I finished Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, Malcom Gladwell’s second expansion of an interesting magazine article, while on vacation last week. Not having read the original magazine article, I’d be interested to do so now. I’m interested in seeing what the proper length for a narrative is. Of course, it depends on the narrative.
Regardless, I think Gladwell’s clear writing and novel anecdotes illustrating his central theme do support book-length explorations.
Gladwell knows how to approach — and make approachable — academic subjects which enlighten us on ourselves. Human interactions are like the air around us, so slowing down to examine them is unexpectedly rewarding. I can only wish that more academics were so gifted with the written word, or perhaps that academia would reward clarity alongside precision, comprehensiveness, and verifiable results.
I preferred The Tipping Point, but I enjoyed Blink. Gladwell’s blog has been noted by many others before now, but as a reader who can’t imagine also subscribing to The New Yorker (as fine as it often is), I’m happy to have another option for reading Gladwell.