Book Review: The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell: The little things that make a difference

By 50minutes

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The Tipping Point is a bestselling book by Malcolm Gladwell and explains how social phenomena come about and what triggers a social epidemic. Using case studies and experiments in social psychology, Gladwell presents the three aspects that he considers essential to create a social phenomenon; rare birds, adherence and context. It is when these three factors align that a situation will reach its 'tipping point'; the phenomenon will grow spontaneously and snowball into a social epidemic. Over 1.7 million copies of The Tipping Point have been sold to date, and Time magazine named Gladwell one of its 100 most influential people in 2005.

This book review and analysis is perfect for: 
• Anyone looking to understand social trends
• Anyone with an interest in sociology or psychology
• Anyone hoping to become a ‘rare bird’ and influence others

About 50MINUTES.COM | BOOK REVIEW
The Book Review series from the 50Minutes collection is aimed at anyone who is looking to learn from experts in their field without spending hours reading endless pages of information. Our reviews present a concise summary of the main points of each book, as well as providing context, different perspectives and concrete examples to illustrate the key concepts. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: 50Minutes.com
• Release date: Jul 3, 2017
• ISBN: 9782806280114

Book preview

Why the little things can make the biggest difference

In The Tipping Point, the bestselling book by Malcolm Gladwell, the author analyses the initiation and propagation of a series of social phenomena, as well as offering a personal explanation for them. This reverses our perception of how people behave and how trends are formed. The examples used also allow him to present a reflection that focuses on complementary factors, rather than a single element.

This is what makes the book original: each individual element does not seem sufficient to explain, by itself, the phenomenon of a social epidemic. However, when they are put together, often in an accidental or haphazard way, they generate a specific momentum for the birth of a major phenomenon.

The second major selling point of this book lies in the number of examples: it not only deals with experiments in social psychology, but also analyses other things, such as the success of a book, a fad, a method of original information on STD prevention, etc.

Finally, the ‘tipping point’ refers to the time, not necessarily calculated or controlled, where a situation or piece of information gains momentum and moves from the stage of diffusion to becoming a