The Tipping Point

The Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell is an attempt to define just what makes something go from obscurity to virility. Gladwell’s book could be broken down into three stages. The first describes the actors involved in the process of making something ubiquitous. Gladwell further stratifies this list into connectors, mavens, and sales people. Connectors could be looked at as the first line in the networking chain. They are responsible for passing along information, helping with the overall diffusion process. Mavens, the second group are those whose thirst for knowledge make them the ideal candidates to receive the information the connectors pass along. This assumes the information coming from the connectors is useful in some way to the Mavens, even if it is simply increasing their knowledge base on a subject. The final group, the salespeople are those individuals who are able to monetize the connection from connectors to mavens. They possess a unique ability to understand both what the mavens want and how best to get it to them using the connectors if possible.

            In The Tipping Point, Gladwell’s second section focuses on what he calls “stickiness.” This is the mysterious quality that makes some information nearly impossible to forget. While Gladwell doesn’t detail exactly how to achieve a sticky state (partly because predicting human behavior has proven to be nearly impossible), he does a good job of providing an operational definition for what laymen call “going viral.” We all have that song from kindergarten or that commercial we can repeat almost verbatim, but why them and not others? That question is one that may be never answered. What Gladwell does attempt to show though, is that it’s not major changes that lead to stickiness, but in some cases it is simply minor details that were either overlooked or thought of that lead to information “sticking” with you.

            The final of the three sections of The Tipping Point deals with context. Context, while often overlooked is one of the most important factors in communication as a whole. An easy example to show the power of context is using numbers. Is five a large number? On a scale of 1-1,000,000,000, five hardly moves the needle. However, on a scale of 1-5, five is the ultimate, the highest you can go. It’s context that provides these different views on the same point. Gladwell uses context to show that solutions to problems might not be where we think they are. Rather than attempt to punish individuals for an action undertaken in a certain environment, simply changing the environment removes the ability for individuals to engage in a behavior.

           

            The Tipping Point is for sale by multiple online retailers, including Amazon, eBay, Barnes & Noble, as well as other outlets. It retails for between $10-$20 depending on which version, either hardcover, paperback and kindle versions through Amazon. It was first published in 2000, is 301 pages in length, and can be found in non-fiction sections of libraries and online retailers. Overall, it is worth the time to check out how Gladwell offers his thoughts on social change and the elements that go into affecting it.