Book Review: Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

Blink will change the way you make snap decisions

In Blink, Malcolm Gladwell aims to explain the hidden factors that shape our unconscious decision-making, which demonstrates the powerful role played by the adaptive unconscious and illustrates how we can learn to control it. This clear and detailed summary and analysis is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to understand Gladwell’s bestselling book: it features a thorough explanation of the author’s aims, the main concepts underpinning his work, such as the process of ‘thin-slicing’ and the significance of rapid cognition, and a discussion of the effect of his ideas within the field of popular psychology. It also discusses the book’s reception, the main criticisms of the author’s ideas and methodology, and the legacy of his work, giving you everything you need to understand this fascinating book in just 50 minutes.

This accessible and insightful 52-page summary and analysis is structured as follows:

• Blink
• Context
  • The author: Malcolm Gladwell
  • Context and background
• Summary of Blink
  • Overview of the book
  • Introduction – The statue that didn’t look right
  • Chapter 1 – The theory of thin slices: how a little bit of knowledge goes a long way
  • Chapter 2 – The locked door: the secret life of snap decisions
  • Chapter 3 – The Warren Harding error: why we fall for tall, dark, and handsome men
  • Chapter 4 – Paul Van Riper’s big victory: creating structure for spontaneity
  • Chapter 5 – Kenna’s dilemma: the right – and wrong – way to ask people what they want
  • Chapter 6 – Seven seconds in the Bronx: the delicate art of mind reading
  • Conclusion – Listening with your eyes: lessons of Blink
• Impact of Blink
  • Reception
  • Criticisms of Gladwell’s approach
  • Legacy
• Summary

About Blink

Blink was first published in 2005 to popular and critical acclaim. It has sold over two million copies worldwide, making it one of the most famous works of popular psychology of the 21^st century. It was followed by Outliers and David and Goliath, which explore other topics such as the external factors that determine success.

About Malcolm Gladwell

Malcom Gladwell is a Canadian writer and journalist who has worked at a variety of newspapers and magazines, including The American Spectator, The Washington Post and The New Yorker. He began publishing books in the field of popular psychology in 2000 with the release of Tipping Point, and has garnered acclaim for both it and successive works such as Blink (2005) and Outliers (2008), leading Time Magazine to include him in its list of 100 most influential people in 2005.