Malcolm Gladwell - Blink: The Power Of Thinking Without Thinking

Pros: Good examples; Backs up data with study results; Self tests
Cons: Doesn't delve very deep into the psychology involved.

Human beings are sometimes prone to making snap judgments and when they do, they are often met with ridicule and scorn from those around them. The conventional wisdom is that decisions should be thought through, with all possibilities discussed before a ...

Pros: Intriguing look at how our minds work; good everyday examples; clear, entertaining writing...
Cons: Could have used more information in some chapters...

You've probably already decided what you're going to rate this review. Aside from the increasingly rare Epinions devotee who reads every last word of a review (even this one: aardvaark) to figure out how to rate the review, you've already decided. You ...

Pros: interesting
Cons: a big tease with no real point

While reading “Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking” I found myself changing my mind over and over again. For a while I liked it. Later, I am wondering exactly what the point is and I don’t like it. Another sitting, I am interested and later ...

Pros: Makes you think about why you think.
Cons: Lightweight on proof and facts. A little random.

Bottom Line at The Top Unless you like reading lightweight cocktail party material or really appreciate cognitive “science” I’d suggest you blink hard and pass this book by. In fact, I’ll sum up the entire 275 pages of ...

Pros: Well written by a reporter. Interesting stories, fascinating subject matter, quick read.
Cons: Lack of detail for personal application, a missing conclusion in one story.

Why did I buy this book? I saw a brief description of the book Blink! on a science-oriented website nearly 2 weeks after I had watched a documentary on the 'Real' Rain Man: Kim Peek. Mr. Peek is the man who was portrayed by Dustin Hoffman in ...

Pros: Tells some interesting true-life stories that weigh the benefits and hazards of rapid, unconscious thinking.
Cons: Not really the celebration of blinking it claims to be. Not very well written.

I don't typically like science written for the masses, particularly 277-page novel-like efforts conspicuously beyond the ambition of Popular Science articles (which I don't read). This is because as I trudge deeper into the quagmires of science, ...

Pros: A quick and fun read that will give you plenty of cocktai-party banter.
Cons: Lacks a satisfying conclusion.

Do you ever wonder why you have such strong instinctual responses? Ever curious as to why your gut feeling is almost always right. For those of us who fell in love with his Tipping Point, it was big news when Malcolm Gladwell announced that he was ...

Pros: Fast reading, gives reinforcement that snap judgments are usually correct.
Cons: none really, may be a bit too "pop" for those wanting something more scientific

This book appears to be well researched but a bit of pop-psychology but is nonetheless entertaining and informative. Examples are often used in the book so support his hypotheses which allows the reader to delve into his or her memory so that we can ...

Pros: Easy to read volume on a serious subject.
Cons: Often doesn't get to the point.

This book explores the benefits-and risks-of making snap decisions. Since it explores different aspects, and the chapters (and intro) are quite different in the way they describe, and judge these decisions,I'll describe them one by one ...

Pros: Explains why first instincts tend to be accurate while second guessing can steer you wrong.
Cons: A few pages of convoluted tech-speak near the end can slow down your flow.

First, I will say that I'm not an avid book reader, nor am I a book reviewer. I am somewhat intimidated by some of the reviews I've read, so I'll ask that you have mercy on my style. I'm not here to wow you with my review. I'm just here to tell you ...

Pros: insightful, interesting, teaches you things you never knew about your own mind
Cons: if you do not like nonfiction, this may not be for you

I just finished reading this book, and I was sorry to get to the end. It starts out with a riveting story about how an art museum was fooled by a forged statue. Scores of trained scientists declared it to be genuine after detailed study, but other ...

Pros: Very good, easy read, no other books like it, psychology, learn about yourself
Cons: might be a little repetitive to people who majored in psychology

Have you ever wondered why you get that gut feeling before something bad happens? Well, in this book you discover how your unconscious works. Gladwell does a good job with covering various psychological experiments that tested people's unconsciousness. ...

Pros: Some interesting ideas and some cool details of studies pertaining to the subject.
Cons: Drags a bit towards the end.

I really had no idea what to expect when I began this book. I am a sucker for non-fiction books pertaining to human behavior, so I gave it a shot. Overall, it has not changed my life or moved me in any significant way - but not all books need to do ...

Pros: Excellent start on the subjects of thin-slicing and priming
Cons: Would like more how-to and exercises

The premise of this book is that very often our quick appraisals are valid; that we have built up a body of knowledge that allows us to assess a situation or object very quickly. Thin slicing is using the information available from a short ...

Pros: Short, fun, entertaining, well organized.
Cons: Light, fluffy, full of analogies and third hand stories.

I'm a sucker for life science books and research books and anything having to do with nature or the human body or time/space as long as it is brought down to my level. Blink did one thing really well; it made you examine your own first ...