Spring Break
'Blink' will shift your thinking
Joshua Estes
Issue date: 9/15/08 Section: Entertainment
Blink: 300-400 milliseconds have passed and all the information needed to asses a situation, relationship, or object has been gathered.
Malcolm Gladwell uses his book "Blink" as a medium to describe the human ability of split second decisions. Gladwell does a remarkable job at shedding a brilliant light and better marketing others research for more public interest.
The introduction "The Statue That Didn't Look Right" grabs the reader in and teases them into craving the rest of the book. The introduction takes at the Getty Museum in California where a man is trying to sell the museum a sixth century BC statue with a $10 million dollar asking price. The museum spends the next fourteen months doing a wide array of high-tech checks to the statue to make sure it is an authentic kouros. The museum determines the statue is authentic and then purchases it.
However, when Italian art historian Fedrico Zeri looked at the statue he knew instantly that something wasn't right and that it was a fake. Evelyn Harrison an expert on Greek sculptures saw the statue in the Getty and also noticed how something was off about it upon first glance. Then Thomas having saw the statue and remarked on it being "fresh", a terrible and unsettling way for a sixth century statue to be described.
Upon all the skepticism the statue was put through more tests and finally it was determined to be a fraud. The "kouros" was actually a 1980's mock up created by forgers in Italy. Proving how the tests were incorrect, and the split second decisions made by the people who deal with ancient art work constantly to be correct.
Gladwell is already an acclaimed writer for his book "The Tipping Point", an influential piece on how the small things can carry huge weight. Gladwell paints up his new master piece "Blink" with examples and tests that show the power of split second thinking. The book shows how a marriage can be determined to last or die based off thin slicing a few minute conversation. Psychologist John Gottman uses his thin slicing technique and out of over 3,000 couples can tell within 95% accuracy if the couple will last or not.
The book provides tons of example and lessons on split second thinking. It is a life altering book that will change the way one looks at life. A must read.
Gladwell's novel is perfect for today's busy life style where we don't always have time to over analyze things, and therefore proves that it generally is best to trust ones gut reaction. Gladwell's book is full of interesting and amazing examples and experiments that point out how split decision making and the speed of the human brain to make a decision is often faster and more incredible then most people realize. After reading "Blink" a person will think twice before second guessing they're sweaty palms or "this doesn't seem right" reactions.
Malcolm Gladwell uses his book "Blink" as a medium to describe the human ability of split second decisions. Gladwell does a remarkable job at shedding a brilliant light and better marketing others research for more public interest.
The introduction "The Statue That Didn't Look Right" grabs the reader in and teases them into craving the rest of the book. The introduction takes at the Getty Museum in California where a man is trying to sell the museum a sixth century BC statue with a $10 million dollar asking price. The museum spends the next fourteen months doing a wide array of high-tech checks to the statue to make sure it is an authentic kouros. The museum determines the statue is authentic and then purchases it.
However, when Italian art historian Fedrico Zeri looked at the statue he knew instantly that something wasn't right and that it was a fake. Evelyn Harrison an expert on Greek sculptures saw the statue in the Getty and also noticed how something was off about it upon first glance. Then Thomas having saw the statue and remarked on it being "fresh", a terrible and unsettling way for a sixth century statue to be described.
Upon all the skepticism the statue was put through more tests and finally it was determined to be a fraud. The "kouros" was actually a 1980's mock up created by forgers in Italy. Proving how the tests were incorrect, and the split second decisions made by the people who deal with ancient art work constantly to be correct.
Gladwell is already an acclaimed writer for his book "The Tipping Point", an influential piece on how the small things can carry huge weight. Gladwell paints up his new master piece "Blink" with examples and tests that show the power of split second thinking. The book shows how a marriage can be determined to last or die based off thin slicing a few minute conversation. Psychologist John Gottman uses his thin slicing technique and out of over 3,000 couples can tell within 95% accuracy if the couple will last or not.
The book provides tons of example and lessons on split second thinking. It is a life altering book that will change the way one looks at life. A must read.
Gladwell's novel is perfect for today's busy life style where we don't always have time to over analyze things, and therefore proves that it generally is best to trust ones gut reaction. Gladwell's book is full of interesting and amazing examples and experiments that point out how split decision making and the speed of the human brain to make a decision is often faster and more incredible then most people realize. After reading "Blink" a person will think twice before second guessing they're sweaty palms or "this doesn't seem right" reactions.
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