Gut feelings have always been
relevant in society; everyone has probably had the experience at one point in
their lives, but never understood the reason behind it, the true meaning of
that feeling. In blink, Malcolm
Gladwell uses an broad collection of studies and events to analyze the very
specific phenomenon that he refers to as “thin-slicing”. Gladwell, who is a
staff writer at the New York Times, is also the author of “The Tipping Point”,
which similarly takes the role of analyzing a minuscule and often overlooked
detail of a large picture. Many of his readers, then, are most likely familiar
with Gladwell’s first book and are educated to the extent that they have an
interest in what may seem to others like a dull statistical analysis. Those who
would not like this book should not have a hard time telling so, as Malcolm
directly states the subject and purpose of his book in the opening pages, and
later on comments on the route the text is taking. This skill was effective
because it is unique and clearly defines Gladwell’s tone and style. Diction was
also a noticeable element of blink.
There are many instances in which Gladwell uses phrases that include the
reader, such as “Imagine you are”, “Let’s dig deeper”, and “we, as human
beings”. All of these break down the barrier that separates the author from his
audience, and makes him more relatable. This feeling of knowing Gladwell
without meeting him is analogous to an example in the book, in which he
describes Tom Hanks’ natural likeability. Our unconscious mind is constantly
making calculations about the smallest details that allow us to make snap judgments
about a person or object, like blink,
to give an example. Gladwell’s purpose, as evidenced thus far, seems to be a
report of his findings through writing this book, and what can be learned from
them. However, the context of the book is not a scientific journal, it is a
bound cover in a bookstore or library, available for anyone to read.
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