The difference between successful organizations is not between the business and the social sector, the
difference is between good organizations and great ones.
Customer Reviews:
Thought-provoking for non-profits.......2007-09-06
A friend mentioned Good to Great in a sermon and I thought it might be a worthwhile read for me as the executive director of a non-profit association facing the challenge of how take the organization to the next level.
I found the book fascinating and will share it with my Board of Directors as a roadmap for how we will move our organization from good to great.
The monograph provides a great overview of the concepts developed in the book and is of a very manageable length.
I would strongly recommend it to leaders of non-profits as a basis for a conversation about their organization making the great leap forward.
A must read for anyone in a leadership position.......2007-09-05
This is a great companion for Jim Collins, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't for anyone that works in the social sector. As an assistant principal in a large, suburban high school, this book helped to bring into focus the principles reviewed in Good to Great.
Great Principles make for Great Outcomes.......2007-09-04
The social sector does not need to be more business like; it needs to implement more great business principles tailored for the social entities economic engine - so says Collins in this 35 page, add-on for a future "Good to Great" update. In addition to tailoring some of the Great principles
* Define Great by calibrating success without business (monetary) metrics
* Lead thru a blend of personal humility and professional will to get things done within a diffuse power structure
* Get high quality people with a personal commitment to the cause on-board the bus
* Find the intersection of the social entity's Passion, Best at, and its Resource Engine
* Build brand recognition
to the specifics of the social entity, Collins suggests that the leadership principle of managing within a diffuse power structure is something for the business sector to learn; as business executives do not have the same concentration of pure executive power they once enjoyed.
All in, a useful bit of thinking for those in a not-for-profit enterprise, as well as for business leaders who like to look at organizational effectiveness from different perspectives. Dennis DeWilde, author of The Performance Connection
Good to GREAT.......2007-08-10
Jim Collins is always spot on. The insights he presents are presented with such clarity and ease of reading that I look forward to anything he does. I use it as a key part of the extensive Strategic Visioning work I do. While I enjoy all of his work, being in the social service sector, I can personally and professionally validate this offering with enthusiasm.
Book review of Good to Great.......2007-06-30
I thought the book was awesome. The concepts of how to become a Great Leader was quite helpful. These are concepts that I'll use to try and move my organization "From Good to Great.
Book Description
The astonishing, uplifting story of a real-life Indiana Jones and his humanitarian campaign to use education to combat terrorism in the Taliban's backyard
Anyone who despairs of the individual's power to change lives has to read the story of Greg Mortenson, a homeless mountaineer who, following a 1993 climb of Pakistan's treacherous K2, was inspired by a chance encounter with impoverished mountain villagers and promised to build them a school. Over the next decade he built fifty-five schools—especially for girls—that offer a balanced education in one of the most isolated and dangerous regions on earth. As it chronicles Mortenson's quest, which has brought him into conflict with both enraged Islamists and uncomprehending Americans, Three Cups of Tea combines adventure with a celebration of the humanitarian spirit.
Customer Reviews:
Wow.......2007-10-07
Simply the most moving story I have ever read. This will renew your faith in humanity.
This is a life changing book.......2007-10-06
I have recommended (and given) this book to many of my friends and all three of my book clubs. Some people found the beginning a little tedious but I did not. I enjoyed the background material and have decided that, when I grow up (I'm already 52), I want to be Greg Mortenson. I admire him and think his wife must be a saint. I learned a lot, and more importantly, felt a lot while reading this book. It is very inspiring. As Americans, we have so much to learn before we offer to help.
Pass it on!.......2007-10-05
Three Cups of Tea is an outstanding and inspiring story. It is the true story of a mountain climber who finds a village in Pakistan and sets out to create positive change in one of the most remote areas of the world. Helping poor communities build self sufficient schools is the peaceful way to fight terrorism in our world today. Read this book and be inspired.
hope for this earth.......2007-10-05
I hope that people around the world will read this book and realize what one person can do to help create more educated and hopefully more peaceful citizens. If Americans support this educational effort now, I believe our grandchildren will reap great rewards. This book has made a difference in my focus.
A must read - for parents and teachers!.......2007-10-05
I was skeptical at first, but I could hardly put this book down. I was sneaking in pages at every chance I got. I finished the book in just a few days. It is powerful and motivating book. It makes me value what I have and at the same time strive to serve a part of the world I had practically ignored. I am buying copies for my friends.
My only critique is that I wish it came with a map, with dots at all the schools. The author wrote about this school map in his head - and it helped him feel less alone.
Amazon.com
Are you just another AFC ("average frustrated chump") trying to meet an HB ("hot babe")? How would you like to "full-close" with a Penthouse Pet of the Year? The answers, my friend, are in Neil Strauss's entertaining book The Game. Strauss was a self-described chick repellant--complete with large, bumpy nose, small, beady eyes, glasses, balding head, and, worst of all, painful shyness around women. He felt like "half a man." That is, until a book editor asked him to investigate the community of pickup artists. Strauss's life was transformed. He spent two years bedding some fine chiquitas and studying with some of the North America's most suave gents--including the best of them all, the God of the pickup "community," a man named Mystery.
Mystery is an aspiring Toronto magician who charges $2,250 for a weekend pickup workshop. He is not much to look at: a cross between a vampire and a computer geek. But by using high-powered marketing techniques he's turned seduction into an effortless craft--even inventing his own vocabulary. His technique sounds like a car salesman's tip sheet: his main rule is FMAC--find, meet, attract, close. He employs the "three-second rule"--always approach a woman within three seconds of first seeing her in order to avoid getting shy. Other tricks: Intrigue a beautiful woman by pretending to be unaffected by her charm; also, never hit on a woman right away. Start with a disarming, innocent remark, like "Do you think magic spells work?" or "Oh my god, did you see those two girls fighting outside?" And finally, the most important characteristic of the pickup artist--smile.
After two years, Strauss ends up becoming almost as successful as Mystery, but he comes to an important realization. His techniques were actually off-putting to the woman he ended up falling in love with. And they never prepared him for actually having a relationship. After a while, he ran out of one-liners and had to have a real conversation. Still, The Game is a great read that may help some AFCs come out of their shells. --Alex Roslin
Book Description
Hidden somewhere, in nearly every major city in the world, is an underground seduction lair. And in these lairs, men trade the most devastatingly effective techniques ever invented to charm women. This is not fiction. These men really exist. They live together in houses known as Projects. And Neil Strauss, the bestselling author, spent two years living among them, using the pseudonym Style to protect his real-life identity. The result is one of the most explosive and controversial books of the year -- guaranteed to change the lives of men and transform the way women understand the opposite sex forever.
On his journey from AFC (average frustrated chump) to PUA (pick-up artist) to PUG (pick-up guru), Strauss not only shares scores of original seduction techniques but also has unforgettable encounters with the likes of Tom Cruise, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Heidi Fleiss, and Courtney Love. And then things really start to get strange -- and passions lead to betrayals lead to violence.
The Game is the story of one man's transformation from frog to prince -- to prisoner in the most unforgettable book of the year.
Customer Reviews:
A Fantastic Entertaining read!.......2007-10-08
This was one of the most fascinating and entertaining books I've ever read. Besides getting an inside look at the society of pick-up artists, I gained some interesting insight into human psychology. It's written in a wonderful narrative, story style which made it hard to put down.
It is a must read, whether you're interested in learning about how to pick up women or you're just wanting to read a great true story.
I highly recommend it!
Not a pickup guide - but worth the read.......2007-10-06
I recently purchased this book after reading the many favorable reviews on Amazon.com.
First off, this isn't a "how to pick up girls" book, though the process is covered in some depth. Instead, it is a story of a man's search for himself and purpose in life by learning the techniques of the master pickup artists. Sound shallow? I thought so too until I began to read some more.
What starts as an innocent enough goal (to be more successful with women) ends up becoming an obsession for the author, who is short, balding, and not generally considered to be attractive. Neil Strauss (who goes by the name "Style") makes the slow but steady transition from AFC (average, frustrated chump) to mPUA (master pickup artist).
As a single man in his late 20's, I can easily identify with the author's initial challenges. Approaching a beautiful woman is an intimidating prospect, especially for men with low self-esteem - nevermind that they have no idea what to say. However, under the wings of the mPUA Mystery, Style comes into his own and seems to have no problem picking up any woman he sets his eyes on.
Along his journey, the reader is introduced to a variety of strange characters, from pickup wannabees to psychotic women.
The book is great for anyone - men or women, who would like a glimpse of the pickup community.
One of the best.......2007-10-05
I've read a bunch of these books on how to meet women and usually I don't bother to write a review - they are so bad. I read The Mystery Method: How to Get Beautiful Women Into Bed and thought it was good. In hindsight it would have been better to read The Game first. It just seems like the books fit better together that way and you should definitely read both. The story in this book is what makes it worth while. Forget the advice; you'll get all that from TMM and more but this book is the story and that makes it all the better, as you get to see the techniques in use. Perhaps the best point in the book is "Juggler was right; humor is the best way to get women." That is an interesting point because while both books talk about confidence and humor and while Juggler and some other guys have it, most of the other guys, including the author himself, don't really develop it - they just rely on all kinds of lines and schemes to impress women. To that end along with this book you must read God Is a Woman: Dating Disasters, which is by a comedian and which does include lots of in-depth pointers on building real confidence and humor. Without a doubt, these are the three books to read on women and I truly appreciate these guys putting their embarrassing moments out there for the rest of us to learn from.
worth it's weight in gold.......2007-10-05
"They treat women as the enemy. And we're not, I swear!" wrote a female reviewer. As its title 'The Game' implies, Neil Strauss does not describe men and women as enemies at war, but as players on opposite sides of the same game. And most men happen to be ill-prepared to play this game as well as their female opponents. Unfortunately, this game can turn serious at any given moment.
At the very least, most guys who were raised by single moms and men who had sweet doormats as fathers are doomed in their relationships with women. The average wussboy got to be very lucky or he'll end up in the gutter, emotionally and/or literally. For starters, thousands of men are paying child support for other men's children. Hard evidence of DNA tests may be on the guy's side, gold-digging chicks and the "law" may not be his friends at all. Here we are at war indeed, aren't we?
Alas, you don't need children to be taken for the ride of your lifetime by a nice and friendly girl. Ask Paul McCartney. On your first date with the most lovely, intelligent, and witty lady you have ever met you better be aware of possibly flirting with your worst nightmare you may never recover from for the rest of your days. Material that allows men to approach women with a healthy dosage of emotional detachment is worth it's weight in gold. 'The Game' qualifies many times over.
Falling in love head over heals is--and always has been--reserved for the ultimate sucker, and perhaps Neil's book prevents the worst cases of loving idiocy and bankruptcy. Feeling confident and free to meet as many women as they wish permits guys to find the needle in the haystack. The first girl who is willing to sleep with a man is not likely to be his best bet. Duh. After meeting 80 or two hundred women, he may be better equipped to pick and choose.
So many men are scared to death to even talk to a woman. 'The Game' teaches how to defuse potential land mines every guy has stumbled over in the pre-relationship stage of male-female communication. Goodness, every woman who wants a real man as a life partner will appreciate that or she isn't worth having dinner with.
Last but not least, Neil Strauss' sense of humor makes for a grand experience of his unusual world.
Manipulation, date rape, shallowness.......2007-10-01
I can't even begin to describe the serious flaws in this book... I'm too lazy to make a detailed critique...
But I gave it one star instead of zero because, if you want to study logic and how to detect subtly and not so subtly flawed arguments, buy this book.
There are serious flaws in their methodology [ie, apparently their tricks work for all kinds of girls, as long as you only hit on traditionally-cute looking barflies... And manipulative techniques are emphasized as the determining factor, yet their workshops also teach teach non-manipulative self-improvement techniques which may also have been a determining factor], and this book should have been renamed The Mysogynist's Training Manual, because they basically teach how to manipulate women into sleeping with them
(Also, it's hard not to get affected at least temporarily by their messed up views of women)
I sold this book a long time ago, but should have burned it instead.
Average customer rating:
- Unbelievable In This Day and Age
- Real Life Horror
- No good ending here
- Lack of remorse in Oklahoma
- Had it been a work of fiction I would have given it 1 star...
|
The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town
John Grisham
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Legal System
| Government
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Penology
| Crime & Criminals
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
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Murder & Mayhem
| True Accounts
| Nonfiction
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| Books
True Crime
| True Accounts
| Nonfiction
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ASIN: 0385517238
Release Date: 2006-10-10 |
Amazon.com
John Grisham tackles nonfiction for the first time with The Innocent Man, a true tale about murder and injustice in a small town (that reads like one of his own bestselling novels). The Innocent Man chronicles the story of Ron Williamson, how he was arrested and charged with a crime he did not commit, how his case was (mis)handled and how an innocent man was sent to death row. Grisham's first work of nonfiction is shocking, disturbing, and enthralling--a must read for fiction and nonfiction fans. We had the opportunity to talk with John Grisham about the case and the book, read his responses below. --Daphne Durham
20 Second Interview: A Few Words with John Grisham
Q: After almost two decades of writing fiction, what compelled you to write non-fiction, particularly investigative journalism?
A: I was never tempted to write non-fiction, primarily because it's too much work. However, obviously, I love a good legal thriller, and the story of Ron Williamson has all the elements of a great suspenseful story.
Q: Why this case?
A: Ron Williamson and I are about the same age and we both grew up in small towns in the south. We both dreamed of being major league baseball players. Ron had the talent, I did not. When he left a small town in 1971 to pursue his dreams of major league glory, many thought he would be the next Mickey Mantle, the next great one from the state of Oklahoma. The story of Ron ending up on Death Row and almost being executed for a murder he did not commit was simply too good to pass up.
Q: How did you go about your research?
A: I started with his family. Ron is survived by two sisters who took care of him for most of his life. They gave me complete access to the family records, photographs, Ron's mental health records, and so on. There was also a truckload of trial transcripts, depositions, appeals, etc., that took about 18 months to organize and review. Many of the characters in the story are still alive and I traveled to Oklahoma countless times to interview them.
Q: Did your training as a lawyer help you?
A: Very much so. It enabled me to understand the legal issues involved in Ron's trial and his appeals. It also allowed me, as it always does, to be able to speak the language with lawyers and judges.
Q: Throughout your book you mention, The Dreams of Ada: A True Story of Murder, Obsession, and a Small Town. How did you come across that book, and how did it impact your writing The Innocent Man?
A: Several of the people in Oklahoma I met mentioned The Dreams of Ada to me, and I read it early on in the process. It is an astounding book, a great example of true crime writing, and I relied upon it heavily during my research. Robert Mayer, the author, was completely cooperative, and kept meticulous notes from his research 20 years earlier. Many of the same characters are involved in his story and mine.
Q: You take on some pretty controversial and heated topics in your book--the death penalty, prisoner's rights, DNA analysis, police conduct, and more--were any of your own beliefs challenged by this story and its outcome?
A: None were challenged, but my eyes were open to the world of wrongful convictions. Even as a former criminal defense attorney, I had never spent much time worrying about wrongful convictions. But, unfortunately, they happen all the time in this country, and with increasing frequency.
Q: So many of the key players in this case are either still in office or practicing attorneys. Many family members and friends still live in the same small town. How do you think The Innocent Man will impact this community and other small rural towns as they struggle with the realities of the justice system?
A: Exonerations seem to be happening weekly. And with each one of them, the question is asked--how can an innocent man be convicted and kept in prison for 20 years? My book is the story of only one man, but it is a good example of how things can go terribly wrong with our judicial system. I have no idea how the book will be received in the small town of Ada, Oklahoma, or any other town.
Q: What do you hope your readers will take away from The Innocent Man?
A: A better understanding of how innocent people can be convicted, and a greater concern for the need to reimburse and rehabilitate innocent men after they have been released.
Book Description
John Grisham’s first work of nonfiction, an exploration of small town justice gone terribly awry, is his most extraordinary legal thriller yet.
In the major league draft of 1971, the first player chosen from the State of Oklahoma was Ron Williamson. When he signed with the Oakland A’s, he said goodbye to his hometown of Ada and left to pursue his dreams of big league glory.
Six years later he was back, his dreams broken by a bad arm and bad habits—drinking, drugs, and women. He began to show signs of mental illness. Unable to keep a job, he moved in with his mother and slept twenty hours a day on her sofa.
In 1982, a 21-year-old cocktail waitress in Ada named Debra Sue Carter was raped and murdered, and for five years the police could not solve the crime. For reasons that were never clear, they suspected Ron Williamson and his friend Dennis Fritz. The two were finally arrested in 1987 and charged with capital murder.
With no physical evidence, the prosecution’s case was built on junk science and the testimony of jailhouse snitches and convicts. Dennis Fritz was found guilty and given a life sentence. Ron Williamson was sent to death row.
If you believe that in America you are innocent until proven guilty, this book will shock you. If you believe in the death penalty, this book will disturb you. If you believe the criminal justice system is fair, this book will infuriate you.
Customer Reviews:
Unbelievable In This Day and Age.......2007-09-30
I read this book thinking it had to be another Grisham work of fiction because if the story were true, America is in trouble.
This story is riveting, fast-paced and shows how truly horrible our justice system can be for those who can't afford a "Johnny Cochran".
I couldn't put this book down. The more you read the more you can't believe it really happened. Thank goodness for the pictures of the people in this story, it really brought home the fact that it's a true story.
Excellent job by Mr. Grisham.
Real Life Horror.......2007-09-29
"The Innocent Man" is a chronicle of Ron Williamson (former minor league baseball star), his life and ordeal as he was wrongly accused of murder and sentenced to death row as a result. He was forced to suffer this horror for 11 years until finally the system began to work for him, but only through the diligence and persistence of attorneys assigned to him years later, Mark Barrett and Barry Scheck, his loving mother and persistent sisters, in particular, his sister Annette. The cruelties and disrespect by the officers and District Attorney Bill Peterson that were inflected on him were horrifying. The shabby police work and "junk science," as well as the district attorney's expert witnesses (a majority of them picked from men and women serving time for horrendous crimes themselves) and brought to the stand to testify against Ron, was not only incomprehensible in itself but the fact that the Judge allowed their testimony to stand and control a man's life sentence is abominable. Ron's hometown of Ada, Oklahoma completely turned on him and he was proven guilty without a shred of hard evidence as was his friend, a respected 7th grade Science teacher, Dennis Fritz, merely by association. The book goes on to tell Ron's sad story as only it can be told by such an esteemed author/attorney as John Grisham. I would highly recommend everyone read this true story; it is a real eye opener as to how our justice system can go astray with the wrong people serving in our trusted government positions.
No good ending here.......2007-09-27
I seldom read Grisham but found his first non-fiction work hard to put down. The story of Ron Williamson has no happy ending. Not for Ron nor the young woman who was so brutually murdered.
Grisham does an excellent job of drawing us into the story. If you have never experienced justice (or lack of) in a small town you need to read this book. Had Ron lived in New York City or even Dallas he may have gone unnoticed wandering the streets and babbling like a mad man. But not in Ada, OK.
Lack of remorse in Oklahoma.......2007-09-26
This story had a tremendous impact on me. I support the death penalty but was abhorred to see how flippantly it was applied in Ada Oklahoma. Read this book first and then log onto District Attorney Peterson's web site to read his defense of his actions that were the subject of the book. The first thing he displays on his website is the American flag. Then he has a lengthy and tedious defense of all the minor points in Grisham's novel. He provides statistics on the probability of innocent people being convicted of felonies as if this excuses him for almost sending an innocent person to his death. Peterson tries to blow off Grisham as an anti-death penalty advocate. I truly fear for the soul of Mr. Peterson and the good people of Ada Oklahoma - a bit of remorse and repentance for what they almost did to an innocent man would help them when they meet their Maker. Hiding behind the American flag might help now but certainly not later!
Had it been a work of fiction I would have given it 1 star..........2007-09-18
... but it's not. It only looks like fiction in bad taste. Instead, this truly happened as described.
I'm not summarizing the story as the editorial reviews and most reviewers before me are quite descriptive.
May I just say that I think that every judicial system has its share of faults and flaws, but what's revealed in this book is simply astonishing and unbelievable from beginning to end. I can only hope that it rattles a few consciences whilst increasing awareness to prevent disastrous consequences for those involved.
As it always happens when I read J. Grisham's books, I've appreciated and enjoyed the clear and well structured narrative, even more so on this occasion. Being a real-life story, I'm sure it must have been quite a task to extrapolate all the relevant facts from all the interviews and paperwork generated by this case during the years, in order to present them clearly to the readers.
Unless you already know the epilogue, try not to peek at the photographs published right in the middle of the book. Some are quite revealing for the yet-to-be-read rest of the story. They don't actually "spoil everything" -in fact, whatever unfolded after turning those pages kept me on the alert and as incredulous as ever- but I still think it would have been preferable to print them at the very end of the book.
A part from that, "The Innocent Man" is highly recommendable.
Amazon.com
"The best way to understand the dramatic transformation of unknown books into bestsellers, or the rise of teenage smoking, or the phenomena of word of mouth or any number of the other mysterious changes that mark everyday life," writes Malcolm Gladwell, "is to think of them as epidemics. Ideas and products and messages and behaviors spread just like viruses do." Although anyone familiar with the theory of memetics will recognize this concept, Gladwell's The Tipping Point has quite a few interesting twists on the subject.
For example, Paul Revere was able to galvanize the forces of resistance so effectively in part because he was what Gladwell calls a "Connector": he knew just about everybody, particularly the revolutionary leaders in each of the towns that he rode through. But Revere "wasn't just the man with the biggest Rolodex in colonial Boston," he was also a "Maven" who gathered extensive information about the British. He knew what was going on and he knew exactly whom to tell. The phenomenon continues to this day--think of how often you've received information in an e-mail message that had been forwarded at least half a dozen times before reaching you.
Gladwell develops these and other concepts (such as the "stickiness" of ideas or the effect of population size on information dispersal) through simple, clear explanations and entertainingly illustrative anecdotes, such as comparing the pedagogical methods of Sesame Street and Blue's Clues, or explaining why it would be even easier to play Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon with the actor Rod Steiger. Although some readers may find the transitional passages between chapters hold their hands a little too tightly, and Gladwell's closing invocation of the possibilities of social engineering sketchy, even chilling, The Tipping Point is one of the most effective books on science for a general audience in ages. It seems inevitable that "tipping point," like "future shock" or "chaos theory," will soon become one of those ideas that everybody knows--or at least knows by name. --Ron Hogan
Book Description
"The best way to understand the dramatic transformation of unknown books into bestsellers, or the rise of teenage smoking, or the phenomena of word of mouth or any number of the other mysterious changes that mark everyday life," writes Malcolm Gladwell, "is to think of them as epidemics. Ideas and products and messages and behaviors spread just like viruses do." Although anyone familiar with the theory of memetics will recognize this concept, Gladwell's The Tipping Point has quite a few interesting twists on the subject.For example, Paul Revere was able to galvanize the forces of resistance so effectively in part because he was what Gladwell calls a "Connector": he knew just about everybody, particularly the revolutionary leaders in each of the towns that he rode through. But Revere "wasn't just the man with the biggest Rolodex in colonial Boston," he was also a "Maven" who gathered extensive information about the British. He knew what was going on and he knew exactly whom to tell. The phenomenon continues to this day--think of how often you've received information in an e-mail message that had been forwarded at least half a dozen times before reaching you.Gladwell develops these and other concepts (such as the "stickiness" of ideas or the effect of population size on information dispersal) through simple, clear explanations and entertainingly illustrative anecdotes, such as comparing the pedagogical methods of Sesame Street and Blue's Clues, or explaining why it would be even easier to play Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon with the actor Rod Steiger. Although some readers may find the transitional passages between chapters hold their hands a little too tightly, and Gladwell's closing invocation of the possibilities of social engineering sketchy, even chilling, The Tipping Point is one of the most effective books on science for a general audience in ages. It seems inevitable that "tipping point," like "future shock" or "chaos theory," will soon become one of those ideas that everybody knows--or at least knows by name. --Ron Hogan
Customer Reviews:
A Paradigm Shift For Business and Life.......2007-10-05
This is one of the books that "skates to where the puck is going" instead of where the puck is at. A must for business and anyone studying the sociology of man.
Timothy KendrickPTSD: Pathways Through the Secret Door
Development of Trends!.......2007-10-02
This book presents an interesting thesis for the parameters under which a new trend is construed. The flu, for example, can be held in check for a long time without being an epidemic. But suddenly, once some threshold is crossed in terms of number of people infected, things get much worse very quickly. Gladwell's premise is that in addition to applying to viruses, this type of pattern is observed in many other situations. The book is filled with far-reaching examples, from the resurgence of Hush Puppies shoes to the popularity of Sesame Street to an epidemic of teen suicides in Micronesia.
Perhaps the most well-known example described is the rapid fall in crime levels in New York City in the mid-1990s. Murder rates fell by 64.3% in a five year period, with other types of violent crimes dropping by 50%. This happened after years of steady increase. Gladwell argues that the factors conventionally cited as causing the improvement (improved policing, declining crack use, and aging of the population) are not sufficient to explain the suddenness of the change. All three factors included gradual shifts in behavior, and yet the drop in crime occurred very rapidly. Gladwell makes a convincing argument that the police in New York put into place certain conditions that suddenly "tipped" the crime epidemic, sending crime rates into a decline.
So, what are the parameters of dramatic change?
Gladwell quotes the following three laws: -
1. The law of the few
2. The stickiness factor and;
3. The power of context
The law of the few says that there are exceptional people out there who are capable of starting `epidemics'. All you have to do is find them. The lesson of stickiness is the same. There is a simple way to package information that, under the right circumstances, can make it irresistible. All you have to do is find it. The lesson of the power of context is that we are more than just sensitive to changes in context; we are exquisitely sensitive to them - what really matters is the little things.
The book includes a collection of case studies. These include Paul Revere's ride, which alerted American colonists to activities of the British garrison and led to the War of Indepence and the success of New York in reducing crime by cleaning the subway cars.
He then explains the significance of the number 150. "The figure of 150 seems to represent the maximum number of individuals with whom we can have a genuinely social relationship, the kind of relationship that goes with knowing who they are and how they relate to you. At a bigger size you have to impose complicated hierarchies and rules and regulations and formal measures to try to command loyalty and cohesions. Below 150 it is possible to achieve the same goals informally. In smaller groups people are a lot closer. They're knit together, which is very important if you want to be effective and successful in community life. If you get too large, you don't have enough work in common."
The conclusion is that when groups or organizations reach 150 they should split and operate in smaller numbers, and he gives examples of organizations that have done this.
Although not intended as a management book, The Tipping Point
has many lessons for managers and organization development consultants.
The book in itself may be described as a tipping point.......2007-09-28
Why does a product suddenly become successful, whereas another does not? This is a good empirical question, and for me, one that is so original that I had not considered it hitherto. This book had been `on my reading list' for some time, having heard several recommendations for it. The ideas about what defines a `tipping point' are clearly defined and well explained, with products or examples that many can identify with.
The examples are the key. In essence, Gladwell describes a `tipping point' as the moment a good sales campaign becomes a phenomenon, and takes examples to illustrate the three salient items; it is contagious, little changes have big effects, and it is not something gradual, but extremely dynamic.
Gladwell takes these, and analyses them further, in his three laws. These concern the individuals involved, how `sticky' or contagious the idea / product is, and the context in which it is presented. Each is described in detail, with real people introduced (not `Bob' or `Sarah' but Mark Alpert and Tom Gau, being but individuals to illustrate the types of individuals).
The book is very readable, and it makes good common sense. Gradwell brings together lots of strands of research, and introduces some very appealable people. The people and situations are selective, but they had to be. They back up the basic premise of the author (no surprise there, then). But in total, the book has a roundness and totality about it.
Examples used are exclusively American, but so is Gradwell! He has also helped to bring rather dusty research into the mainstream of business life and collective consciousness. People now use the language of the research Gladwell describes to define when a product is becoming part of the mainstream of life. After the `Innovators' come, in order, `Early Adopters', the `Early Majority', the `Late Majority' and finally ` Laggards'.
The material is not new; the research in many cases was available before, and the market-place examples were there for all to see. Gladwell has distilled this into a little gem. I should have read it before. Reading it in 2007 will make a difference to the way that I see change. I may even be able to influence how change affects those in the circle around me, thinking back to the central core of `The Tipping Point'.
Peter Morgan (morganp@supanet.com)
Simple & Interesting.......2007-09-22
This is one of my "relaxing" books. Basically, I read things like this to chill out. It's a really quick, simple read. You can get some interesting facts, which make excellent conversation tid-bits. It's truly one of those rare books you just remember tons of little details from. The author admits he is using the research/work of other authors and organizations to write the book. He's not taking the credit for discovery of these facts. However, he is combining them in a new way. Complete originality? No, but entertaining nonetheless.
Loved it........2007-09-21
The information presented in The Tipping Point is not necessarily business/marketing related. In fact, it's more social commentary than anything else. While this is more an informational book than a strategic one anybody in the marketing industry should find this book extremely engaging as it has a lot to offer to those of us who want to learn more about how and why certain things happen in the marketing sphere.
The premise of The Tipping Point is that some things develop slowly over time but then suddenly reach a point where they take off . It can be a sudden surge or a sudden decline, depending on the circumstances. Whether it's a disease, information, a product, or anything else, there is a certain point where things suddenly change. A change that is outside of past projections and does not conform to the previous patterns. That's when they reach their "tipping point". Suddenly diseases become more widespread, information creates a furor, products skyrocket or decline in sales, etc.
Malcolm Gladwell takes us through a series of stories that show how trends are often created, both in society and in business. Sometimes these are the result of getting things to the right people at the right time, and sometimes they can be manufactured. It can even be a combination of the two. But one thing is for sure, to get something to "tip" whether it happens naturally or through a lot of research, it must be genuine. But as the sub-title suggests, tipping is rarely about doing big things, but doing small things well.
Several good examples are made in the real of marketing, specifically a history of Sesame Street and Blues Clues and why those shows have been as effective as they are. We also learn the anatomy of how and why certain things tip. This was one of the most fascinating reads I've had all year and, again, even though it's not directly a business book, it is certainly a book businesses can learn a thing or two from.
Book Description
The number one seller in the market, this mainstream marriage and family text combines a balanced scholarly and applied approach with a unique theme, "making choices in a diverse society" The text achieves an excellent balance between the sociological and ecological or family systems theoretical perspectives, while including coverage of family dynamics and interpersonal relationships. Lamanna and Riedmann's coverage offers insightful perspectives on diversity, including different ethnic traditions and marriage and family alternatives.
Customer Reviews:
Marriages & Families: Making Choices in a Diverse Society .......2007-09-16
this book is a course book,it has what I needed for the course,it was in excellent condition upon receipt. Thank you for your prompt service w/the delivery of this book
Interracial relationship data in book is biased.......2004-12-29
I study close relationships of all kinds regardless of race. I have noticed something troubling about books such as yours. I have noticed many texts are off base or one sided when discussing heterogamous or "interracial" relationships involving black men. Rather than present a balanced picture of heterogamous relationships within the black community, the authors of this text deliberately took a stance which casts a negative shadow on black men in heterogamous relationships even going so far as to quote an article in a popular magazine as a source. This is a text book. There's
Seeing Ourselves: Classic, Contemporary, and Cross-Cultural Readings in Sociology
Society: The Basics Study Guide
Mapping the Social Landscape: Readings in Sociology
Sociological Classics: A Prentice Hall Pocket Reader
Exploring Psychology
book.......2007-06-12
Q: How did writing a book that you knew would be read so closely by so many compare to writing your first book, when few people knew who you were?
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