'Blink' of an eye

When I heard about this book from a friend, I wasn’t too sure what kind of a book it would be. Couple of months later, I spotted it in my collage library and was tempted to pick it up and I sure am glad I did.

Now I wouldn’t exactly term it as philosophical, neither would I call it a self-help book. The cover of the book says absolutely nothing; it just says BLINK by Malcolm Gladwell. And it’s only when you read the first few pages do you realize how simple and interesting it is.

A book that talks about ''how in the blink of an eye, we create opinions, make judgments'' and how at times that judgment is what we must rely on and at times it even deceives us. The examples and instances given are out of the world and make you think and wonder about all that happens around you. From the minute you put the book down you start assessing the concept of ''blink'' in everything you do, when you meet someone for the first time, when you go for an interview and are unable to decide, when someone passes a comment about something or someone.

Malcolm Gladwell explores the experience of making quick, impulsive decisions. There are those who are brilliant decisions makers who often make their judgement in the blink of an eye, and those who constantly fail at the same task. What makes the difference between the two and how do the successful decision makers instantly process the information that leads them down the right path? Gladwell introduces the concept of "thin-slicing," being able to filter the important information from a multitude of variables.

This is not a new concept or unheard of; just that Malcolm seems to have a way of putting it across in such an amazing manner that as you flip through the pages, you nod your head over and over again simply because you relate to what he is talking about.

Blink has received mostly positive reviews with the Portland Oregonian saying, "At the heart of his book is his passion for the idea that we can achieve a better world if we understand and adjust our modes of decision-making. It is at this level that Blink becomes a convincing and powerful book."

This book is a must read.