Blink

I made it through my doubleheader unscathed and error-free.

My sister read Blink last January while I was studying for the bar exam, and later said she used it to help me prepare. So, as I see it, I have Malcolm Gladwell to thank in part for becoming licensed.

I'll have to ask her to be sure, but I think my sister was subjecting me to the practice of priming each morning of the exam. She'd ask me to name 5 characteristics in various, slightly off-topic situations. She'd have me thinking about the law but not the exam.

What I found fascinating about the book, aside from its contents, was the mystery of how Mr. Gladwell got in touch with all these people who provide the perfect examples for his theories. For example, there's a tennis coach, Vic Braden, who intuitively knows when a player will double fault while serving. His story is perfect for the book, but how did Mr. Gladwell find out about him? It's unlikely that Mr. Gladwell was looking for insightful predictors in the world of tennis. My guess is that he developed a theme about the mind's ability to make instant perceptions with startling accuracy, and then went to his army of connectors to find the experts who could illustrate this idea.

Next up for consumption: Take the Cannoli by Sarah Vowell.