Andrew

Blink

Blink is one of the most popular nonfiction novels in the country. The book isn’t some harrowing tale of real-world adventure, or even insightful self-help; the majority of the book consists of long stories and statistics. What is it about Malcolm Gladwell’s writing that entrances people about charts and anecdotes? The answer is in his writing.

Before we can look at what Malcolm does, we first have to understand who reads it. Malcolm’s readers are looking for a book that gives inspiration, guidance, or in Blink’s case; a book that speaks on human potential. Blink is all about thin-slicing, that quick glance, the first impression, that sets in stone our impression of an experience. In the book, Malcolm shows how we all have this superpower of perception. That is what draws people in to listen. Malcolm’s audience—in a marvelous trick of rhetoric—reads Blink with a certain exigence, trying to unlock the secret of snap-judgment as seen in the book. Having an alluring topic isn’t enough to build a good book.

Having an alluring topic isn’t enough to build a good book. The way the message in Blink is told really makes this book what it is. Blink is about thin slicing, but you read the book as a series of short stories. The structure of the novel makes it seem like the chapters are unrelated, yet the whole book just… flows. Malcolm’s style of writing is smart, efficient, and even conversational. The book is chock full of statistics but because Malcolm is a great communicator, his complex message is broken into something a little easier to chew. Reading Blink makes you feel smart, and that isn’t far from the truth. Malcolm’s writing takes something intrinsically complex and let’s any layman really understand it. That is the magic of Blink, and why people love it.

Blink is heralded as a great example of nonfiction writing. The novel is smart, complex, and somehow manages to be an easy read. Critics for Blink aren’t that hard to find. Despite Malcolm’s brilliant examples, many believe that we shouldn’t put so much stock into thin slicing. The biggest argument is that careful analysis is right more often than first impressions. Even Malcolm’s examples have scenarios where a first impression is right but careful analysis proves it. Whatever side of the fence you are on; Blink is a masterpiece of nonfiction writing. Despite its faults, it still manages to speak on a truly fascinating topic: human potential. Only good rhetoric can help explain something as fast as the blink of an eye.