Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
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Ever wonder why we decide things on the spur of the moment and if our judgements are correct? This book is a great explanation as to why we do so and how our brains decide what information to keep and discard. I found this a very interesting audio book, well worth the rental! I enjoyed it a lot.
I loved this book. Every once in a while there is a book that really makes me think and reflect on myself- the subject matter of this book obviously lends itself to that naturally- but this book offered insight that I have been over looking for years, so I found it very interesting. Its worth the listen for sure.
It was OK. Not waste of time, but not riveting. It did help me understand that little voice we all have that tells us when something isn't right but we are not sure what it truly is. I trust my hunches a little more now because there may be something to them. Give a listen and you might agree.
I found this book fascinating. I have an MA in Communication Studies and I could follow it easily. My husband who has no experience with this topic actually found it very intriguing also. We had a few interesting discussions as we listened. I loved the analysis and enjoyed the different possibilities. What I got from the book personally is that we all make instant judgments and sometimes they work and sometimes they don't because we haven't placed them in the correct context. Our instant judgments are there, that is not deniabe. Great book and my compliments to the author for delving into a an emotional topic and studying it so thoroughly.
This book was a great surpise to me. I really do not like psycho-babble. But...this book was really entertaining. Now if they would write a book how to use our first impressions wisely.
I do not understand all of the hype! There are some interesting anecdotes throughout, but his "analysis" as to why we do and process things as we do, this idea of "thin-slicing", is never explained beyond, what you will realize, is common sense. We have all experienced it and this book is nothing more than example after example of people experiencing it. Why is an art expert able to spot a fake? Because he's an ART EXPERT! When asked how he spotted it, the expert can't put it into words. The only explanation is that such things are processed in different areas of the brain. Why is another art expert not able to see it's a fake? Because he has an opportunity to buy something that might be amazing, his judgment is clouded! (That took over an hour to "examine".) Instead of lsitening to this book, find a friend that has and have them relay the interesting anecdotes. There, I saved you about 5 hours when you could listen to something from which you might gain some actual insight.
While the individual anecdotes were interesting, there seemed to be no unifying thread. Much of the information seemed to contradict itself. The author would first make a case for making intuitive judgments quickly, then he would turn around and show the dangers of doing so. I could easily have done without this selection. I do not understand all of the whoopla surrounding this book.
After listening to this rented audiobook, I went out and bought it! My father and I listened during a long car trip, and he was blown away, too. Gladwell uses some amazing examples of "intuitive" thinking to demonstrate how we make decisions and analyze the world. I was completely fascinated. Gladwell is also a good reader - important for a book of this length and depth.
Blink starts off with some great insight into the psychology of first impressions and quick thinking, what the author calls “thin slicing.” It helps explain the science behind why we trust our “gut” and why this is usually a good thing. Then it moves into a deeper analysis of both the positive points and the potential pitfalls. But it gets a little long, and might be better as 5 CDs instead of 7.
I thought this was a solid read. spoke about so many topics including art, war, police, and relationships. raised my awareness that we need to follow our instincts and to acknowledge that some of my decisions are based on factors that i consider but may not consciously know that i am considering those factors. i think it was worth the read.
"Malcolm Gladwell was born in 1963 in England, and grew up in Canada. He graduated with a degree in history from the University of Toronto in 1984. From 1987 to 1996, he was a reporter for The Washington Post, first as a science writer and then as New York City bureau chief. Since 1996, he has been a staff writer for The New Yorker magazine."