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A review by cocoonofbooks
David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell
4.0
Many writers have tried to emulate Gladwell's style, but no one does it quite like him. The book is based on a simple premise -- that what seems like an advantage is sometimes a disadvantage, and vice versa, opening with an explanation of how the David and Goliath story is typically misread (i.e., it is not, in fact, that surprising that David defeated Goliath). This basic premise is then drawn out in a multitude of more specific points illustrated with stories and statistics.
As in prior books, there are points at which Gladwell oversimplifies. At one point, he makes it sound as if the photo of police dogs attacking children was singlehandedly responsible for the success of the civil rights movement. But what Gladwell does extremely well is his storytelling and his use of those stories to explain what can sometimes be very complex ideas. I read a lot, and ideas, no matter how good, rarely stick with me, but stories I can remember for a long time, and sometimes will then remember the ideas that those stories were intended to illustrate. For this reason I find myself referencing Gladwell's other books in conversation more than many other books, and it's likely that I will reference this one as well -- particularly in relation to the David and Goliath story, and the explanations about class size and college selectivity.
If you're OK with the occasional leap in logic, I recommend this book for the opportunity to turn some ideas on their head and for the memorable examples throughout.
As in prior books, there are points at which Gladwell oversimplifies. At one point, he makes it sound as if the photo of police dogs attacking children was singlehandedly responsible for the success of the civil rights movement. But what Gladwell does extremely well is his storytelling and his use of those stories to explain what can sometimes be very complex ideas. I read a lot, and ideas, no matter how good, rarely stick with me, but stories I can remember for a long time, and sometimes will then remember the ideas that those stories were intended to illustrate. For this reason I find myself referencing Gladwell's other books in conversation more than many other books, and it's likely that I will reference this one as well -- particularly in relation to the David and Goliath story, and the explanations about class size and college selectivity.
If you're OK with the occasional leap in logic, I recommend this book for the opportunity to turn some ideas on their head and for the memorable examples throughout.