Blink
Just finished reading this book, which is definitely on my list of best books of 2006 already (I know we’re only just half way through the year) but this book does stand out very tall.
Blink is written by Malcolm Gladwell who has crafted the only book on psychology and how the human brain works that I’ve ever, not only been interested in reading, but actually got past the first paragraph.
Blink is all about rapid cognition and the way our brain works in such a way so as to actually aid us in making dicisions throughout our lives. It’s about those GUT feelings you get and all about the hows and the whys that you get them. It’s about how you can trust them and why you shouldn’t ALWAYS trust them. How your mind is sometimes misled and then the explanation about why it was mislead.
It’s truly a fascinating look at the world around you and more importantly the people and how you interact with these people. Once you’ve read this book you will start looking at people around you in a different way. You’ll begin to ‘read’ their reactions slightly differently. Body language and subtle twitches of their face will begin to shape a whole new meaning for you.
One of the great things about this book however is the style in which it is written. It’s got an almost informal feel to it all. Like Malcom was just sitting next to you and having a conversation with you about something he’s been researching for a while now. This would make an absolutely brilliant documentary and in many ways the book reads like one, in that it does reproduce a number of conversations with various characters and their experiences throughout the book. I guess that is ultimately what makes this book so readable is the fact that it doesn’t go on and on and bore you about the theory. He gives you a small description of the theory only AFTER he’s hooked you with the bait. He explains the situation and stops it off at a place which keeps you hungry; wanting; needing to know the final reasons. I’m a COMPLETE sucker for that method at first. If the final explanation leaves me wanting however my attention span turns away. Malcolm manages to really deliver with a good ending in just about every single one of his examples.
It very funny, but I’d never heard of Blink before I picked it up and bought it. I’d never heard of Malcolm Gladwell before Blink. I was casually walking around Fopp one Sunday (must have been a few months ago now), and the cover really grabbed me. Something about the name just clicked in my head. I read the cover very slightly, but it was only until I got into reading that I realised just how important it was to really start believing in your unconscious mind. The bloody thing works on OVERTIME and we haven’t even noticed. Or more accurately don’t tend to notice as often as we really should.
Go buy Blink, your life will be different once you’ve read it. Guaranteed.
“Just finished reading this book, I realised that the cover of the book looked way too much like Broken Kode to be a coincidence.”
Or is it?
↓ Quote | 16/6/2006
Sorry to disappoint dude, the colours for my site had been decided waaay before me seeing this book. In fact the colours were decided when I sorted out my business cards:
https://brokenkode.com/archives/online-printers/
↓ Quote | 16/6/2006
I’m reading Blink right now and I completely agree with your sentiments.
Khaled, if you like Blink, I recommend you read Malcolm’s other book called The Tipping Point. So far in my reading of Blink, I’d say The Tipping Point is even better.
↓ Quote | 16/6/2006
Adam Bouskila said:
Definitely on my radar now, however I’ve got a rule never to read the same author for more than one book at a time. I’ve only ever done it with Douglas Adams, but there’s a reason for that. I find that you can get bored of the style of writing if you’re not careful.
↓ Quote | 17/6/2006
Even I just finished reading Blink and I must say that I agree with Adam - The Tipping Point, Malcolm’s earlier work is better than Blink. I will be writing about it soon.
Yeah the cover does look a lot like your site and I’m seeing it (the new cover) for the first time actually. The one I got was with a creamish white background which is very simple and neat and one of the reasons I picked up the book.
↓ Quote | 17/6/2006
Adel said:
Even I just finished reading Blink and I must say that I agree with Adam - The Tipping Point, Malcolm�s earlier work is better than Blink. I will be writing about it soon.
Yeah the cover does look a lot like your site and I�m seeing it (the new cover) for the first time actually. The one I got was with a creamish white background which is very simple and neat and one of the reasons I picked up the book.
- spot on!
If your interested in something similar with a lot of humor, I suggest reading Freakonomics - its hilarious to the extent that you wonder if it might really be true!
↓ Quote | 17/6/2006
Khaled said:
Talking about the other way round dude!
↓ Quote | 17/6/2006
I did Neuroscience research for several years, specifically learning and memory, so I will read this with a skeptics eye and an open mind.
↓ Quote | 17/6/2006
good to hear….its one of the books on my required reading list for ap english in high school
↓ Quote | 17/6/2006
Ethan said:
Ethan, that’s great. Is it a book that the teacher gets to choose to put on as part of the circulum or is this a mandate from the board? Just interested to know but it’s definitely worthy of being in schools for sure. Quick read as well.
↓ Quote | 18/6/2006
James AkaXakA said:
Talking about the other way round dude!
Hahaha, sorry dude, I obviously COMPLETELY misunderstood your point :). I was completely confused by the comment, makes perfect sense now, sorry about that :).
Yeah I think I’m going to go consult my lawyer and feed off the Blink money train lol.
↓ Quote | 18/6/2006
Thanks for the tip will check it out
↓ Quote | 19/6/2006
I came across this article by Lee Siegel. I thought it might spark a discussion.
↓ Quote | 19/6/2006
Fopp is the best music/books/media store around, and justly takes a huge slice out of my income.
↓ Quote | 28/6/2006