The Tipping Point

My second book for the independent reading assignment is The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. I chose two Gladwell books this semester- Outliers and this book. In the Tipping Point, the author writes that there are three rules: 1) The law of the few 2) The stickiness factor 3) The power of context and that all three suggest that epidemics occur due to these three rules.

I found the stories and points made on each rule to seem to make intuitive sense. The evidence provided made me a believer. In the law of the few, I learned about the 20/80 rule where 20% of people can have the power to create change in the remaining 80% of people- these are the influencers or connectors. The second rule also applies to the connectors in that an idea, change or epidemic has to stick. The author shows how a few “connectors” can make a global change. The example given was hush puppy shoes that took off in New York. In our generation, things like Dr. Dre beat headsets, Ugg boots etc, being worn by the connectors has influenced all of us to want these items. The third rule, the power of context, allows one to realize the situation or actions taken to capitalize on creating an epidemic. For example, if you can understand how to market a product, determine a crime pattern or teenage smoking, the answers will allow you the power to create an epidemic.

I found both books this semester to be fascinating. To analyze data, hear stories and facts that lead to phenomenal athletes, trends in best selling products made me realize that it is not good luck that gets you success, it is understanding data points that can enable success.