwell

This book discusses the 'phenomenon of epidemics' ... What are the little factors and details that cause huge transformations .. the writer tries to analyze the reasons that make something "widespread"..



The writer argues that there are three rules of epidemics:

• The Law of the few: There is a small number of people - the few - who play the major role in popularizing certain things.. similar to the 80-20 rule, They are classified into the following groups: Connectors (people who are capable of creating a large network of connections, maintaining good relationships and tapping into the potential of so many individuals), Mavens (people with accumulated knowledge and trusted for their knowledge and will to help people - knowledge and social skills), Salesmen (people who are passionate about what they believe in and can sell the idea to people easily)


• The Stickiness factor: certain characteristics of a product have an innate psychological reach and ability to be memorized and acted on by people ... even if some of the 'few' hold a message that doesn't have its 'stickiness factors', their success in creating an epidemic will be very limited .. this factor is a function of the profiles of people and their psychological beliefs and motivators .. advice has to be practical and personal, then memorable .. the information age, creates a substantial stickiness problem due to the huge flow of information.


• The power of context: Sensitivity of epidemics to the conditions and circumstances of the times and places in which they occur. This also includes the overall emotional state of people and their readiness for the epidemic. There is an important role for 'group' power in the spread of academics (smaller close-nit groups have the power to magnify the epidemic potential of a message or idea).

Although the author did some interesting research and included many studies, the main problem seems to be with his deductions ( as is with many statisticians and empiricists ), and his ability to relate this research in building a case .. .. there should be a deeper observation of the phonemna and better linking of the overall concepts, the overall analytical methods in the book are not up to the level of publicity that this book got .. so much of the research is not relevant to the logic flow, and seems to be part of a number game that really doesnt add alot to the thesis.

All in all, such phonemna should have received a much better attention, and deeper research in order to provide a deeper, wider understanding of such a huge concept.. the book simply fell short..