Malcolm Gladwell

Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know

Malcolm Gladwell, the presenter of the podcast program Revisionist History and the New York Times bestselling author of Outliers, provides a compelling exploration of our relationships with strangers and the reasons why they frequently go awry.

How did Fidel Castro deceive the CIA for over a decade? Why did Neville Chamberlain believe Adolf Hitler was trustworthy? Why are there more sexual assaults on college campuses? Do TV sitcoms teach us anything untrue about interpersonal relationships?

Malcolm Gladwell did not merely write a book for the readers while addressing these questions, he also recorded it for the listeners. In the audiobook edition of Talking to Strangers, you will listen to the voices of the criminologists, scientists, and military psychologists he interviewed. Simulations are used to bring trial transcripts to life. 

In Texas, you can hear about Sandra Bland’s controversial arrest on the roadside. As Gladwell recaptures the frauds of Bernie Madoff, the prosecution of Amanda Knox, and the suicidal death of Sylvia Plath, you hear directly from a number of the participants in these actual catastrophes. There is even a theme song: “Hell You Talmbout” by Janelle Monae.

Something is profoundly wrong with the methods and tools we are using to make sense of individuals we do not know, contends Malcolm Gladwell. And since we do not know how to communicate with strangers, we invite disagreement and misunderstanding, which has tremendous effects on our lives and the planet.

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

The moment when a trend, an idea, or social behavior exceeds a barrier, tips, and rapidly spreads like fire in the forest. A modest but perfectly focused push can generate a new fad, the success of a new product, or a reduction in the crime rate, similar to how a single sick individual can cause an influenza outbreak. 

This globally praised best-seller, in which Malcolm Gladwell investigates and masterfully describes the concept of the tipping point, is already altering the way people around the world view marketing products and spreading ideas.

Outliers: The Story of Success

In this remarkable book, Malcolm Gladwell leads us on an intellectual and imaginative voyage into the world of “outliers”—the smartest and brightest, the most renowned and successful. He asks what distinguishes high achievers from others.

He responds that we focus too much on the traits of effective people and not enough on their roots, including their family, culture, era, and the unique experiences and personal stories of their upbringing. Along the way, he discusses the mysteries of software billionaires, what it requires to be a great sports player, why Asians are brilliant at math, and how the Beatles became the best music band.

Brilliant and fascinating, Outliers is a groundbreaking work that simultaneously entertains and enlightens.

David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants

In his #1 New York Times bestseller The Tipping Point, Blink, and Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell investigates how we comprehend and alter the world. Now he explores the complicated and unexpected ways in which the weak can beat the powerful, the small can compete with the large, and our (sometimes culturally influenced) goals can have a significant impact on our perception of ultimate success. David and Goliath are, in many regards, the most pragmatic and intriguing book Malcolm Gladwell has ever written. It draws on instances from business, sports, society, cutting-edge psychology, and various remarkable characters from around the world.

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

Using cutting-edge psychology and neuroscience and showcasing the same genius that made The Tipping Point a classic, Blink transforms the way you view every decision. You are never going to consider the thinking process the same way.

Malcolm Gladwell transformed our understanding of the surrounding world. Now, in Blink, he fundamentally changes our understanding of the inner world. Blink is a book on how we think without actually thinking, about decisions that seem to be made quickly or instantly – in the blink of an eye – yet are not as straightforward as they appear. 

Why are some individuals exceptional decision-makers while others are continually incompetent? Why do some individuals who follow their intuition succeed while others stumble into error? How do our brains function in the workplace, kitchen, classroom, and bedroom? And why are the right decisions frequently ones that are inexplicable to others?

In Blink, we encounter the psychologist who has learned to foretell if a marriage will survive based on a few minutes of observation; the tennis coach who can predict a double fault even before the racket touches the ball; and the antique specialists who can spot a fake at a glimpse. The election of Warren Harding, “New Coke,” and the police shooting of Amadou Diallo are among notable “blink” disasters. 

Blink indicates that exceptional decision makers are not all those who digest the most information or devote the most time discussing, but those who have mastered the skill of “thin-slicing” – extracting the very few elements that matter from an enormous amount of variables.