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A review by jay_the_hippie
David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell
4.0
I learn so much from every Malcolm Gladwell book I read, and this one is no exception. I find it interesting how he discusses mistakes that a big powerful organization, such as the British Army, the police in California, or (for example) a business that purchases a really cool website that collects book reviews, could make by misunderstanding their relationship with the underdog. The book is divided into three different sections, each of which focus (in three chapters) on a facet of the strength of underdogs. Each chapter is jammed full of examples and the most clarifying discussion.
I don't really want to give away what the author talks about, so instead I'll write about a situation that he didn't analyze and attempt to apply some of the points to this fictional example. Let's say that a group of independent-thinking readers had a website that they poured time and effort into making a wonderful collection of book reviews. Imagine that the site was then sold. The parent company could choose to flex its muscle and enforce some new rules, censoring items of which it doesn't approve. Now if the censoring is arbitrary, is enforced too much, and is enforced in such a way that the reviewers don't feel they have any say in the matter, then the plan is bound to backfire. The reviewers, instead of being cowed by the enforcement, will struggle against it. It's on the wrong side of the upside-down U curve (SPOILERS if I say any more). The situation is even worse (for the website purchaser) if the reviewers have had difficulties that have strengthened their resolve... such people tend to be the sort that don't care if they ruffle feathers, for they have already survived worse. These are the people who could do things like defeat cancer... or organize an anti-censorship guerilla campaign. It is so difficult to defeat a guerilla force, no matter how much strength the big force seems to have.
Everything that the author actually talks about is all tied together in a really well-woven way, much like his previous books. I'll continue to read everything he writes.
I don't really want to give away what the author talks about, so instead I'll write about a situation that he didn't analyze and attempt to apply some of the points to this fictional example. Let's say that a group of independent-thinking readers had a website that they poured time and effort into making a wonderful collection of book reviews. Imagine that the site was then sold. The parent company could choose to flex its muscle and enforce some new rules, censoring items of which it doesn't approve. Now if the censoring is arbitrary, is enforced too much, and is enforced in such a way that the reviewers don't feel they have any say in the matter, then the plan is bound to backfire. The reviewers, instead of being cowed by the enforcement, will struggle against it. It's on the wrong side of the upside-down U curve (SPOILERS if I say any more). The situation is even worse (for the website purchaser) if the reviewers have had difficulties that have strengthened their resolve... such people tend to be the sort that don't care if they ruffle feathers, for they have already survived worse. These are the people who could do things like defeat cancer... or organize an anti-censorship guerilla campaign. It is so difficult to defeat a guerilla force, no matter how much strength the big force seems to have.
Everything that the author actually talks about is all tied together in a really well-woven way, much like his previous books. I'll continue to read everything he writes.