Suggested Reading

by Malcolm Gladwell

The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Malcolm Gladwell argues that ideas, products, messages, and behaviors “spread just like viruses do.” Based on his research covering a number of different fields and industries, Gladwell identifies three key factors that each play a role in determining whether a product will launch successfully, an idea will spread or a particular trend will become popular. Gladwell’s discussion and illustration of the concepts of the Law of the Few, the Stickiness Factor, and the Power of Context comprise the majority of the book. Gladwell illustrates these concepts and their interdependency in a series of case studies and examples. “The Tipping Point” is about change and it offers a new method of understanding why change so often happens as quickly and unexpectedly as it does. Business leaders who understand “The Tipping Point” will have a way of interpreting the changing world around them.