Review of The Tipping Point

<div class="summary">This book is seven years old but still a zinger. Read it on plane to Amsterdam and back. Loved every page.</div> 

<div class="description">

Malcolm Gladwell’s book really rocketed him into worldwide fame. Everything he has done since has been eagerly awaited. I only got around to reading The Tipping Point on Thursday and I’m glad I finally did.

The basic idea behind the book is that there are identifiable conditions and actions which cause something to become wildly popular or successful - things that become epidemics (in the wider sense of the word). He describes each of these and then backs them up with a continuous stream of convincing examples.

Some of the examples given include the enormous sudden reduction in crime in New York in the late 90’s, the massive success of certain shoe brands and books, the global phenomena that were Sesame Street and Blue’s Clues and a ton of others.

He picks out common attributes, context and actors in each one. In the case of the actors in any success he identifies The Connector, The Maven and the Saleman. Each of these plays a different role in making something successful.

Some of the concepts he describes include:

• The Law of the Few
• Stickiness
• The Power of Context
• The Magic Number 150
• The New Product Cycle

I found his material on children, learning and kids TV programmes particularly interesting and accurate.

It’s a very light read and he race through it. Something useful or entertaining on every page.

Now I’d better go out and buy Blink.