Who wouldn’t be excited by the opening chapters of Blink? It begins with stories of fake statues, scientists that can predict divorce, speed dating analysis and even simulated war games in Iraq. I was completely caught up these stories detailing the brain’s powerful ability to “thin slice” daily experience. Gladwell describes how the brain filters non-essential information, allowing us to make well-informed judgments about how to respond to various situations. The author’s argument is that there are certain situations where it is good to rely on these snap judgments while there are others that are not.
Nevertheless, I saw that the greatest downfall of Blink was that it didn’t feel like it was going anywhere. It began with exciting possibilities, but the narrative seemed to break down into a never ending catalog of stories. I think Gladwell could have done the same amount of work in half the pages. By the end of chapter four I was fully convinced that his thesis was correct. By the end of the book however, I was beginning to wonder if he was compensating for something. If you have doubt concerning the powers of the unconscious to affect the way we consciously think and act, read Blink. If you’ve already spent some time studying cognitive psychology, read the first few chapters and move on.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment