Blog 6- Concluding Blog

 Concluding Blog- Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell

Malcolm Gladwell

The main theme in the book, Blink, is focused on rapid cognition, which the author calls “thin-slicing”.  After reading several chapters, I can conclude that the book explores the thought process and how decisions are reached by people within a few seconds. The chapters have different examples and interesting stories on how people act on their inner feelings in making quick decisions and choices.  It usually does not matter if someone spends a lot of time thinking about something before making a decision, or they just make a decision quickly.  The result or outcome would be the same. I found this interesting, because if people thin-sliced  more, work would get done faster, and it would still be accurate.  This would save everyone a lot of time.  The example in the book that I like best is the Kouros Statue where the Getty museum spends over a year analyzing the statue.  They reach the conclusion that it is real and authentic,  and spend millions of dollars purchasing it.   However, after the statue is placed in the museum, visitors at the museum instantly are able to determine that the statue is a fake.    I found this interesting, because it is amazing how some people can achieve a level of expertise, while others can not. 

 

I would definitely recommend this book.  The author’s style of writing engages the reader and creates a personal relationship by having a conversation with the reader throughout the book.  This makes the book very interesting to read, and captivating.  This book creates awareness to the reader of how the conscious and unconscious mind work.  It is very interesting because of the many examples and scenarios it discusses. Everything was thoroughly explained, and the examples used were very helpful.  Before reading the book, I would advise to the reader to do a little bit of research in cognitive development so that they can have a better idea of what researches say on the subject. This will enhance their ability to comprehend and have a better understanding of what the author is writing about.  I would also tell them about the themes of the book, and how its main focus is the unconscious and conscious mind, through thin-slicing or rapid cognition.  I would recommend this book to young adults and above since the concepts that the book discusses require a level of maturity and understanding, to gain the maximum benefits from the book.  After reading the book, the ideas surrounding the benefits of thin-slicing can be debated by those with different views, as well as how the unconscious and conscious mind work, which is always an interesting conversation topic.  Definitely worth reading!