•8:49 PM
When I pick up the next book on my list, I always do the same thing. I try to entice myself by looking at the jacket, and flipping through it, checking out the author's writing style. Sometimes I read the reviews and I always read the description on the back. I check the year that it was written and in what country it was first published. The only thing I can liken to is a vulture circling it's pray, or a group of tribesmen surrounding an uninvited guest. I do this several times before I actually start to read ... before I have even finished the last book, if the truth be told.
Most times it helps to build the anticipation for the next story. After fondling it for a few days, I could not wait to start reading The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. It reads like a very concise, cool "business-y" psychology textbook. I love the study of people and how they operate. It does fascinate me. Because sometimes I see myself in the research results - which gives me a feeling of reassurance that I am not alone in my (often warped) line of thought; and other times, I am flabbergasted that people would react/respond in a particular way. And still other times, I am intrigued because I would never have guessed at the results, and I find it thought-provoking.
Before I read it, I thought The Tipping Point was a book about marketing. Ways to make your product/service/thing a success. And, I guess that it is ... sort of.
Have you ever just wanted to buy something? Like, something really cool that you cannot live without? This happens to me four or five times per week ... just ask Jonesy. Remember the Yogurt Maker that I had to have? Before I got married, I had to have a coffee maker ... and I didn't even drink coffee. Now, what kind of new wife would I be, if I could not make a fresh pot of coffee for guests that came to visit us in our new home? And not long after I got married, I thought that I would die - seriously - if I did not get a sewing machine. Oh, and I had to have a bread maker, too. Now, in all fairness, I do use these things all the time. But regardless, at the time, they were just things that I had to have.
But why? Why did I have to have a Bread Maker? The Tipping Point explores how some things become phenomena that everyone wants to participate in. A couple of years ago, it was the Chiminea ... everyone had to have one of those backyard fireplaces. Or those icicle Christmas lights ... remember those things? Everyone just had to have them, and I bet you still have some packed away in a box in your basement. And I hardly think that I need to mention Facebook or Twitter or any other social networking website.
Sometimes there are things or ideas that just take off, but there are lots of great ideas or inventions that never really catch on. Gladwell explores how and why this happens in a fresh way. This is not a business book that includes a list of instructions on how to market your new gadget. This is a book about the psychology of people.
The first section of the book talks about Connectors, Mavens, and Salespeople. Connectors are people who know a lot of other people. For instance, Jonesy has a business partner with 1500 friends on Facebook. Based on that small piece of information, I declare him to be a Connector. I am not a Connector. I think that I would like to be ... but I am not. The great thing about Connectors is that they bring people together ... and in doing so, they bring ideas together. Perhaps you need some information about designing a backyard kitchen, or the best places to visit in Thailand - a Connector can put you in touch with the right person. If I were a Connector there would be many people trying to find their own Yogurt Maker right now, but I suspect there are not.
A Maven is a collector of information. They are a resource for their friends. But the important thing is that they collect information because they are truly interested in finding the answer. They are naturally curious people, who collect information and store it to share with their friends. Gladwell recounts meeting with a Maven and in the course of their conversation, he recommends a hotel in LA. He recommends it because he has been there and he really thinks it is a wonderful place to stay. That is the beauty of the Maven ... they spread the word because they love to help others and share what they have learned. He may have been just as eager to tell you about the garden hose he had just purchased ... because he researched it until he found the best one.
And finally, the Salesman is the persuasive one in the group. The Maven shares information because he wants to help - he really doesn't care whether you stay at the hotel he recommended or not. He is satisfied because he has passed on the information, but ultimately he respects that the choice is yours. But, the Salesman wants you to share his opinion. I am not talking about the cheesey Used-Car Salesman. The Salesman that Gladwell describes is extremely charismatic with a certain indefinable trait that draws people in. They are cool and they possess a type of energy and contagiousness that you cannot learn. They just have it.
These three - the Connectors, the Mavens, and the Salesmen - are responsible for creating that tipping point in a social epidemic. As Gladwell writes ...
"In a social epidemic, Mavens are data banks. They provide the message. Connectors are the social glue: they spread it. But there is also a select group of people - Salesmen - with the skills to persuade us when we are unconvinced of what we are hearing, and they are as critical to the tipping of word-of-mouth epidemics as the other two groups."
If I am any of these, I think I am a Maven. I am innately curious and when I don't understand something, I will investigate until I am an expert. Then, once I have educated myself, I like to educate others. And, I could teeter on the edge of being a Salesman ... but only in certain circumstances. For instance, I just got a Microplaner ... it is basically a very fancy zester/grater. It is so slick. You might think that you don't need one, but give me five minutes and I'll have you convinced to buy three. When I like something, I want you to like it too.
The bottom line is that if you want to start a social epidemic - that is, you want people to like/do what you like/do - you need to employ the Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen to make it contagious. Of course, it's not as easy as it sounds, but it is the message of The Tipping Point.
If you like the study of human behaviour, you will find this book interesting. Gladwell sites many behavioural experiments and draws examples from real occurrences, like the story of Bernard Goetz ... which I found fascinating.
If you enjoy looking at the business world, and how things move, you will enjoy this book, too. There are two case studies and countless things to learn ... for everyone.
You know, I ALWAYS find a way to end my post in a way that leaves me satisfied ... with the entry, that is. But tonight I am not - satisfied, that is. And, I am tired. And not creative, apparently. See? I take a few days off, and I lose it completely. So, tonight I will end it plain and simple ....
The End.
Most times it helps to build the anticipation for the next story. After fondling it for a few days, I could not wait to start reading The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. It reads like a very concise, cool "business-y" psychology textbook. I love the study of people and how they operate. It does fascinate me. Because sometimes I see myself in the research results - which gives me a feeling of reassurance that I am not alone in my (often warped) line of thought; and other times, I am flabbergasted that people would react/respond in a particular way. And still other times, I am intrigued because I would never have guessed at the results, and I find it thought-provoking.
Before I read it, I thought The Tipping Point was a book about marketing. Ways to make your product/service/thing a success. And, I guess that it is ... sort of.
Have you ever just wanted to buy something? Like, something really cool that you cannot live without? This happens to me four or five times per week ... just ask Jonesy. Remember the Yogurt Maker that I had to have? Before I got married, I had to have a coffee maker ... and I didn't even drink coffee. Now, what kind of new wife would I be, if I could not make a fresh pot of coffee for guests that came to visit us in our new home? And not long after I got married, I thought that I would die - seriously - if I did not get a sewing machine. Oh, and I had to have a bread maker, too. Now, in all fairness, I do use these things all the time. But regardless, at the time, they were just things that I had to have.
But why? Why did I have to have a Bread Maker? The Tipping Point explores how some things become phenomena that everyone wants to participate in. A couple of years ago, it was the Chiminea ... everyone had to have one of those backyard fireplaces. Or those icicle Christmas lights ... remember those things? Everyone just had to have them, and I bet you still have some packed away in a box in your basement. And I hardly think that I need to mention Facebook or Twitter or any other social networking website.
Sometimes there are things or ideas that just take off, but there are lots of great ideas or inventions that never really catch on. Gladwell explores how and why this happens in a fresh way. This is not a business book that includes a list of instructions on how to market your new gadget. This is a book about the psychology of people.
The first section of the book talks about Connectors, Mavens, and Salespeople. Connectors are people who know a lot of other people. For instance, Jonesy has a business partner with 1500 friends on Facebook. Based on that small piece of information, I declare him to be a Connector. I am not a Connector. I think that I would like to be ... but I am not. The great thing about Connectors is that they bring people together ... and in doing so, they bring ideas together. Perhaps you need some information about designing a backyard kitchen, or the best places to visit in Thailand - a Connector can put you in touch with the right person. If I were a Connector there would be many people trying to find their own Yogurt Maker right now, but I suspect there are not.
A Maven is a collector of information. They are a resource for their friends. But the important thing is that they collect information because they are truly interested in finding the answer. They are naturally curious people, who collect information and store it to share with their friends. Gladwell recounts meeting with a Maven and in the course of their conversation, he recommends a hotel in LA. He recommends it because he has been there and he really thinks it is a wonderful place to stay. That is the beauty of the Maven ... they spread the word because they love to help others and share what they have learned. He may have been just as eager to tell you about the garden hose he had just purchased ... because he researched it until he found the best one.
And finally, the Salesman is the persuasive one in the group. The Maven shares information because he wants to help - he really doesn't care whether you stay at the hotel he recommended or not. He is satisfied because he has passed on the information, but ultimately he respects that the choice is yours. But, the Salesman wants you to share his opinion. I am not talking about the cheesey Used-Car Salesman. The Salesman that Gladwell describes is extremely charismatic with a certain indefinable trait that draws people in. They are cool and they possess a type of energy and contagiousness that you cannot learn. They just have it.
These three - the Connectors, the Mavens, and the Salesmen - are responsible for creating that tipping point in a social epidemic. As Gladwell writes ...
"In a social epidemic, Mavens are data banks. They provide the message. Connectors are the social glue: they spread it. But there is also a select group of people - Salesmen - with the skills to persuade us when we are unconvinced of what we are hearing, and they are as critical to the tipping of word-of-mouth epidemics as the other two groups."
If I am any of these, I think I am a Maven. I am innately curious and when I don't understand something, I will investigate until I am an expert. Then, once I have educated myself, I like to educate others. And, I could teeter on the edge of being a Salesman ... but only in certain circumstances. For instance, I just got a Microplaner ... it is basically a very fancy zester/grater. It is so slick. You might think that you don't need one, but give me five minutes and I'll have you convinced to buy three. When I like something, I want you to like it too.
The bottom line is that if you want to start a social epidemic - that is, you want people to like/do what you like/do - you need to employ the Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen to make it contagious. Of course, it's not as easy as it sounds, but it is the message of The Tipping Point.
If you like the study of human behaviour, you will find this book interesting. Gladwell sites many behavioural experiments and draws examples from real occurrences, like the story of Bernard Goetz ... which I found fascinating.
If you enjoy looking at the business world, and how things move, you will enjoy this book, too. There are two case studies and countless things to learn ... for everyone.
You know, I ALWAYS find a way to end my post in a way that leaves me satisfied ... with the entry, that is. But tonight I am not - satisfied, that is. And, I am tired. And not creative, apparently. See? I take a few days off, and I lose it completely. So, tonight I will end it plain and simple ....
The End.
