Review of Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell is a book about the art of accurate first impressions and snap judgments. We have all wondered time to time why professionals in certain crafts, such as gamblers, seem to have a sixth sense about what they are doing. They can see things and feel things that amateurs do not. Many of us might assume that they have a gift and that have this sixth sense is something that was given to them, not something they had to work at.

In reality, these professionals have worked on this "sixth sense", but many of them might not even know they have. Gladwell explains to us through research done by top professionals and storytelling about his own personal interviews, about thin slicing situations.

Gladwell tells his readers that there is a reason we have "gut" instincts in certain situations, and why we are more often right about these situations than not. In Blink, Malcolm Gladwell explains how we use this thin slicing as a "fight or flight" mechanism, as a way to know how to react to any given circumstance, and to judge a person off a first impression.

Many of his stories and research statistics will give you those "A-ha!" moments, where you can finally see how each interaction you can have with someone can be related to this book. His stories are easy to read, quick to understand and are not at all as boring as some research articles can be. He gives his readers great examples that help explain the research he is discussing and gives us a look at his in-depth interviews with the professionals who gave him their findings.

If you love psychology and trying to figure out how people work, this is a great book for you. The book is wonderful for slow readers and quick readers alike and is something that you can read over and over again.

I also recommend getting Malcolm Gladwell's other well-known novel, "The Tipping Point". It has everything that you will love about Blink on a subject that is great for Marketing and Psychology professionals and anyone looking for some interesting research on how epidemics and trends start, who starts them, and how long they usually last.