The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell looks at a number of social epidemics and analyzes their build up to the point where they tip. “Tipping” is that point where an epidemic booms, or grows, to its maximum potential. Gladwell begins defining “tipping” with a literal example of the famous shoes, Hush Puppies. Once considered old-fashioned, Hush Puppies experienced a social boom in the mid-90s when hipsters in New York made them trendy again. Gladwell continues explaining “tipping” with a medical epidemic of syphilis in Baltimore. Gladwell introduces us to three essential rules of epidemics: the Law of the Few, the Stickiness Factor and the Power of Context. The Law of the Few says a key factor in epidemics is the role of the messenger: it spreads through word-of-mouth transmission. Gladwell explains this theory with an example of how Paul Revere managed to spread the news of British invasion overnight. Gladwell continues to explain that there are several types of people that create these types of epidemics. They are called Connectors, Mavens and Salesmen. Connectors are those people that are very social and can literally connect with people with as little as two degrees of separation. Mavens are those that know a lot about a lot of different things. They may recommend a certain restaurant and you must go because you know what they told you about it is true. And Salesmen are exactly that: people that are easily social and persuading.
The Stickiness Factor says that the messenger matters, but so does the quality of that message. It needs, what Gladwell calls, “stickiness.” Gladwell explains how two children’s television shows started a social epidemic by using factors of “stickiness.” Sesame Street and Blue’s Clues used different m...

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...e government have to give to produce a desired outcome? For example, increasing taxes on gasoline will make people want to drive smaller cars because they are more fuel efficient. In turn, pollution decreases and people carpool more and limit their driving as much as possible. Another example would be the seat belt law. Having a seat belt law makes people avoid more severe injuries due to auto accidents and there is more incentive to drive slowly and more carefully. Despite the intentions, there is a higher number of accidents. This relates to the idea of a tipping point because initially, people did not wear seat belts because there weren't laws for it. Then, when the laws were implemented, the auto industry tipped into producing all cars will seat belts. In conclusion, most of life is related to the tipping point, including both economic trends and public policy.