by Malcolm Gladwell
A treatise on how split-second first impressions, or snap decisions
based on unconscious judgments, are often actually more accurate than
decisions based on a superabundance of data. Using entertaining
anecdotes from the world of ER triage, psychological experiments, pop
music, business, and modern headlines, Gladwell crafts a truly
convincing argument.
Every page has something interesting to say
about human behavior and how easily people fall into self-deception (the
false first impression, which he calls the “Warren Harding error,” or
how looks can sway our decisions; as well as convincing ourselves that
we’ve thought something out when actually we can’t reasonably explain
how we came to a correct decision because it was unconscious). This is
one of those rare things, a truly fascinating book on social psychology.
