TOW #8 (Cycle 7)- Blink (IRB)

Blink continued to inform and entertain me until its end.  The complexity of the brain is simplified so any reader can gain insight as to what is happening inside their head. Quite frankly, the whole concept sort of freaks me out, makes me very self aware, as now I cannot make a snap judgement without wondering why I was able to make it. Nonetheless, Malcolm Gladwell is successful in achieving his purpose, effectively explaining something complicated to the public so they can know when to "blink and when to think", through his use of arrangement and exemplification.

Without being boring in its formulaic approach, the book is split into six subjects (chapters) and each subject is opened with one example. This example is thoroughly explained and then Gladwell continues with three or four other ways of explaining the concept. By the end of the chapter, the original example is tied back to the rest and the reader is exposed to many versions of one idea. This may seem convoluted, but that's me, not Gladwell. An example of how he does this is Chapter 4, Paul Van Riper's Big Victory: Creating Structure for Spontaneity. Gladwell introduces why a team won in the Millenium Challenge, explains how improv works under the same idea, give the reader a chance to try out the concept, connects the idea to medical practices, and then concludes with the outcome of the Millenium Challenge and makes everything connect. By using so many examples and intertwining them with his main idea, Gladwell successfully gives each reader a way to relate to his material.

While the way these examples are arranged plays a role in connecting with the reader, the real feat is in the substance he presents. Personally, I began to understand the concept when he explained it through the improvisation activity, as I have participated in it before. Gladwell recognizes that his audience is full of different personalities and backgrounds, and not everyone will be able to understand his material in the way he may. Without the variety of examples, Blink would not be as "user-friendly" and the concepts Gladwell portrays would be lost.