Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking by Malcolm ...

Blink is a book about how we think without thinking, about choices that seem to be made in an instant—in the blink of an eye—that actually aren't as simple ... AnnouncingTheB&NChildren's & YABook Award ShortlistsExplore Now × Uh-oh,itlookslikeyourInternetExplorerisoutofdate. Forabettershoppingexperience,pleaseupgradenow. Home 1 Books 2 AddtoWishlist Thought-ProvokingBooks Hardcover-$26.99 Paperback-$16.99 NOOKBook-$11.99 Audiobook-$0.00 LargePrint-$30.00 AudioCD-$39.98 ViewAllAvailableFormats&Editions $16.99 $18.99 Save11% Currentpriceis$16.99,Originalpriceis$18.99.YouSave11%. Hardcover $26.99 Paperback $16.99 NOOKBook $11.99 Audiobook $26.98 $0.00 LargePrint $30.00 AudioCD $39.98 ViewAllAvailableFormats&Editions ShipThisItem— QualifiesforFreeShipping BuyOnline,PickupinStore CheckAvailabilityatNearbyStores SignintoPurchaseInstantly ChooseExpeditedShippingatcheckoutfordeliveryby Friday,April29 English 0316010669 16.99 InStock Overview Fromthe#1bestsellingauthorofTheBomberMafia,thelandmarkbookthathasrevolutionizedthewayweunderstandleadershipanddecisionmaking. InhisbreakthroughbestsellerTheTippingPoint,MalcolmGladwellredefinedhowweunderstandtheworldaroundus.Now,inBlink,herevolutionizesthewayweunderstandtheworldwithin. Blinkisabookabouthowwethinkwithoutthinking,aboutchoicesthatseemtobemadeinaninstant—intheblinkofaneye—thatactuallyaren'tassimpleastheyseem.Whyaresomepeoplebrilliantdecisionmakers,whileothersareconsistentlyinept?Whydosomepeoplefollowtheirinstinctsandwin,whileothersendupstumblingintoerror?Howdoourbrainsreallywork—intheoffice,intheclassroom,inthekitchen,andinthebedroom?Andwhyarethebestdecisionsoftenthosethatareimpossibletoexplaintoothers? InBlinkwemeetthepsychologistwhohaslearnedtopredictwhetheramarriagewilllast,basedonafewminutesofobservingacouple;thetenniscoachwhoknowswhenaplayerwilldouble-faultbeforetheracketevenmakescontactwiththeball;theantiquitiesexpertswhorecognizeafakeataglance.Here,too,aregreatfailuresof"blink":theelectionofWarrenHarding;"NewCoke";andtheshootingofAmadouDiallobypolice. Blinkrevealsthatgreatdecisionmakersaren'tthosewhoprocessthemostinformationorspendthemosttimedeliberating,butthosewhohaveperfectedtheartof"thin-slicing"—filteringtheveryfewfactorsthatmatterfromanoverwhelmingnumberofvariables. Relatedcollectionsandoffers Thought-ProvokingBooks ProductDetails AbouttheAuthor ReadanExcerpt ProductDetails ISBN-13: 9780316010665 Publisher: Little,BrownandCompany Publicationdate: 04/03/2007 Editiondescription: Reprint Pages: 320 Salesrank: 9,825 Productdimensions: 5.40(w)x8.10(h)x1.00(d) Lexile: 1100L(what'sthis?) AbouttheAuthor MalcolmGladwellistheauthoroffiveNewYorkTimesbestsellers:TheTippingPoint,Blink,Outliers,WhattheDogSaw,andDavidandGoliath.Heisalsotheco-founderofPushkinIndustries,anaudiocontentcompanythatproducesthepodcastsRevisionistHistory,whichreconsidersthingsbothoverlookedandmisunderstood,andBrokenRecord,wherehe,RickRubin,andBruceHeadlaminterviewmusiciansacrossawiderangeofgenres.GladwellhasbeenincludedintheTime100MostInfluentialPeoplelistandtoutedasoneofForeignPolicy'sTopGlobalThinkers. Hometown: NewYork,NY DateofBirth: September3,1963 PlaceofBirth: England,U.K. Education: UniversityofToronto,Historydegree,1984 ReadanExcerpt BlinkThePowerofThinkingWithoutThinkingByMalcolmGladwellLittle,BrownCopyright©2005MalcolmGladwellAllrightreserved.ISBN:0-316-17232-4ChapterOneTheTheoryofThinSlices:HowaLittleBitofKnowledgeGoesaLongWaySomeyearsago,ayoungcouplecametotheUniversityofWashingtontovisitthelaboratoryofapsychologistnamedJohnGottman.Theywereintheirtwenties,blondandblue-eyedwithstylishlytousledhaircutsandfunkyglasses.Later,someofthepeoplewhoworkedinthelabwouldsaytheywerethekindofcouplethatiseasytolike-intelligentandattractiveandfunnyinadroll,ironickindofway-andthatmuchisimmediatelyobviousfromthevideotapeGottmanmadeoftheirvisit.Thehusband,whomI'llcallBill,hadanendearinglyplayfulmanner.Hiswife,Susan,hadasharp,deadpanwit.Theywereledintoasmallroomonthesecondfloorofthenondescripttwo-storybuildingthathousedGottman'soperations,andtheysatdownaboutfivefeetapartontwoofficechairsmountedonraisedplatforms.Theybothhadelectrodesandsensorsclippedtotheirfingersandears,whichmeasuredthingsliketheirheartrate,howmuchtheyweresweating,andthetemperatureoftheirskin.Undertheirchairs,a"jiggle-o-meter"ontheplatformmeasuredhowmucheachofthemmovedaround.Twovideocameras,oneaimedateachperson,recordedeverythingtheysaidanddid.Forfifteenminutes,theywereleftalonewiththecamerasrolling,withinstructionstodiscussanytopicfromtheirmarriagethathadbecomeapointofcontention.ForBillandSueitwastheirdog.Theylivedinasmallapartmentandhadjustgottenaverylargepuppy.Billdidn'tlikethedog;Suedid.Forfifteenminutes,theydiscussedwhattheyoughttodoaboutit.ThevideotapeofBillandSue'sdiscussionseems,atleastatfirst,tobearandomsampleofaveryordinarykindofconversationthatcoupleshaveallthetime.Noonegetsangry.Therearenoscenes,nobreakdowns,noepiphanies."I'mjustnotadogperson"ishowBillstartsthingsoff,inaperfectlyreasonabletoneofvoice.Hecomplainsalittlebit-butaboutthedog,notaboutSusan.Shecomplains,too,buttherearealsomomentswhentheysimplyforgetthattheyaresupposedtobearguing.Whenthesubjectofwhetherthedogsmellscomesup,forexample,BillandSuebanterbackandforthhappily,bothwithahalfsmileontheirlips.Sue:Sweetie!She'snotsmelly...Bill:Didyousmellhertoday?Sue:Ismelledher.Shesmelledgood.Ipettedher,andmyhandsdidn'tstinkorfeeloily.Yourhandshaveneversmelledoily.Bill:Yes,sir.Sue:I'veneverletmydoggetoily.Bill:Yes,sir.She'sadog.Sue:Mydoghasnevergottenoily.You'dbetterbecareful.Bill:No,you'dbetterbecareful.Sue:No,you'dbetterbecareful....Don'tcallmydogoily,boy.1.TheLoveLabHowmuchdoyouthinkcanbelearnedaboutSueandBill'smarriagebywatchingthatfifteen-minutevideotape?Canwetelliftheirrelationshipishealthyorunhealthy?IsuspectthatmostofuswouldsaythatBillandSue'sdogtalkdoesn'ttellusmuch.It'smuchtooshort.Marriagesarebuffetedbymoreimportantthings,likemoneyandsexandchildrenandjobsandin-laws,inconstantlychangingcombinations.Sometimescouplesareveryhappytogether.Somedaystheyfight.Sometimestheyfeelasthoughtheycouldalmostkilleachother,butthentheygoonvacationandcomebacksoundinglikenewlyweds.Inorderto"know"acouple,wefeelasthoughwehavetoobservethemovermanyweeksandmonthsandseethemineverystate-happy,tired,angry,irritated,delighted,havinganervousbreakdown,andsoon-andnotjustintherelaxedandchattymodethatBillandSueseemedtobein.Tomakeanaccuratepredictionaboutsomethingasseriousasthefutureofamarriage-indeed,tomakeapredictionofanysort-itseemsthatwewouldhavetogatheralotofinformationandinasmanydifferentcontextsaspossible.ButJohnGottmanhasproventhatwedon'thavetodothatatall.Sincethe1980s,Gottmanhasbroughtmorethanthreethousandmarriedcouples-justlikeBillandSue-intothatsmallroominhis"lovelab"neartheUniversityofWashingtoncampus.Eachcouplehasbeenvideotaped,andtheresultshavebeenanalyzedaccordingtosomethingGottmandubbedSPAFF(forspecificaffect),acodingsystemthathastwentyseparatecategoriescorrespondingtoeveryconceivableemotionthatamarriedcouplemightexpressduringaconversation.Disgust,forexample,is1,contemptis2,angeris7,defensivenessis10,whiningis11,sadnessis12,stonewallingis13,neutralis14,andsoon.Gottmanhastaughthisstaffhowtoreadeveryemotionalnuanceinpeople'sfacialexpressionsandhowtointerpretseeminglyambiguousbitsofdialogue.Whentheywatchamarriagevideotape,theyassignaSPAFFcodetoeverysecondofthecouple'sinteraction,sothatafifteen-minuteconflictdiscussionendsupbeingtranslatedintoarowofeighteenhundrednumbers-ninehundredforthehusbandandninehundredforthewife.Thenotation"7,7,14,10,11,11,"forinstance,meansthatinonesix-secondstretch,onememberofthecouplewasbrieflyangry,thenneutral,hadamomentofdefensiveness,andthenbeganwhining.Thenthedatafromtheelectrodesandsensorsisfactoredin,sothatthecodersknow,forexample,whenthehusband'sorthewife'sheartwaspoundingorwhenhisorhertemperaturewasrisingorwheneitherofthemwasjigglinginhisorherseat,andallofthatinformationisfedintoacomplexequation.Onthebasisofthosecalculations,Gottmanhasprovensomethingremarkable.Ifheanalyzesanhourofahusbandandwifetalking,hecanpredictwith95percentaccuracywhetherthatcouplewillstillbemarriedfifteenyearslater.Ifhewatchesacoupleforfifteenminutes,hissuccessrateisaround90percent.Recently,aprofessorwhoworkswithGottmannamedSybilCarrère,whowasplayingaroundwithsomeofthevideotapes,tryingtodesignanewstudy,discoveredthatiftheylookedatonlythreeminutesofacoupletalking,theycouldstillpredictwithfairlyimpressiveaccuracywhowasgoingtogetdivorcedandwhowasgoingtomakeit.Thetruthofamarriagecanbeunderstoodinamuchshortertimethananyoneeverimagined.JohnGottmanisamiddle-agedmanwithowl-likeeyes,silveryhair,andaneatlytrimmedbeard.Heisshortandverycharming,andwhenhetalksaboutsomethingthatexciteshim-whichisnearlyallthetime-hiseyeslightupandopenevenwider.DuringtheVietnamWar,hewasaconscientiousobjector,andthereisstillsomethingofthe'60shippieabouthim,liketheMaocaphesometimeswearsoverhisbraidedyarmulke.Heisapsychologistbytraining,buthealsostudiedmathematicsatMIT,andtherigorandprecisionofmathematicsclearlymoveshimasmuchasanythingelse.WhenImetGottman,hehadjustpublishedhismostambitiousbook,adensefive-hundred-pagetreatisecalledTheMathematicsofDivorce,andheattemptedtogivemeasenseofhisargument,scribblingequationsandimpromptugraphsonapapernapkinuntilmyheadbegantoswim.Gottmanmayseemtobeanoddexampleinabookaboutthethoughtsanddecisionsthatbubbleupfromourunconscious.There'snothinginstinctiveabouthisapproach.He'snotmakingsnapjudgments.He'ssittingdownwithhiscomputerandpainstakinglyanalyzingvideotapes,secondbysecond.Hisworkisaclassicexampleofconsciousanddeliberatethinking.ButGottman,itturnsout,canteachusagreatdealaboutacriticalpartofrapidcognitionknownasthin-slicing."Thin-slicing"referstotheabilityofourunconscioustofindpatternsinsituationsandbehaviorbasedonverynarrowslicesofexperience.WhenEvelynHarrisonlookedatthekourosandblurtedout,"I'msorrytohearthat,"shewasthin-slicing;soweretheIowagamblerswhentheyhadastressreactiontothereddecksafterjusttencards.Thin-slicingispartofwhatmakestheunconscioussodazzling.Butit'salsowhatwefindmostproblematicaboutrapidcognition.Howisitpossibletogatherthenecessaryinformationforasophisticatedjudgmentinsuchashorttime?Theansweristhatwhenourunconsciousengagesinthin-slicing,whatwearedoingisanautomated,acceleratedunconsciousversionofwhatGottmandoeswithhisvideotapesandequations.Canamarriagereallybeunderstoodinonesitting?Yesitcan,andsocanlotsofotherseeminglycomplexsituations.WhatGottmanhasdoneistoshowushow.2.MarriageandMorseCodeIwatchedthevideotapeofBillandSuewithAmberTabares,agraduatestudentinGottman'slabwhoisatrainedSPAFFcoder.WesatinthesameroomthatBillandSueused,watchingtheirinteractiononamonitor.TheconversationbeganwithBill.Helikedtheirolddog,hesaid.Hejustdidn'tliketheirnewdog.Hedidn'tspeakangrilyorwithanyhostility.Itseemedlikehegenuinelyjustwantedtoexplainhisfeelings.Ifwelistenedclosely,Tabarespointedout,itwasclearthatBillwasbeingverydefensive.InthelanguageofSPAFF,hewascross-complainingandengagingin"yes-but"tactics-appearingtoagreebutthentakingitback.Billwascodedasdefensive,asitturnedout,forfortyofthefirstsixty-sixsecondsoftheirconversation.AsforSue,whileBillwastalking,onmorethanoneoccasionsherolledhereyesveryquickly,whichisaclassicsignofcontempt.Billthenbegantotalkabouthisobjectiontothepenwherethedoglives.Suerepliedbyclosinghereyesandthenassumingapatronizinglecturingvoice.Billwentontosaythathedidn'twantafenceinthelivingroom.Suesaid,"Idon'twanttoargueaboutthat,"androlledhereyes-anotherindicationofcontempt."Lookatthat,"Tabaressaid."Morecontempt.We'vebarelystartedandwe'veseenhimbedefensiveforalmostthewholetime,andshehasrolledhereyesseveraltimes."Atnotimeastheconversationcontinueddideitherofthemshowanyovertsignsofhostility.Onlysubtlethingspoppedupforasecondortwo,promptingTabarestostopthetapeandpointthemout.Somecouples,whentheyfight,fight.Butthesetwowerealotlessobvious.Billcomplainedthatthedogcutintotheirsociallife,sincetheyalwayshadtocomehomeearlyforfearofwhatthedogmightdototheirapartment.Suerespondedthatthatwasn'ttrue,arguing,"Ifshe'sgoingtochewanything,she'sgoingtodoitinthefirstfifteenminutesthatwe'regone."Billseemedtoagreewiththat.Henoddedlightlyandsaid,"Yeah,Iknow,"andthenadded,"I'mnotsayingit'srational.Ijustdon'twanttohaveadog."Tabarespointedatthevideotape."Hestartedoutwith'Yeah,Iknow.'Butit'sayes-but.Eventhoughhestartedtovalidateher,hewentontosaythathedidn'tlikethedog.He'sreallybeingdefensive.Ikeptthinking,He'ssonice.He'sdoingallthisvalidation.ButthenIrealizedhewasdoingtheyes-but.It'seasytobefooledbythem."Billwenton:"I'mgettingwaybetter.You'vegottoadmitit.I'mbetterthisweekthanlastweek,andtheweekbeforeandtheweekbefore."Tabaresjumpedinagain."Inonestudy,wewerewatchingnewlyweds,andwhatoftenhappenedwiththecoupleswhoendedupindivorceisthatwhenonepartnerwouldaskforcredit,theotherspousewouldn'tgiveit.Andwiththehappiercouples,thespousewouldhearitandsay,'You'reright.'Thatstoodout.Whenyounodandsay'uh-huh'or'yeah,'youaredoingthatasasignofsupport,andheresheneverdoesit,notonceintheentiresession,whichnoneofushadrealizeduntilwedidthecoding."It'sweird,"shewenton."Youdon'tgetthesensethattheyareanunhappycouplewhentheycomein.Andwhentheywerefinished,theywereinstructedtowatchtheirowndiscussion,andtheythoughtthewholethingwashilarious.Theyseemfine,inaway.ButIdon'tknow.Theyhaven'tbeenmarriedthatlong.They'restillintheglowyphase.Butthefactisthatshe'scompletelyinflexible.Theyarearguingaboutdogs,butit'sreallyabouthowwhenevertheyhaveadisagreement,she'scompletelyinflexible.It'soneofthosethingsthatcouldcausealotoflong-termharm.Iwonderifthey'llhittheseven-yearwall.Isthereenoughpositiveemotionthere?Becausewhatseemspositiveisn'tactuallypositiveatall."WhatwasTabareslookingforinthecouple?Onatechnicallevel,shewasmeasuringtheamountofpositiveandnegativeemotion,becauseoneofGottman'sfindingsisthatforamarriagetosurvive,theratioofpositivetonegativeemotioninagivenencounterhastobeatleastfivetoone.Onasimplerlevel,though,whatTabareswaslookingforinthatshortdiscussionwasapatterninBillandSue'smarriage,becauseacentralargumentinGottman'sworkisthatallmarriageshaveadistinctivepattern,akindofmaritalDNA,thatsurfacesinanykindofmeaningfulinteraction.ThisiswhyGottmanaskscouplestotellthestoryofhowtheymet,becausehehasfoundthatwhenahusbandandwiferecountthemostimportantepisodeintheirrelationship,thatpatternshowsuprightaway."It'ssoeasytotell,"Gottmansays."Ijustlookedatthistapeyesterday.Thewomansays,'Wemetataskiweekend,andhewastherewithabunchofhisfriends,andIkindoflikedhimandwemadeadatetobetogether.Butthenhedranktoomuch,andhewenthomeandwenttosleep,andIwaswaitingforhimforthreehours.Iwokehimup,andIsaidIdon'tappreciatebeingtreatedthisway.You'rereallynotaniceperson.Andhesaid,yeah,hey,Ireallyhadalottodrink.'"Therewasatroublingpatternintheirfirstinteraction,andthesadtruthwasthatthatpatternpersistedthroughouttheirrelationship."It'snotthathard,"Gottmanwenton."WhenIfirststarteddoingtheseinterviews,Ithoughtmaybeweweregettingthesepeopleonacrappyday.Butthepredictionlevelsarejustsohigh,andifyoudoitagain,yougetthesamepatternoverandoveragain."OnewaytounderstandwhatGottmanissayingaboutmarriagesistousetheanalogyofwhatpeopleintheworldofMorsecodecallafist.Morsecodeismadeupofdotsanddashes,eachofwhichhasitsownprescribedlength.Butnooneeverreplicatesthoseprescribedlengthsperfectly.Whenoperatorssendamessage-particularlyusingtheoldmanualmachinesknownasthestraightkeyorthebug-theyvarythespacingorstretchoutthedotsanddashesorcombinedotsanddashesandspacesinaparticularrhythm.Morsecodeislikespeech.Everyonehasadifferentvoice.IntheSecondWorldWar,theBritishassembledthousandsofso-calledinterceptors-mostlywomen-whosejobitwastotuneineverydayandnighttotheradiobroadcastsofthevariousdivisionsoftheGermanmilitary.Continues...ExcerptedfromBlinkbyMalcolmGladwellCopyright©2005byMalcolmGladwell.Excerptedbypermission.Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisexcerptmaybereproducedorreprintedwithoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublisher.ExcerptsareprovidedbyDial-A-BookInc.solelyforthepersonaluseofvisitorstothiswebsite. 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