Slices of Blink

BLINK -- Sometimes it helps to try the ideas that authors write about because if they work for you, they must be worthwhile for a lot of other people as well. We test Malcolm Gladwell's theories about half-slicing moments of observation by dissecting Blink [ISBN 0316172324] with 18 teenagers. The idea is to see whether Blink survives the attention span of a well-disciplined Irish Transition Year student. If Gladwell passes the half-slice test, the book must be good. If he cannot hold the attention of at least 10 of the group, we don't order the hard cover for the college library.

Each student received a slice of Blink overnight. After reading a half-slice of Blink, they will make comments below about their experience.

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Malcolm Gladwell -- Blink ISBN 0316172324
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Comments

[julie carroll]

When I read chapter 4 concerning Van Riper, I thought that that lack of continuity in the selection gave few real values to the chapter. The sporadic use of metaphors became useless after a while and I would have preferred a stronger main theme and storyline.

[Siobhan]

Chapter 1 (Thin Slices) is about how it's possible to find out more about a person by just by looking at them or where they live than if you were to live with them for five years. It had tests done by a psychologist, John Gottman, that showed how you can tell if a couple is going to last as a couple or if a married couple is going to get divorced.

Some people that were tested in it were suprised to see that after watching themselves on a video done during the study they were a lot different than they originally thought.

[Amy McTigue]

I read chapter six. I found the layout was very subtle as it started with an example, analysed it and led its way back to conclude with the example it started with. I enjoyed the chapter but I found some of the medical terms used in relation to facial expressions slightly confusing!

[paddy murphy]

It was very interesting to read but the best part to me was about test to see if people act different afterwards without even knowing.

[sparki]

Chapter three was kind of weird in how the IAT test was so true. I automatically linked things like babies and children to female and family and I was slower to link them with the male and family catagory when the catagories changed!! I have never found myslf thinking like that before and it sort of scared me.