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5.53k reviews for:
Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know
Malcolm Gladwell
3.83 AVERAGE
5.53k reviews for:
Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know
Malcolm Gladwell
3.83 AVERAGE
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
3.75 stars
The audiobook version is effectively a podcast season, complete with sound clips from interviews as well as enhanced audio trimmings.
Historically I have liked his books, and while I found this interesting, I didn’t like it as much.
I feel the same about his podcast. I am impressed by his research and delivery, usually find the topics curious or interesting, but it's rarely a "revelation" (hardly ever a spiritual or intellectual reckoning for me).
If you are an enthusiast of his work, you’ll love this book. If you’re so so it’s probably better to pass.
Overall this book was a meditation on how you can never know what is going on the inside of a person. That outward emotions are not a form of transparency... that Hollywood and novels have made us expect certain reactions and those are often not how someone might genuinely express themselves in that situation (guilt, surprise, etc) the only exception is happy and the happy smile.
As a lawyer, this book solidified my apprehension to ever use “eye witness testimony” especially when they are testifying to observations of other humans... it also gives a sobering thought about jury and judge trials...
The book also provides an 'explanation' for a number of stories in the news, such as Penn State's pedophile coach (and why it took 10 years), Amanda Knox, and the death of a young black woman who was 'wrongly' arrested by an overzealous white cop.
The audiobook version is effectively a podcast season, complete with sound clips from interviews as well as enhanced audio trimmings.
Historically I have liked his books, and while I found this interesting, I didn’t like it as much.
I feel the same about his podcast. I am impressed by his research and delivery, usually find the topics curious or interesting, but it's rarely a "revelation" (hardly ever a spiritual or intellectual reckoning for me).
If you are an enthusiast of his work, you’ll love this book. If you’re so so it’s probably better to pass.
Overall this book was a meditation on how you can never know what is going on the inside of a person. That outward emotions are not a form of transparency... that Hollywood and novels have made us expect certain reactions and those are often not how someone might genuinely express themselves in that situation (guilt, surprise, etc) the only exception is happy and the happy smile.
As a lawyer, this book solidified my apprehension to ever use “eye witness testimony” especially when they are testifying to observations of other humans... it also gives a sobering thought about jury and judge trials...
The book also provides an 'explanation' for a number of stories in the news, such as Penn State's pedophile coach (and why it took 10 years), Amanda Knox, and the death of a young black woman who was 'wrongly' arrested by an overzealous white cop.
informative
sad
medium-paced
challenging
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Useful, but emotionally difficult exploration of terrible situations and how they may have been precipitated by our poor ability to predict or interpret causality in social situations.
I really liked the chapters on Hitler and spies, and the ideas about coupling and default to truth. The alcohol/sexual assault and suicide-related chapters, along with the Sandra Bland analysis, felt like they weren't analyzing the whole picture-- I think the historical and societal systems at play relating to race, gender inequality, and power were downplayed. At times, it almost made me feel like Gladwell was saying it wasn't a lapse in judgement of the men at college parties for assaulting female students, just a lapse in judgement about how much they should drink. Or that only heavily policing high-crime urban areas will reduce racist police encounters, despite that underlying issues of systemic racism, poverty, and a lack of mental healthcare lead to high-crime areas, and thus targeted policing will still result in disproportionately targeted police violence (though maybe less violence overall).
The storytelling and production value are excellent (though calling an audiobook with some actors and audio snippets in it "historic" might be a little excessive), and the case study storytelling is my favorite part.
The storytelling and production value are excellent (though calling an audiobook with some actors and audio snippets in it "historic" might be a little excessive), and the case study storytelling is my favorite part.