Malcolm Gladwell is a master story teller, and I found this book immensely entertaining ... at least when I wasn't looking for a coherent set of lessons. According to Gladwell, this is a book about "rapid cognition, about the kind of thinking that happens in a blink of an eye." Gladwell more or less sticks to the theme, but what are we to make of rapid cognition? This is what I gather from Gladwell's book:
- Sometimes rapid cognition is very useful
- Sometimes rapid cognition is very dangerous
- Sometimes rapid cognition provides important insights
- Sometimes rapid cognition misses important insights
- Sometimes rapid cognition just happens
- Sometimes rapid cognition can be practiced and improved
This book reminds me of an expression that my colleague Stewart Macaulay uses when explaining irreconcilable judicial opinions: rapid cognition is important, except when it's not. Unfortunately, Gladwell does not help us to understand when we can trust rapid cognition and when we can't. All of his wonderful and contradictory stories make this book more like The Toastmaster's Treasure Chest than a useful attempt at popular science.
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1. Posted by Scott Moss on August 2, 2005 @ 21:17 | Permalink
I had about the same reaction -- I kept waiting for the synthesis that never came, the "here's how you can tell when rapid cognition works and when it doesn't," etc. I found the book interesting and entertaining, but I feel like I learned less -- and am retaining fewer of the details -- because that synthesis never came.
2. Posted by Brian Sharkey on August 12, 2005 @ 11:52 | Permalink
Thanks for these insights.
I am 30 pages into the book and already looking for Gladwell to answer that question: "When does/doesn't rapid cognition work?"
Now that I know the answer will never come, I'll stop looking for it and focus on the "details" Scott mentions.
One thought, however: Perhaps Gladwell is telling us the answer is, "It depends", i.e., the situation will dictate whether to go with the flash conclusion or not. THE GUT IS A GREAT BAROMETER AND TIE BREAKER WHEN IT COMES TO DECISIONS LIKE THESE.
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