Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell

A major addition to management theory
Professor Howard Flomberg (flomberh@mscd.edu), I teach MGT at the College level, 06/10/2007

Blink shows us how our 'GUT' works. The book flies in the face of traditional management theory. I use the book as required reading for my upper division management courses.

The Power of 'Blink-ing'... and Some Thinking
Brian, a high school student and musician, 03/13/2007

Malcolm Gladwell's critically-acclaimed 'Blink' delves into the 'locked door' of the human subconscious and attempts to explain when we humans should and shouldn't trust our instincts, that the snap judgments we make can be just as effective as deliberate as cautious ones, and that these snap judgments are within our control. Gladwell identifies and explains numerous concepts regarding the snap judgments that humans make including thin-slicing (making a decision or judgment based on a series of brief observations), priming (implanting images or thoughts into one's brain as to promote certain actions or ways of thinking), and sensation transference (unconsciously associating a product's packaging with the quality of the product [or person] itself). Using numerous stories and examples such as the popular Race IAT test, the Diallo shooting case, the election of Warren Harding, the Coke vs. Pepsi blind test, and the U.S. government's Millennium Challenge to bring further support and validity to his argument, Gladwell proves that 'there can be as much value in the blink of an eye as in months of rational analysis” and that if we can understand this and act upon it, “we would end up with a different and better world”. I highly recommend this book to those seeking to better understand the workings of their minds, but why would you listen to me? After all, you already judged the book before you read this review.

Makes you think
:), A reviewer, 03/13/2007

In the beginning of his book Gladwell states that Blink's three tasks are 1) to convince you that decisions made quickly can be every bit as good as decisions made cautiously and deliberately 2)how to decide when are instinctive reactions should be trusted 3)to convince you that snap judgments and first impressions can be educated and controlled. He suggests that if the world did this if could become 'a different and better place.' Overall, Gladwell presents interesting arguments that make the reader think and consider other aspects of life and decision making that they had not before. He provides strong examples of situations where decisions made quickly are just as good as ones made (ex. the couples percentage of staying together and the extremely high success rates of that can be determine within short spans of time)that are both effective and help to prove his thesis. His book is interesting and eye opening. It makes you wonder about your own snap judgments and if you are bias. Being one of the first nonfiction reads I've read for school, it was definitely a welcoming start into a new genre and very intriguing. You'll find yourself thinking about it after you've put it down for the day and wondering when your walking in the grocery store if you are prejudice and rethink all those tiny judgments you make daily. It gets you in touch with your intuitive instincts and makes you question when snap judgments are appropriate or not and how important these judgments can be too life. The section about Diallo is extremely interesting and should be considered by all, because even if you are not left second guessing your opinions, it should be appreciated for the beautifully written and effective argument it presents. While there are faults in some of Gladwell's arguments, he still retains the ability to change the way you think about daily life. Which in my books definitely counts for something. The stories and examples used throughout the piece are all pieced together to work towards Blink's three tasks and all provide fascinating information and results. So even if Blink does not revolutionize your world, it still provides for an entertaining read that is better than stuffing your brain with the other mindless fluff that the media attempts to shove down our throats 24 hours a day. I'm not saying that everything in Blink is true and that you should take it fully to your heart, but I think it's an interesting read and it deals with all levels of life. It allows us to reflect back on ourselves and the judgments that we make which inevitably may lead to a better world. The more that people read it, the more aware they can come to their own biases and the way that they perceive reality. I would recommend this book to anyone in need of a good book who wants to think and analyze life a little bit. And don't forget to not simply judge the book by its cover because there is so many interesting things inside, that may have no affect on your life but only have you post angry reviews, or maybe you'll love it and make the world a better place. The choice is yours. Happy Reading:)

extra credit for english
A reviewer (k_webr@yahoo.com), a 16 year old English student, 03/13/2007

BLINK, by Malcolm Gladwell, addresses the instantaneous decisions made by our adapative unconscious and the reasons behind them. It is a very interesting read, even for those who aren't astute in pyschology. This book is thought provoking in that it causes the reader to evaluate his own reasoning and decision making process. Issues such as implicit association, stereotype, and discrimination cause the the reader to consider his own prejudices as well. Gladwell argues that decisions made quickly are just as effective as those thoroughly thought out and, as a result, we should trust our instincts when making these decisions. Furthermore our adaptive unconscious, which makes these decisions, can be educated and controlled, thus allowing us to harness our snap judgments. Gladwell's presentation of evidence is logical and compelling. each successive section builds upon the previous, referencing and linking his litany of examples that are introduced throughout the book. After establishing the validity of our snap judgments, he employs antithesis to argue the opposite: we should be wary of our snap judgments because they can lead us astray. This adjustment to his original assertion leads to the conclusion that choices require both deliberate and unconcious thinking in order to be effective. Gladwell presents effective examples that successfully prove his point and persuade the reader to his line of reasoning. I am also quite aware of the criticism this book has recieved: accusations that it advocates 'impulsive' decisions making 'without knowledge or critical analysis.' This is not true. Gladwell does argue that our adaptive unconscious can quickly evaluate a situation and help us make decisions, but he does not promote 'thoughtless' thinking. Psychologist Michael LeGault is among the critics. And while he criticises the analysis in BLINK, he made fallicious statements of his own during a radio interview with CFIF Senior Vice President & Corporate Counsel Renee Giachino when he made a false analogy regarding the exemplification in Blink. He compared the examples in Bink to saying that your aunt's cancer went into remission after she drank green tea. This severely undercuts Gladwell's analysis and misrepresents his application of his examples. I recommend this book to anyone interested in exploring their own thought process and learning about how they make decisions. It has enlightened me to my own snap judgments and allowed me to consider things in a new light. i would hope that other readers would have the same experience.

If not indisputable, Blink at least makes you think
Renee, a student, 03/13/2007

Gladwell claims that by educating and controlling our split-second impulse decisions, we can improve them. Using these improved decision skills, he argues, we can create a better world. While he does not proove this final point beyond all doubts, Gladwell does put forward some very interesting arguments as to why decisions made 'in the blink of an eye' are often better decisions than ones made after slowly and carefully weighing every option. And after all, we have all had moments when we've thought that perhaps we would have been better off with our initial choice. Gladwell also explains very clearly and interestingly some of the reasons why our impulse decisions sometimes do go wrong, and offers a few of his own ideas on how to improve these choices. What's more, Gladwell offers these arguments in an interesting manner, with many short stories and examples that effectively keep your interest. If you do not walk away completely convinced of the benefits of split-second decisions, you will certainly walk away thinking about all the snap judgements you make, what causes them, and whether or not they are, in fact, accurate. Blink certainly brings up interesting points that will stay at the top of your mind.