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5.46k reviews for:
Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know
Malcolm Gladwell
3.83 AVERAGE
5.46k reviews for:
Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know
Malcolm Gladwell
3.83 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
informative
fast-paced
challenging
informative
reflective
fast-paced
I highly recommend the audiobook specifically because Gladwell uses numerous audio excerpts straight from interviews and original sources. This brings the information more to life and makes a powerful delivery.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Suicide, Torture
This was NOT what I expected, but Wow! I am a huge fan of procedural crime shows on Hulu and haven’t watched one since I started listening to this (audible version is great!) the same way. This morning, I was thinking about the stranger I met at the pool and how random intersections can literally change our lives.
This, like other Gladwell texts, is a “make you think” or “think differently” kind of book. I HOPE I will recognize in my conversations with stranger, co-workers, friends and family that I bring biases to every interaction. If I don’t make those positive, Brene Brown-like good story assumptions, I can get myself into a hot mess. Good questions and even more questions from a spirit of genuine curiosity and positive intention are so important.
The Sandra Bland story was compelling. Knowing her back story is critical to understanding what happened as a result of that stop - not a justification or excuse. It’s a reminder that we all have layers and to try my best to get to know as much of a person as he/she will reveal. If the CIA gets duped . . .
Another great one, Malcom Gladwell!
This, like other Gladwell texts, is a “make you think” or “think differently” kind of book. I HOPE I will recognize in my conversations with stranger, co-workers, friends and family that I bring biases to every interaction. If I don’t make those positive, Brene Brown-like good story assumptions, I can get myself into a hot mess. Good questions and even more questions from a spirit of genuine curiosity and positive intention are so important.
The Sandra Bland story was compelling. Knowing her back story is critical to understanding what happened as a result of that stop - not a justification or excuse. It’s a reminder that we all have layers and to try my best to get to know as much of a person as he/she will reveal. If the CIA gets duped . . .
Another great one, Malcom Gladwell!
informative
reflective
slow-paced
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
like all his books, this one is incredibly well researched, laid out, and explained. i feel like i should reread it and take notes and also recommend it to everyone i know. it's not saying anything groundbreaking to me, but it is extremely interesting and i always leave one of his books thinking a little differently about the world. i did pick up this book specifically because I've somehow stumbled into two jobs that entail exactly what it says on the tin lol.
This book should be titled "How to Understand People" - for some reason we live in a world that lacks empathy that we have an author like Malcolm Gladwell tying in past events from multiple angles to help us learn how to communicate. It irks me that a book like this even needs to be written, it's really quite simple, do you have the emotional intelligence to see when someone is troubled, in trouble or making trouble? Do you have the capacity to see that there are people out there who were taught the *wrong way*?
I am giving this book a 4/5 because it really should be read by more people so that we start learning as a society to admit when we're wrong, put aside our prejudice but also be informed and have realistic expectations of what the world actually is like. In actuality, I think the writing is 3/5. It felt very scattered, and then when it finally started tying in nicely by the second half of the book I was so exhausted from reading the first half. It has recent accounts that were interesting to digest such as the Brock Turner case. I felt more connected with Gladwell's thoughts the second half when all of his points started tying together.
I am giving this book a 4/5 because it really should be read by more people so that we start learning as a society to admit when we're wrong, put aside our prejudice but also be informed and have realistic expectations of what the world actually is like. In actuality, I think the writing is 3/5. It felt very scattered, and then when it finally started tying in nicely by the second half of the book I was so exhausted from reading the first half. It has recent accounts that were interesting to digest such as the Brock Turner case. I felt more connected with Gladwell's thoughts the second half when all of his points started tying together.
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
This was a great book to listen to; however, there are some dots I would like to connect and feel I must go back and read the physical book. There were so many interesting ideas and pieces of information, and I thought I understood how they were connected, but I didn't walk away with a firm grasp of what next steps are.
informative
reflective
medium-paced
informative
reflective
medium-paced