The Tipping Point

How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

By: Malcolm Gladwell

Narrated by: Malcolm Gladwell

Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's Summary

Discover Malcolm Gladwell's breakthrough debut and explore the science behind viral trends in business, marketing, and human behavior. The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a small but precisely targeted push cause a fashion trend, the popularity of a new product, or a drop in the crime rate. This widely acclaimed best seller, in which Malcolm Gladwell explores and brilliantly illuminates the tipping point phenomenon, is already changing the way people throughout the world think about selling products and disseminating ideas.

©2007 Malcolm Gladwell (P)2007 Hachette Audio

Critic Reviews

"Gladwell, a New Yorker staff writer, offers an incisive and piquant theory of social dynamics that is bound to provoke a paradigm shift in our understanding of mass behavioral change." (Booklist)

"Hip and hopeful, The Tipping Point is like the idea it describes: concise, elegant, but packed with social power. A book for anyone who cares about how society works and how we can make it better." (George Stephanopoulos)

Exciting narrative with great vingettes

The author is an incredibly good story teller. He tells us many great stories from the ride of Paul Revere, the resurgent popularity of Hush Puppies, Sesame Street and to the reduction of violence in New York City. He links them all together with the overriding theme of fundamental change (the tipping point) within society. Each of the vignettes are exciting and will keep you on the edge of your seat and support his main narrative. In addition, he provides a survey of the then current state of the art of the relevant science.

The book was originally published in 2002 and his concept of 'connectors' is only enhanced by what has transpired with Facebook and the further development of the internet. The book is still just as relevant today.

After listening, you will quote some of his stories to your friends and will embrace them within yourself as your own version of reality. Any book which makes you see the world in a different way is a good book and this is a good book.

Usually, I don't like it when an author reads his own book. This one is an exception. I wish that all authors who read their own book would first listen to this book and emulate his style since he does such a good job in the reading.

Sociology for the masses.

Another hit by Mr. Gladwell. He take something as dry as sociology and presents the theories in vignettes that are so interesting, yet are factual demonstrating the points he is walking the reader through. I wish more teachers were as stimulating as him. One other point, this book is read by the author which I really appriciate. This gives you more the intent and tone of the original author.

Fantastic!

Malcolm Gladwell's book are very alike- full of stories behind a theory. This one is about the tipping point, something that can turn the luck of something/ someone around, and he tries to explain how we could achieve it.
Very good book. In my opinion, is 5 stars, the level of Outliers, and better than Blink.
Worth the read!

Great Book, especially for listening

I enjoyed this book so much, I had to listen to it a 2nd time and then some. I especially like the fact that the author reads his own book. I suspect it adds more emphasis in the right areas... Same is true of his other book "Blink" too!

Marketing has a lot to learn from this book

Valuable insight into why somethings take off and others possibly flop. Not sure if "The Tipping Point" is the answer or one of the contributors to why things happen. My experience is that everything is connected to each other in various degrees, but this book sure puts a good case for the authors theories. A little confusing in parts, but the authors voice is easy to listen to. A valuable book for marketing type people. Worth the listen to.

Exceptional!

This is one of the greatest books I ever listened! We are programmed to think in a linear growth model and in a cause-effect model. This book shows that we need to abandon these easy models. Great book-you should not miss it!

Excellent

This is one of the best books I have ever read. Some of the examples actually gave me goose bumps and still do when I think of them. I was able to also implement some of the ideas in my business and I have made some great decisions based on Gladwell's suggestions. Most recommended.

Makes sense to me.

It really makes you think, but it doesn't hurt your head. Well written, easy to understand, interesting, engaging... and the information is actually useful. I loved it.
Okay, so M. Gladwell says some things that wouldn't make him popular everywhere. Doesn't that make us wonder about his critics' motives? He cites his research, but doesn't bore with citations... he's trying to be interesting enough to be read. Generally, his opinions are clearly delineated from the facts used to create them, so I feel he treats his subjects fairly while trying to advance ideas and concepts. I don't agree with everything the book says, but it does make me think and I believe we could all learn something if we consider its end message.

Listened to the first 3 chapters and could not listen more.

Immediately stopped the playback when early in chapter 3, the author decided to literally read out a list of surnames for a good minute.

The Tipping Point

The author explains why some things catch on and others don't. I think if you liked the book Freakonomics you will like this. It has the same eclectic almost jumping around feel, but at the same time putting out very interesting information.

Surprising - but maybe not!

Gladwell the maverick gives us his take on the spread of ideas, urban myths, and "sticky" advertising.
I found it hard to get out of the car when this was playing, and wanting to go for a drive just so that i could indulge myself a little more with this exquisite book.

The tipping point is great

Try his videos on 'TED' if you want a free intro to him. It doesnt get to marketing really, until the end. To me thats fine as I prefer the idea of viral ideas than how to make people buy stuff.