I’m not sure why, but for some reason, The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell has come up in four or five conversations I’ve had in the last few weeks.
It’s hard to believe the book has been out since January of 2002. Given the fact it was on most best-seller lists for over two years and still does strong sales, it’s harder to believe how many people still haven’t read it.
Since it still has buzz, here’s an itty-bitty summary/review:
What does the resurgence of Hush Puppies, the reason Paul Revere’s midnight ride succeeded when William Dawes failed, the reduction of crime in New York City and the decline in teen suicide have in common?
Malcolm Gladwell masterfully pulls it all together, showing how the Law of the Few, the Stickiness Factor, and the Power of Context all worked together to help trigger viral epidemics that achieved unprecedented success while other ideas never gained traction.
It’s not quite a how-to manual, and his explanation of how to create stickiness wasn’t as deep as some may like (Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath fills that gap quite well).
But at Outsource Marketing, we’ve been preaching and teaching about the challenges of marketing amid information overload since the late 90’s, and this book promised—and delivered—a better understanding of what it takes to drive word-of-mouth and create buzz.
Read it? How would you rate it?
Comment below to weigh in.
