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    Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
    Unavailable
    Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
    Unavailable
    Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
    Audiobook7 hours

    Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

    Published by Hachette Audio

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    In his landmark bestseller The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell redefined how we understand the world around us. Now, in Blink, he revolutionizes the way we understand the world within. Blink is a book about how we think without thinking, about choices that seem to be made in an instant, in the blink of an eye, that actually aren't as simple as they seem. Why are some people brilliant decision makers, while others are consistently inept? Why do some people follow their instincts and win, while others end up stumbling into error? How do our brains really work, in the office, in the classroom, in the kitchen, and in the bedroom? And why are the best decisions often those that are impossible to explain to others?

    In Blink we meet the psychologist who has learned to predict whether a marriage will last, based on a few minutes of observing a couple; the tennis coach who knows when a player will double-fault before the racket even makes contact with the ball; the antiquities experts who recognize a fake at a glance. Here, too, are great failures of "blink": the election of Warren Harding; "New Coke"; and the shooting of Amadou Diallo by police. Blink reveals that great decision makers aren't those who process the most information or spend the most time deliberating, but those who have perfected the art of "thin-slicing", filtering the very few factors that matter from an overwhelming number of variables.

    Drawing on cutting-edge neuroscience and psychology and displaying all of the brilliance that made The Tipping Point a classic, Blink changes the way you understand every decision you make. Never again will you think about thinking the same way.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHachette Audio
    Release dateApr 1, 2006
    ISBN9781594831706
    Unavailable
    Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

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    Reviews for Blink

    4/5

    5,441 ratings227 reviews

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    • 2/5
      Seems like this was written with the end determined first and then he searched for things to back it up. One prevalent theme kept surfacing - definitive conclusion based on entirely subjective observations. It is interesting that Gladwell argues both sides of the coin he offers. Academic fail. Not recommended.
    • 5/5
      Brilliant Book!
    • 5/5
      Recommended reading.
    • 5/5
      Fantastic.
    • 4/5
      This is a great book for teachers and high school students to think about the interconnectivity of people, places, inventions, and ideas in the world. Case studies dig deep into the human psyche and expose a reality about the world that would otherwise not be considered. This book encourages students with a creative or entrepreneurial spirit to think outside the box. Also recommended readings by the same author: Tipping Point and Outliers. Love it! I'd keep this book on my selves and recommended to select students to read. Fascinating stuff!
    • 5/5
      Easy to read, anecdotal presentation of the reality of subconscious thinking, "relying on your gut" to make decisions. Gladwell argues that first impressions often are meaningful and credible, and in many cases, decisions are degraded in quality when too much input information is considered.
    • 4/5
      My skeptical sense was twitching all the way through but in the main every claim seems to check out. Just read the actual claims carefully, they aren't as huge as they first appear. Sensible hedging and carefully limited possible application limitations should be applauded. So you don't have superpowers after all.
    • 5/5
      In the afterword, Malcolm Gladwell calls Blink and its predecessor, The Tipping Point, "intellectual adventure stor[ies]", which I think is an apt description. Blink focuses on snap judgements and unconscious decision making, which Gladwell argues is sometimes for effective than drawn out decision making. Sometimes, too much info overwhelms us and causes us to make poor decisions. Gladwell analyzes the times that snap decision making, which he calls thin slicing, is effective and times when it isn't -- and when it isn't, he analzyes why.

      Just like in Tipping Point, Gladwell illustrates his points and the studies he uses with real life examples both from history and contemporary life. Considering our current situation in Iraq and the problems we still struggle with a racist criminal justice system, I wish more people would read Blink.
    • 3/5
      there's some interesting and fascinating research throughout this book. people who believe in intuition may find it to be common sense while others may not believe any of it.
    • 2/5
      A little self-helpy. Didn't love it.
    • 3/5
      A debate between Superforcasting author Philip E. Tetlock and Malcolm Gladwell, the author of Blink, would be interesting. Blink focuses on what Gladwell terms our unconscious decision-making processes. These processes, developed as a consequence of life experience, enable us to make lightning quick decisions in the blink of an eye. Gladwell's thesis, as sated on page 52, is:… if we are to learn to improve the quality of the decisions we make, we need to accept the mysterious nature of our snap judgments. We need to respect the fact that it is possible to know without knowing why we know and accept that — sometimes — we're better off that way.In contrast, Tetlock focuses on the development of rational (conscious) decision-making skills that rely on the painstaking collection of research data and the analysis of that data. His thesis is that decision-makers can improve their ability to forecast future events (the essence of decision-making) by maintaining an open-minded receptivity to incoming data and a willingness to refine or significantly modify their predictions in light of new information. Both authors provide anecdotes supporting their claims and both cite examples in which the approach favored by the other is inferior. In contrast to Tetlock, however, Gladwell relies almost entirely of anecdotes and self-reports. He provides little evidence to support the conclusion that snap judgments result in reliable, accurate predictions. Instead, he relies on anecdotes describing instances in which snap judgments have been accurate, leaving the impression that these decision-making processes are routinely dependable and accurate. At points he cites inconclusive evidence and implies that this information provides strong support for his thesis. Blink is essentially an extended series of anecdotes.Blink begins with interesting stories of snap judgments that turned out to be correct but it lacks a tight focus. Gladwell strays from that focus to cover research showing almost the opposite of his thesis. For example, he reports that the amount of contempt expressed in a marital relationship is a good predictor of divorce. However, that conclusion was formed by John Gottman after years focusing on conversations between marital couples. These conversations were videotaped in a psychology research lab and the participants were wired to measure numerous physiological responses. Gladwell seems to assume that we will not recognize that this is antithetical to his thesis.Gladwell also cites research showing that the personal attention a physician gives patients is negatively associated with the likelihood the physician will be sued for malpractice. Physicians who act superior and lecture their patients are most likely to be sued. Again, this conclusion was obtained from a structured research program that analyzed recordings and patient reports of doctor-patient interactions and related that to their history of malpractice lawsuits. It has nothing to do with the unconscious decision-making processes Gladwell is touting.In short, these findings and other evidence covered by Gladwell contradict his thesis. Both provide much stronger support for Tetlock's thesis that the systematic collection and analysis of data leads to superior predictions.Blink is an interesting read, but it is not without significant flaws. For example, the readability of the book suffers from Gladwell's fondness of never-ending paragraphs, some of which go on for more than a full page. The anecdotes that form the backbone of Blink are interesting and the variety helps the reader avoid ennui, but readers will need to maintain a healthy dose of skepticism and ignore the weak support Gladwell provides for his thesis. In the final analysis, I found Blink to be less interesting than Gladwell's earlier book, The Tipping Point.
    • 5/5
      Like the Tipping Point, this is a book that you have to read over and over until it sticks in your head. An interesting study of why and how we make snap decisions. Though non-fiction, Gladwell uses stories to illustrate his point including the purchase of a piece of art and the shooting of Amidou Diallo. One of the things that I like about this book is that it explains that elusive concept of the "library mind" very well without really meaning to. Gladwell explains how snap decisions come about from a person's experiences, knowledge, background, biases, etc. All of these are tools reference librarians utilize when assisting patrons.
    • 5/5
      This book made me think about snap judgments in a new way. They're not always bad! In fact, they're often spot on. An uber interesting read!
    • 4/5
      We teachers of science tend to assume that our students are largely rational - that they can be brought to understanding through a gradual accumulation of experiences that lead to conclusions about how the world works, and that nature can be led to disclose herself through a logical process. In "Blink", Malcolm Gladwell describes his inquiry into the opposite kind of thought - the importance conclusions drawn on the basis of little evidence. All of us make quick decisions on the basis of a glimpse or a handshake, a gesture or a facial expression, a phrase or a few notes of music. Sometimes life and death depend on an assessment by police, whose ability to make split-second judgements can be greatly enhanced through training. Gladwell also describes how the intentional limitation of knowledge can improve the quality of decisions, especially when the possibility of bias exists. Science calls these "blind" studies or "double-blind trials", but the same kind of approach has revolutionized the gender composition of symphony orchestras. This author has been a favorite of mine since "The Tipping Point" and especially because of his essays for the New Yorker. In "Blink", he brings to light some of the myriad of thoughts floating below the surface of our students' consciousnesses, and - more importantly - our own.
    • 2/5
      Well, as one person kind of put it: Trust your first instincts, or maybe don't. First impressions aid in effective decision making, or maybe doesn't. At least his grammar is better than mine.
    • 5/5
      The story of the Getty kouros was the perfect way to grab me and so far it continues to keep me fascinated. It talks about the way intuition or quick decision making works and how it sometimes can trump the slower more research based process because sometimes you just cut to the essentials and have a gut instinct that is correct. Anyway, I started this book yesterday morning on the bus and, given that I had extra bus waiting time yesterday, I am more than halfway through already. A quick and interesting read. (I am on the section about the Pepsi Chellenge. V. intereeting.)
    • 5/5
      This was a fascinating book that challenged my thinking in many areas. Some of my favorites quotes include:
      “Decisions made very quickly can be every bit as good as decisions made cautiously and deliberately”.
      "being short is probably as much of a handicap to corporate success as being a woman or an African American."
      sensed an enormous frustration with the unexpected costs of knowing too much-We have come to confuse information with understanding.
      "Blink ... is an attempt to understand this magical and mysterious thing called judgment".
      Once we know about how the mind works-& about the strengths & weaknesses of human judgment-it is our responsibility to act.
    • 4/5
      Not as entertaining as I found Outliers to be but damn close. I always trust Gladwell to write something interesting for his readers.
    • 3/5
      Despite some intriguing research and a few interesting stories, the few points Gladwell tries to make are stretched thin in his attempt to fill a book. I kept waiting for the "oh, that's what he's getting at" moments as he went on and on, but it isn't until the end that he even attempts to coalesce his points, and even then he admits he really doesn't know what the book is about! The meandering and fascination with irrelevant details were a little too self indulgent for my tastes.
    • 4/5
      Very interesting! Gives perspective on the "power of thinking without thinking" -- doesn't gloss over using intuition for everything.
    • 4/5
      Malcolm Gladwell tells an enjoyable story and drops many tidbits of scientific knowledge along the way.However, at a few points, I felt like the cohesiveness between the stories told was less than I would like.
    • 4/5
      To title this book "thought-provoking" is a severe understatement. Gladwell uses various studies of psychology to prove how often and important snap decisions are in the everyday existence of humans. It elaborates on the relationship between over-thinking and thinking quickly. Gladwell argues that humans have an unconscious state where decisions are made without the mind being informed. He says that this is very natural and people that try to think complexly about every decision they make are flawed because they interfere with the unconscious state. It is a very informative book, however it is repetitive and as a result if you do not agree with Gladwell you will dislike the book.
    • 3/5
      3.5 starsMalcolm Gladwell is studying first impressions and our unconscious reactions to our encounters with various people and things. I'm not sure I'm summarizing very well, but I think first impressions and unconscious reactions do mostly sum it up. I thought this was quite interesting. Some anecdotes that stuck out for me include how the New Coke came about and the reason for its downfall, how some people can just read people... I guess a lot of it is that they are trained, whether for a specific purpose (to watch married couples discuss a point of consternation or just trained in facial expression) or for a job. I also thought the info on facial expressions was fascinating! Overall, good book, very interesting.
    • 4/5
      It was an interesting and strange book and a bit out of my genre. I did enjoy it.
    • 4/5
      Blink has no real plot. It is a collection of stories found that are used to educate the reader in an unbiased format of both the negative and the positive aspects of an idea the author presents early in the book. His central idea is a function of the brain dubbed “thin-slicing.” This is the act of the brain in which it takes small portions of information from a given scenario and produces extraordinary results for the small amount of time needed. It is used in instances such as adrenaline filled reactions like the flight or fight response but is also used to gather knowledge in a much safer environment as detailed extensively in Blink. There is one quote in this book that stands out to me and is called upon by the author multiple times later in the book. "He just swished a cloth off the top of it and said, 'Well, it isn't ours yet, but it will be in a couple of weeks.' And I said, 'I'm sorry to hear that." (P.6 Par.1)This quote refers to the unveiling of the kouros, an ancient Greek statue, to the art historian Evelyn Harrison. The kouros had been tested extensively and all the findings said that the statue was genuine however an art historian took one glance at it and instinctively knew that it was a fake. This captures the essence of “thin-slicing” perfectly and is one of the best examples used in the text. To enjoy this book, the reader must be curious. The reader needs to have some sort of interest in the topic of brain function. It is best if the reader is eager to learn the new concepts that are being brought up and be able to digest the information with vigor. That is what saw me through the book and I believe it would do the same for others. One of my favorite parts of Blink is that it manages to make the reading experience more interactive. There are replications of simple experiments that the reader can do with only the book that does a fantastic job of helping the reader understand topics. Another interactive aspect is being able to test out what you have been told in real life through everyday social interactions. My only dislike of Blink is that it almost goes into too much detail at times and leaves me confused. I often had to reread passages to fully understand the material.I highly recommend this book. It was well written, interesting, well supported and had seemingly unbiased opinions. Again, if you are curious, interested, or have a hunger for knowledge, you should definitely read this book. If not you may find yourself bored and not picking the book back up so be wary. Overall it was great to read and learn from Blink.
    • 3/5
      Synopsis: The pros and cons of making snap decisions and those based on first impression are examined with examples given. There are also implications for testing procedures and how performance can be affected by 'thin slicing' and 'priming'.Review: This is an interesting look at what we know without knowing, how too much information can actually cloud judgment, and how we can and cannot overcome prejudices. Middle chapters were a bit redundant.
    • 4/5
      Interesting stuff; though there was some discussions, would like to have had more on how to improve this skill.
    • 3/5
      Despite this being on my "started but meh" shelf, I did like it. It just didn't make me desperately want to finish it (it can easily be picked up and put down) right away.
    • 4/5
      Surprisingly, I find this book to have at its core a way of looking at prejudice and bias, and ways to overcome the bias we don't realize we have and the prejudices we don't realize we use to make decisions. Fascinating ideas.
    • 3/5
      Some extremely interesting examples and hypotheses, but there isn't much in terms more definitive proof. Fun material, loosely strung together.