"The best way to understand the dramatic transformation of unknown books into bestsellers, or the rise of teenage smoking, or the phenomena of word of mouth or any number of the other mysterious changes that mark everyday life," writes Malcolm Gladwell, "is to think of them as epidemics. Ideas and products and messages and behaviors spread just like viruses do." Although anyone familiar with the theory of memetics will recognize this concept, Gladwell's The Tipping Point has quite a few interesting twists on the subject.

For example, Paul Revere was able to galvanize the forces of resistance so effectively in part because he was what Gladwell calls a "Connector": he knew just about everybody, particularly the revolutionary leaders in each of the towns that he rode through. But Revere "wasn't just the man with the biggest Rolodex in colonial Boston," he was also a "Maven" who gathered extensive information about the British. He knew what was going on and he knew exactly whom to tell. The phenomenon continues to this day--think of how often you've received information in an e-mail message that had been forwarded at least half a dozen times before reaching you.

Gladwell develops these and other concepts (such as the "stickiness" of ideas or the effect of population size on information dispersal) through simple, clear explanations and entertainingly illustrative anecdotes, such as comparing the pedagogical methods of Sesame Street and Blue's Clues, or explaining why it would be even easier to play Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon with the actor Rod Steiger. Although some readers may find the transitional passages between chapters hold their hands a little too tightly, and Gladwell's closing invocation of the possibilities of social engineering sketchy, even chilling, The Tipping Point is one of the most effective books on science for a general audience in ages. It seems inevitable that "tipping point," like "future shock" or "chaos theory," will soon become one of those ideas that everybody knows--or at least knows by name. --Ron Hogan

The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a small but precisely targeted push cause a fashion trend, the popularity of a new product, or a drop in the crime rate. This widely acclaimed bestseller, in which Malcolm Gladwell explores and brilliantly illuminates the tipping point phenomenon, is already changing the way people throughout the world think about selling products and disseminating ideas.

If you work in marketing, like me, you know that traction for a brand is critical and good products have tipping points en route to skyrocketing sales. Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point is a fascinating exploration of makes ideas explode. His anecdotes and research are fascinating, and some of his exploration focuses directly on consumer products, such as the resurgence of Hush Puppies.

Gladwell eloquently illustrates how little things make a big difference. It only takes one different approach or element to dramatically change the way people view the world, how we react to certain information and more. I think most of us have embraced this notion at least to some degree.

One of my favorite ways to look at change is to consider this quote that I've heard used throughout Glazer-Kennedy. "Little hinges open big doors." I also like the fact that this particular quote is a more positive approach to change. A hopeful look at what's behind the big door.

Gladwell explores the three rules of epidemics, how they manifest themselves and more. The basic premise of the book is that it only takes three elements to create an epidemic.

1) The Law of the Few: This follows the basic rule of thumb that 20% of people do 80% of the work. The same it true of creating epidemics. Thought leaders ban together to present and distribute information that sways public opinion.

2) The Stickiness Factor: This isn't new to most seasoned marketers - your message must have some staying power, create interest and become contagious in a sense. It's all about restructuring messages to make them appealing with more impact.

3) The Power of Context: The key to connecting with others, making them want to change behavior or buy into a particular train of thought is in the smallest details pertaining to immediate situations. Simply put it's all about presentation and doing so in a way that evokes emotion and buy in.

This sounds surprisingly familiar to most marketing strategies yet it is a bit more complex. According to Gladwell, there are three types of personalities that are instrumental in bringing topics, trends, and more to the tipping point; Connectors, Mavens and Salesmen. Each possesses special gifts and goals that contribute to the tipping point (you'll have to read the book to find the characteristics of each).

The theory of the Tipping Point requires reframing the way we individually think about the world to forge change.

There are two big lessons of The Tipping Point:

The first is that starting any epidemic requires concentrating on a few key areas to gain momentum. This is easily illustrated by word of mouth marketing and the energy it creates to effortlessly spread the word about individual topics or issues of importance.

The second is the realization that the world does not accord with our intuition no matter how much we want it to. Those who are successful at creating epidemics know they must go beyond doing what they think is right and actually test their intuitions and ideas. This combination ensures success.

It stands to reason that focusing on more positive approaches, solutions and mindsets will in turn create an epidemic of abundance and at the same time the opposite is true depending on YOUR world view. I encourage you to read this book and ask yourself:

"What is my worldview?"

"What am I doing to create positive change?"

If you are a sociologists probably you would not think that this is an interesting book, but if you don't have a specific education in social sciences, you may learn a lot.
The book depends on many famous articles which may be familiar to scientists but the way the author presents them is very sensible for the unspecified reader.
As in many books some ideas are unnecessarily repeated, but it is nearly impossible to find a book without this boring feature.
The book helped me to figureout the "connectors", "mavens" and "salespersons" around each of us and the impact they make on the population. How can some people change many things? Why does a restaurant become unexpectedly popular? Why do we decide to do something immedistely and find out that many people are doing this at the same time?
Why are some people very popular and know many people?
I think nearly all the idease are supported by some scientific articles. I recommend the book for everyone who are not experts in this field. Enjoy the book...

i needed this book for a class i am taking and it worked out well enough for that. its seemed like the shipping took longer than expected though...

Mr. Gladwell's book is an easy read, and presents a cogent view of how trends evolve and grow from inception to complete fruition.

However, I did find it a bit too simplistic in some aspects, and missing some of the other elements that surely affect whether an idea catches on or not. For example, the concept of "stickiness" surely has an equal and opposite concept I would call "repulsiveness" that can, (and I am sure actually does) stop some trends from evolving at all. And, there is no mention of the cultural awareness that surely tills the soil, making it ready for acceptance of the trend, and providing the roots from which it springs.

All that being said, the ideas and concepts presented in The Tipping Point provide a worthwhile addition to the understanding of those interested in marketing and sales, and is a book I would highly recommend.