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5.53k reviews for:
Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don‰ЫЄt Know
Malcolm Gladwell
3.83 AVERAGE
5.53k reviews for:
Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don‰ЫЄt Know
Malcolm Gladwell
3.83 AVERAGE
It’s good. All of his stuff is. I’m still processing this one.
informative
medium-paced
I found the central idea of mismatch between emotions/thoughts and overt signals interesting. He uses the example of the TV show _Friends_ as a situation where all the characters are matched or easy to read. But real life situations are more complex, and it's hard to read the emotions/thoughts of strangers.
A lot of the examples focused on crime, and in January I'm prone to seasonal depression. Consequently, I confess to skimming some sections because I couldn't stomach the details.
A lot of the examples focused on crime, and in January I'm prone to seasonal depression. Consequently, I confess to skimming some sections because I couldn't stomach the details.
challenging
informative
slow-paced
My only quibble is that I feel as though Gladwell doesn’t introduce race into the equation enough here—other than that the book is spot-on and he delivers fascinating insight into why we misjudge others —strangers or not—constantly.
I listened to this book which I think added depth to the narrative. Gladwell reads his book while incorporating audio of the people he discusses. Gladwell encourages us to interact with strangers with humility, while illustrating through examples the numerous times our inability to understand strangers have negatively affected the lives of many.
Very cool. Highly recommend the audiobook version, as they use actual clips from interviews etc.
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
This was truly one of the more riveting and interesting reads of my year. Gladwell gives us a lot to think about here.
Like many other reviewers noted, the book was not at all what I expected. This was far from disappointing, but instead an intriguing surprise. I thought I was buying a book on how to get it right with people. Instead, it’s about why we always get it so wrong.
There’s a lot of compelling arguments. For sure, Gladwell is saying something new that will serve as amazing book club fodder. But, he oversimplifies the problems he identifies in an effort to push his points.
For example, the chapter on the Cuban spies and Sylvia Plath? Brilliant. He really had me. He lost me on Brock Turner and Sandra Bland. Why? Because while he hinted at the sicknesses in our society that cause sexual violence and violence against people of color, he downplayed their role. And I get it — these things, especially for these cases — have been talked about to the extent that there may be nothing new to say. But Gladwell lose credibility with me by trying to make it about something else entirely — his theory and his theory only.
In short: This is worth the read. You will come away reconsidering your daily interactions with strangers and pondering Gladwell’s theories, even testing them out in social situations. But you also might be left with the queasy feeling that he’s justifying racism in our society and the actions of people who have sexually assaulted others. Then, like me, this book will miss its mark.
Like many other reviewers noted, the book was not at all what I expected. This was far from disappointing, but instead an intriguing surprise. I thought I was buying a book on how to get it right with people. Instead, it’s about why we always get it so wrong.
There’s a lot of compelling arguments. For sure, Gladwell is saying something new that will serve as amazing book club fodder. But, he oversimplifies the problems he identifies in an effort to push his points.
For example, the chapter on the Cuban spies and Sylvia Plath? Brilliant. He really had me. He lost me on Brock Turner and Sandra Bland. Why? Because while he hinted at the sicknesses in our society that cause sexual violence and violence against people of color, he downplayed their role. And I get it — these things, especially for these cases — have been talked about to the extent that there may be nothing new to say. But Gladwell lose credibility with me by trying to make it about something else entirely — his theory and his theory only.
In short: This is worth the read. You will come away reconsidering your daily interactions with strangers and pondering Gladwell’s theories, even testing them out in social situations. But you also might be left with the queasy feeling that he’s justifying racism in our society and the actions of people who have sexually assaulted others. Then, like me, this book will miss its mark.
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced