What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures

This is a fine collection of Malcolm Gladwell's previous articles which appeared in "New Yorker" magazine. They cover things like: 1. Pitchmen, specifically Ron Popeil and the marriage of the message (Vegematic, Rotisserie) and the medium (TV). 2. Ketchup, why there is essentially only one kind of ketchup (hits 5 fundamental tastes together - salty, sweet, sour, bitter and umami, the full bodied taste like in chicken soup) and one brand - Heinz (hits an 'amplitude' like Coke and Pepsi). 3. Nassem Taleb of 'Black Swan' fame. Investors don't behave with statistical orderliness - they change their minds. Random, unexpected events can sweep the markets like the Russian government defaulting on its bonds caused LTCM hedge fund to collapse causing panic to spread. So, his strategy is to ignore minor changes in the market and bet on big changes which will come unexpectantly but where really big profit is. 4. Hair Dye - Shirley Polikoff of Clairol's 'Nice n' Easy' with her 'Does she or doesn't she (translated from Yiddish), only her hairdresser knows for sure' and Ilon Specht of L'Oreal's 'I'm worth it' were the first stirrings of the feminism movement. Led to motivational research - like tying curing 'The Blahs' to Alka Seltzer. 5. John Rock's error marketing the birth control pill as preventing conception rather than reducing the risk of cancer - less menstruations, ovulations like in older times because women had less due to more children, breastfeeding, etc. 6. What the dog saw - unlike almost all animals a dog is a student of human movement - they look to you and other dog owners for help rather than judging other dogs. They judge the way a human body moves - forward or backward, face - relaxed or not, leash - tight or not. 7. Enron - was a 'mystery' not a 'puzzle' - requies a lot of analysis not just uncovering some missing pieces of information - it was the way the information could be interpreted. Whereas, 'Watergate' was a puzzle which 'Deep Throat' supplied the missing pieces of information. 8. Picture problem - Desert Storm equipment showed Scuds, but enemy used decoys to look like Scuds. Mammograms - approx 10k xrays only saved 3 lives, human finger more sensitive than expensive technology. 9. Plagiarism - courts too strict, old words in service of new ideas are no problem. 10. Connecting the dots - 1973 Israel war, other countries' mobilizations warned of imminent attck, but this was a common practice, hence not an error by Israel to ignore the mobilizations. A second piece of intelligence was needed - why different this time. 'Constructive Rivalry' needed, like with FDR and the Great Depression to have lots of competing opinions because so many factors caused the mess. FBI (law enforcement focuses on one case) whereas CIA (lots of situations) - need both perspecitives, not that they should always agree. 11. The art of failure - Choke, explicit learning overtakes implicit (like with some tennis players, golfers), whereas Panic is where thinking too little is the cause. JFK, Jr's plane crash was panic because he wasn't trained enough in instrument flying. 'Stereotype threat' like when some Blacks perform worse than should on some tests is a choke, not always a function of less knowledge (implicit) but fear of stereotype (explicit). 12. Blow-up - Challenger, Three Mile Island - complicated events - people did what was expected - 'normal' accidents, not screwups. 13. Late Bloomers, Most lkiely to succeed - value-added analysis necessary - teachers are more important than the schools and test scores, graduate degrees and certifications are not great predictors of teaching talent. Same with NFL quarterbacks - can't judge by college record or even specific tests. Good example are financial advisors - only requirement is college degree - companies know it is important to get as many candidates as possible - the same should be for teacher requirements. 14. Dangerous minds - serial killer can be categorized as organized or disorganized, but really more complicated - it is more likely a mixture. 15. The talent myth - assumes people make organizations successful, but really it is the other way around. 16. The Newboy Network - job interviews are a minefield in evaluating potential talent. Overall, the book is a fun read with lots of things to think about.

Malcolm Gladwell has written four thought-provoking books on the human condition and related to practical subjects and topics but what has been different about his perspectives is that he has included in the equation a critical eye within a case study approach. And he himself can be topic of discussion, especially with What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures. The book may be a retrospective of his past writings that were published in The New Yorker in 1996 and to 2008. If one has not read or come across any of the articles, they are a very insightful collection. Gladwell kindly explains in the preface of the book of his purpose for offering readers a glimpse of what he has written in the past decade. And with over 400 pages of enlightening essays in the Gladwell tradition, he takes an idea and he runs with it with a slew of intellectual curiosity that moves into various directions in the process that is not locked into one particular topic; most of what he writes about spans from education, politics, social, economic, cultural, and historical frameworks. But he knows exactly where his thoughts will eventually land with his clear goals explained within the beginning of the book that focuses on: people and their efforts and not necessarily larger than life individuals but the average person that happened to make remarkable results in something they have achieved such as Ron Popeil and his Chop-O-Matic, Devoted to theories, ways of organizing experience, and Predictions we make about people. It is these main factors that relate to understanding outcomes that are not necessarily final in terms of interpretation, and many times before Gladwell has proven that fact in his previous books. And when he probes, he uses a part of his early education and skills as a lawyer and blends it with his journalistic inquiries of critical thinking. All of the chapters show the immense curiosity and a-ha or wait a minute, let me think about that moments. The chapter Something Borrowed is one of several examples, he discusses creativity but makes one question, was the idea original? One of the enticing part of the chapter spoke of memorable classic rock songs from bands such as Led Zeppelin versus a Muddy Water’s song that may have been influenced by lyrics and chords, this topic and another topic in the chapter that held close to home for Gladwell pertaining to the Broadway play “Frozen” and the possibility that the story may have been copied from one of his early articles; purely Gladwell where he has taken what appears to be two completely different topics but he brings them congruently parallel in the conclusion. What the Dog Saw never disappoints for readers that have grown accustomed to Gladwell’s writings. Two points that one may consider before reading the book, the interesting part about the book is that it provides first-time readers a sample of his writing, and second, it clearly shows how far he has come but continues to move forward in his perspectives that is open to new ideas. But one recommendation, if one has not already read his previous books, it is highly encouraged.

I've never read a Gladwell's book, but this one is so original and never boring that I found myself in the position of buying all of his production . Try it.

Leí "The tipping point" y "Outliers" y me gustaron mucho pero este me ha decepcionado. El primer capítulo sobre las máquinas de cortar repollo es tedioso y aburrido. No lo terminé y salté al siguiente con el que ocurrió lo mismo. Lástima que no puedan devolverme mi dinero.

For readers interested in subtle insights this book is a feast. Gladwell looks at issues you may have had your own experience with, like Enron or Ketchup. He starts at the obvious, the published story, the well known "facts" you are familiar with and then proceeds to reveal more and more information, different perspective and real (scientific) correlations you probably are not aware at all. Finally you find out, that a well established public opinion is just a made up story, concocted by some spin doctors and spread by the mass media. Don't look for advice in this book. Gladwell just shows you a different, more differentiated picture. He did the searching for background information and scientific evidence for you. He presents the elements and their interrelation. Gladwell never tells you, what to think or how to act. Intelligent readers who prefer to think for themselves love such stuff for thought. It broadens ones mindset. Great book. Highly recommended!

So many interesting stories are covered in this book. I have shared the stories i read in this book for years to come

What the Dog Saw is a compendium of essays previously published in The New Yorker and it might be shortly described as a user's manual for better understanding of the mechanisms governing the world we live in. The big diversity of subjects is enhancing the global quality of the reading, as every new story leads us into a different environment, thus keeping us alert and curious until the last page is turned. And then if you start searching for more titles, books and conferences of the same author, as I did, it should not take you too much time to become one of his fans.