The Tipping Point - Malcolm Gladwell

 One of the most striking features of the book is that it brings forth to us in the most detailed and technical form that how simple and small aspects in our daily social life can actually lead to big differences. The importance of small was never so minutely analyzed. What’s even more intriguing going through this book is that the writing brings this out through a range of detailed and well researched real-life incidents and personalities.  At the center of each topic is the analysis into how ideas, trends or social behaviors spread like a wildfire and how small little events and social habits from our daily lives have the biggest contribution into spreading these aspects to the majority of human population. The term “tipping point” as described by the author is the level after which these aspects i.e... trends, ideas or for that matter a product, just spread and become famous among humans. The power of “Word of Mouth” is beautifully brought out through the tipping point analysis.  

To make its impact, the very introduction of the book is an apt example for the concept of tipping point. The author takes up the exemplary of a popular shoe brand which was almost dead but after a certain point and some unusual events suddenly caught up with the population and became a trend and a known brand, after which there was no stopping for the brand. It impactfully brings out the unseen reasons for the turnaround and how social behavior had a very big role to play in the turnaround. The detailed and technical analysis that the author presents is actually present all around us but never observed by us. As one turns over the introductory pages, the interest has been caught and what’s ahead is as exciting as the introduction.

The next part that is as interesting as the introduction is how smartly the author draws a parallel in between the three rules of an epidemic and spreading of an idea or a trend or a product. Underlining the common aspect in both, social behavior, the author impactfully shows the role of human behavior in both the aspects. Again, the small little aspects of our daily lives that makes big differences is at show here.

Of course, the next part had to be with the kind of people who are actually responsible for spreading the ideas, trends and products all over. Here comes in the concept of Connectors, Mavens and salesman. This is the most interesting part in the entire flow where in we actually get to learn how different forms of people are actually responsible for making something famous or a brand. The difference in between Connectors, mavens and salesman is very interestingly explained by references to number of historical events.

There is another part of the book that is very intriguing to read. This deals with the importance of the magic number of one hundred and fifty referred to as the Rule of 150. This rule suggests that the size of a group is another one of those subtle contextual factors that can make a big difference and if this group have to serve as incubators for contagious messages then the count in the group has to kept below 150. In this case, the, the number 150 is referred to as the tipping point. Very interestingly, a real-life example of an American company is showcased to reveal how the company ensures that in each of its plant the number of employees do not cross the number 150 as according to them up to that number everything can be controlled.

The author, Malcolm Gladwell, presents to us a very useful tool which can be used by anyone looking to pitch any ideas, trends or any new product. This also gives us a fair understanding about human behavior, a lot of unseen characteristics come along that makes us introspect. In all, a great book to look at the things all around us, a bit differently.