Book Review - Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
Our Review of Malcolm Gladwell's Current Book Blink
In his latest book Blink, Malcalm Gladwell the author of The Tipping Point looks at the unconscious machinery behind succsesful descition making. He argues that in many cases our gut feelings are the ones to go with as they often prove more reliable than taking a considered approach.
Gladwell uses the experience of the Getty Museum in New York to illustrate his thesis, the Getty were in the process of procuring an ancient Greek staue-a Kouros valued at $10,000,000.
After 14 months the getty experts declared the statue to be genuine and the sale went ahead, only for an art historian by the name of Federico Zeri to declare it a fake upon seeing it for the first time. This response was also shared by other art historians.
The Kouros was indeed proven to be a fake, done in the 1980,s . The immediate reactions of the experts had been more accurate than 14 months of scientific research.
Gladwell basicly states that we are able to make sound judgements based on our immediate reactions, a process he calls thin slicing and that this is a skill we can develop.
The book is a thought provoking and interesting look at the how effective our snap judjemnts can be.
