Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

Author: Malcolm Gladwell

Rating: ⭐ 3/5

Date Read: 2006/10/01

Pages: 296

Blink is an interesting and thought-provoking book. It examines the ways in which we make decisions quickly, often without even knowing that we are making them. My favorite section of the book was the chapter which recounts a recent war game. In this game, the computer aided US team could not work as well as a former general who was able to make decisions quickly and correctly. If stories like this appeal to you, the book is definitely worth reading.

That said, Blink has a number of problems. While the stories provided are interesting, Gladwell doesn’t really build them into a well formed point. As others have said, the stories outweigh the conclusions. Another problem is that the book purports to be scientific, while is it really a series of loosely related observations. It’s a neat book, but those looking for a scientific treatment of quick-thinking should definitely turn elsewhere.