Book Review: What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures by Malcolm Gladwell, 2009, Back Bay Books.

Cover of What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures

I distinctly remember the first book by Malcolm Gladwell. I hadn’t the slightest clue what to expect and as it turns out, I couldn’t have guessed. The next three books have made me a devoted reader of his works. What The Dog Saw doesn’t disappoint. It brings the usual mix of his human interest stories each with it’s own unique moral that challenges the way we solve problems individually and in the society.

He begins the book with a section on the varieties of what he calls minor genius and what makes certain people so good at what they do and why they consistently top their fields. He brings out odd reasons why they shine and helps us find their mistakes and how we can improve on such as in John Rock’s Error or imbibe their methods such as in Blowing Up.

The next session is on Theories, Predictions and Diagnoses. Here, Gladwell brings out the methods we generally use for solving our human problems and the assumptions that we inevitably make like the assumption that the more information we have, the more equipped we are to solve a problem. He also discusses some of our societal problems and arrives at the (now logical yet) startling conclusion that the solutions to these problems are not as easy and straightforward or even as moral as we like to assume. Let me state here that my personal favourite has to be Million Dollar Murray simply because the conclusion is so shocking.

Finally, he moves on to a section titled Personality, Character and Intelligence. This is my favourite section because he discusses the issues and myths we have about talents and intelligence and how they have shaped our world today in a way that least benefits us. If you’re sometimes slow on the uptake, like me, you’d perhaps take some comfort in some of the theories he puts forth.

In all, this is a good read and certainly worth it’s time. I’ll even give it a second over.

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Book Review: Failing Forward by John C. Maxwell, 2000, Thomas Nelson Publishers

…One question I used to hear was this: “If the possibility of failure were erased, what would you attempt to achieve?” That seemed to be an intriguing question and at the time it prompted me to look ahead to life’s possibilities. But one day I realized it was a really bad question because it took a person’s thinking down the wrong track. There is no achievement without failure and to imply that it might be possible gives people the wrong impression. So here’s a better question: “If your perception of and response to failure were changed, what would you attempt to achieve?”(Paraphrase mine)

-John C. Maxwell, Failing Forward

We are all inspired by the stories of achievers and how they rise from disadvantages and become superstars in their areas of endeavour. Somehow, we all recognise the common thread of adversity which they face and overcome before they hit it big time. Turning failures into strengths is not, however, a skill that can be taught merely by reading inspirational stories. Enter Failing Forward. In this well thought out volume. Dr. Maxwell has outlined the psyche of someone who can look failure in the eye and move on. It is highly recommended reading for all those who understand that life is full of adversity and are determined to make it anyway.

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Book Review: The Tipping Point: How little things can make a big difference by Malcolm Gladwell, 2000, First Back Bay International Edition.

Image by Bill McIntyre via Flickr

We are all, at heart, gradualists. Our expectations are set by the steady passage of time. But the world of the tipping point is a place where the unexpected becomes expected, where radical change is more than a possibility. It is, contrary to our expectations, a certainty.

-          Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point.

In this paperback volume, Malcolm Gladwell has extensively explored the concept of trends. Why do some behaviours and products catch on and assume epidemic proportions while some die off never seeing the light of day? The answer to this is more complex than may be initially thought.  A thoroughly researched volume, heavily backed by various scientific studies, the author points out several factors  which are largely responsible for social behaviours and life choices that people make.

There is so much to be said for the explanation of human behaviours found that it makes one think. Hailed as a terrifically rewarding read, it is truly a pleasure to read.

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Book Review: The Psychology of Selling by Brian Tracy, 2004, Nelson Business Publishers.

Fun Fact: Everyone is in the business of selling.

If this is true, why does the thought of it bring on dry mouths and sweaty palms? Brian Tracy writes from the point of view of someone who’s been there, done that and has come through it all. Dealing with the concept of sales as a method of customer satisfaction, he shows that sales is so much more than slick talk and reeling off presentations. He shows that there is more to the image of sales than the ‘hit-and-run’ and slick salespeople who have cheated us so much in the past.

Writing on such topics as Key Performance Areas, Customer Decision Factors, Creativeness and much more, he shows sales to be a systematic activity and not just a matter of chance.

Truly recommended for everyone – not just those in sales.

Coming Up: Stripped for Discovery.

Book Review: Success is Who You Are by Rev. Sam Adeyemi, 2008, Pneuma Publishing Ltd.

The number of definitions of success are as many as the number of people who define it but for so many it always – always has to do with the actions performed and goals achieved.

The book – Success is Who You Are sets itself apart from the pack by taking the definition of success a step further. Explaining the underlying principles of success from a viewpoint of being transformed into an inherently successful person, it gives tips for change that makes for sustainable success.

A highly reccomended read for all who are in need of something other than the parrot formulae so often found everywhere.

Coming up: Of smoked toads and donkeys.