"The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell- post 1

Certain events happen in this world that seem inexplicable; most people go about their lives without ever trying to explain them. They view such phenomena as completely random and independent of each other. In The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell attempts to prove that this is not the case. Many events and trends can be explained through three encompassing “rules of epidemics”: “The Law of the Few”, the “Stickiness Factor”, and the “Power of Context.” Gladwell applies these theories to a multitude of diverse things in order to increase the strength and magnitude of his overarching argument and expositions.

The use of anecdotes is extremely powerful in this novel. Short, resonating stories are recounted in every chapter. It is largely the arrangement, however, that makes the anecdotes so powerful.  Many chapters begin with a unique anecdote about some seemingly esoteric topic. This draws the reader’s attention effectively instead of boring them with broad assertions. Gladwell then analyzes these anecdotes to dissect the influence of the three encompassing theories. During the analysis, he appeals very strongly to his audience’s logos with a wide array of facts and statistics to support his evidence. This structure leaves the reader curious how the stories will be applied, and then completes their sense of anticipation with concise and all-inclusive answers.

Malcolm Gladwell has a gift. He presents an argument not of content, but of the process of thinking. He forces people to think about the trends and topics around them in a very different way. In The Tipping Point he assumes the role of a quilter. Each presented anecdote is a section, and his logical analysis using the “rules of epidemics” act as the thread that hold them together.