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1.63k reviews for:
David Y Goliat: Desvalidos, Inadaptados Y El Arte de Luchar Contra Gigantes / David and Goliath
Malcolm Gladwell
3.82 AVERAGE
1.63k reviews for:
David Y Goliat: Desvalidos, Inadaptados Y El Arte de Luchar Contra Gigantes / David and Goliath
Malcolm Gladwell
3.82 AVERAGE
slow-paced
Reading "David and Goliath," I couldn't help but be reminded of myself, sitting at my computer the midnight before an essay is due, cranking out line after line of utter bull, taking points from the work of literature in question arbitrarily and hoping to unify them together at the end of the paper under some overarching if not flimsy thesis.
Essentially, that's what "David and Goliath" is: 300 pages of Gladwell trying to force a square peg into a round hole. Gladwell's newest book is a foray into the conflict between the underdog and the giant, and as always he relies on anecdote after anecdote to argue the thesis of his book: that sometimes, underdogs are not truly underdogs. But whereas anecdotes in his previous books are compelling and illuminating, the ones here are just a litany of stories about different people. That's it. I can't even say they're about underdogs, because they're not.
And that's the problem. Some of the stories Gladwell presents, such as Wyatt Walker's, would function pretty well as a standalone essay. But these stories are only flimsily unified by Gladwell's insistent denouements at the end of each chapter, trying to convince us that a girl's basketball team running a full-court press is equivalent to Lawrence of Arabia's campaign against the Turks. These end-of-chapter ramblings are both abstract and reek of someone trying too hard -- if you have to spell out the meaning of the chapter at the end of it, then you've already failed.
But some of these observations are true, in a way. They're just incredibly shallow. Basketball is perhaps equivalent to war in some way, but not in any meaningful one. The nuance of war is not analogous to the nuance of any sport besides maybe football (see: DeLillo's "End Zone"). Gladwell's comparisons are superficial and worse, lazy.
The other problem is that the point Gladwell is making is not nearly as profound as he would like you to think. "Sometimes advantages can actually be disadvantages" -- is there any reasonable person on earth who would argue otherwise? Gladwell is coasting off his reputation as a contrarian and hoping that you'll accept this spoonfed assertion with a nod and a smile.
Despite "David and Goliath," I like Malcolm Gladwell. One thing you can always count on from one of his books is it will make you think. Unfortunately, the thinking done upon completion of "David and Goliath" is accompanied by a roll of the eyes and a shake of the head.
Essentially, that's what "David and Goliath" is: 300 pages of Gladwell trying to force a square peg into a round hole. Gladwell's newest book is a foray into the conflict between the underdog and the giant, and as always he relies on anecdote after anecdote to argue the thesis of his book: that sometimes, underdogs are not truly underdogs. But whereas anecdotes in his previous books are compelling and illuminating, the ones here are just a litany of stories about different people. That's it. I can't even say they're about underdogs, because they're not.
And that's the problem. Some of the stories Gladwell presents, such as Wyatt Walker's, would function pretty well as a standalone essay. But these stories are only flimsily unified by Gladwell's insistent denouements at the end of each chapter, trying to convince us that a girl's basketball team running a full-court press is equivalent to Lawrence of Arabia's campaign against the Turks. These end-of-chapter ramblings are both abstract and reek of someone trying too hard -- if you have to spell out the meaning of the chapter at the end of it, then you've already failed.
But some of these observations are true, in a way. They're just incredibly shallow. Basketball is perhaps equivalent to war in some way, but not in any meaningful one. The nuance of war is not analogous to the nuance of any sport besides maybe football (see: DeLillo's "End Zone"). Gladwell's comparisons are superficial and worse, lazy.
The other problem is that the point Gladwell is making is not nearly as profound as he would like you to think. "Sometimes advantages can actually be disadvantages" -- is there any reasonable person on earth who would argue otherwise? Gladwell is coasting off his reputation as a contrarian and hoping that you'll accept this spoonfed assertion with a nod and a smile.
Despite "David and Goliath," I like Malcolm Gladwell. One thing you can always count on from one of his books is it will make you think. Unfortunately, the thinking done upon completion of "David and Goliath" is accompanied by a roll of the eyes and a shake of the head.
This was my first Gladwell experience and I have to say that I really enjoyed it. Reading the book sort of felt like looking at a photo from different angles. Your looking at the same objects but every angle gives you fresh insights. The people he introduced in the book gave life to these new insights that were at times inspiring and others disheartening. While it was a good read, I worried about those who would read David and Goliath and think that "disadvantage" wasn't that bad because of the "advantages" that could come with it. To Gladwell's credit he mentions more than once that "disadvantage" is not desirable and that not all folks who experience disadvantage are also privy to the unexpected benefits.
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
informative
medium-paced
This was a good introduction to Gladwell. The audiobook is narrated by the author and he's easy to listen to.
Enjoyed a lot of the stories in this although I lost the momentum a bit in the last hour or so. Definitely one to revisit in print and looking forward to reading more of his books.
Enjoyed a lot of the stories in this although I lost the momentum a bit in the last hour or so. Definitely one to revisit in print and looking forward to reading more of his books.
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Excellent writing that explains the subject well, that's all I ask for but so rarely get. This book, and really all of his books, delivers.
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Do I not enjoy Gladwell anymore?
I found myself not wanting to pick this book up.
I thought this book would be more of an Erin Brokovich type feel. Like the little guy vs the Giant, the ... I don't know ... David vs Goliath.
But that's not what I got.
I found myself not wanting to pick this book up.
I thought this book would be more of an Erin Brokovich type feel. Like the little guy vs the Giant, the ... I don't know ... David vs Goliath.
But that's not what I got.