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A review by jamesnotjim
David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants by Malcolm Gladwell
5.0
Quite good. If you're a fan of Gladwell's work, you'll likely enjoy it. I'm not sure which of his books is the best to start with. In my case, I started with his podcast and then read [b:What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures|6516450|What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures|Malcolm Gladwell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1344263875l/6516450._SY75_.jpg|6708278]. I'm not sure which of his books I like best. I've read all but one now. They're all very much of a piece. Gladwell likes to juxtapose the common sense interpretation of an event with the actual effects and, often, the unintended consequences. He likes to take a simple principle and apply it to a wide range of cases. He gets some criticism for that, as it can be an oversimplification. But it's often enlightening, even as a thought experiment.
I guess I like his books because they give you a lot to think about, often from quite different historical epochs. Part One of David and Goliath uses several extended examples to discuss the role of underdogs and how they can succeed when they refuse to compete in the usual way and instead adopt unconventional strategies. Here the "big fish/small pond" effect, applied to success in college, is of note. Part two discusses, among other things, the Civil Rights Movement in the US, "The Troubles" in Northern Ireland, dyslexia, California's "three-strikes" laws, an innovation in the treatment of cancer, the David and Goliath myth, the French Impressionists first exhibition, Br'er Rabbit as trixter hero, resistance in Vichy France, and probably a dozen other topics I've forgotten.
I enjoy the breadth of examples. It's good--and rare--to try to bring such disparate things together. I'll leave it to others to judge the success of such synthesis. In any case, it makes for enjoyable reading.
I guess I like his books because they give you a lot to think about, often from quite different historical epochs. Part One of David and Goliath uses several extended examples to discuss the role of underdogs and how they can succeed when they refuse to compete in the usual way and instead adopt unconventional strategies. Here the "big fish/small pond" effect, applied to success in college, is of note. Part two discusses, among other things, the Civil Rights Movement in the US, "The Troubles" in Northern Ireland, dyslexia, California's "three-strikes" laws, an innovation in the treatment of cancer, the David and Goliath myth, the French Impressionists first exhibition, Br'er Rabbit as trixter hero, resistance in Vichy France, and probably a dozen other topics I've forgotten.
I enjoy the breadth of examples. It's good--and rare--to try to bring such disparate things together. I'll leave it to others to judge the success of such synthesis. In any case, it makes for enjoyable reading.