Week 3

This past week, I finished "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell and moved on to another book by Gladwell entitled "The Tipping Point".  In "The Tipping Point", Gladwell examines how little things can make a big difference in everyday life. He is interested in how certain ideas or trends explode and spread throughout society "like wildfire". I am not far into the book, but what I have read so far includes the power of epidemics. Although Gladwell is not only talking about medical epidemics, he references how certain diseases can make the jump from a small affected area to a full-blown epidemic. He applies this same idea to explaining how trends can make the jump from being somewhat popular in a small area to being extremely popular in a large area. I am excited to continue reading and see how Gladwell explains the tipping point phenomenon.

As a side note, I am very intrigued by Gladwell's style of writing. Before reading "Outliers", I had never read any of Gladwell's writing except for a foreword he wrote in another book I read. His writing style intrigues me because of the way he examines trends throughout our society. Gladwell's writings includes both scientific research and first-hand interviews. The way he seamlessly weaves psychology, sociology, and history together piques my curiosity. Although I don't agree with everything that Gladwell has to say, I am still very interested in his writing. On another side note, I was extremely busy this past week and it was hard for me to find time to read. The good thing, though, is that reading always relaxes me and helps me wind down after a stressful day.

Reading Log
10/17 - 1:00-1:20 am
10/21 - 1:20-1:40 am
10/22 - 12:00-1:00 am