Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference isn't a new book. In fact, it's 10 years old. But, the premise of the book is still very relevant. Had I not read this book, The Mom would not exist (well, at least not now).
In this best-seller, Gladwell discusses social phenomena, such as the regain in popularity of Hush Puppies shoes, the decline in New York City crime, teenage smoking prevalence and teenage suicide patterns, through "word-of-mouth epidemics." He discusses how the tipping point for each phenomenon is reached once a large portion of society behaves in such a way that the world is forever changed. It is when a behavior or idea hits its critical mass.
Gladwell introduces other notions, such as "The Stickiness Factor," which is when a message influences (or "sticks") with a group of people or a population which causes them to act in a certain way. His theory is that social epidemics exist because of three types of influential people - Connectors (those who bring people together), Mavens (those who share knowledge with others) and Salesmen (those who persuade others). While discussing these social personalities, Gladwell uses interesting stories and entertaining anecdotes, such as the success of the children's show Blue's Clues, the actions of the influential historical figure Paul Revere and the rise and decline in popularity of the shoe company Airwalk.
The reason I chose this book to be my first review is because it inspired me to start The MOM. For about a year, I had contemplated starting a blog about motherhood (see my Welcome from a few days ago), but needed a little nudge. Earlier this year while in a search for a good read, a friend recommended this book to me. As I read through the chapters, I started to see the world and social popularity in a different way. When Gladwell went into great detail to explain the social personalities, I saw where I fit into the puzzle - my interest to host a form to discuss topics related to motherhood (Connector) and to share my thoughts, opinions and recommendations with others (Maven). Bingo! This book gave me the confidence to move forward. It illustrated how I could serve as a Connector and Maven in a larger role to bring mothers together to share information and experiences.
As briefly discussed in the second publication of The Tipping Point, I believe social phenomena take place more frequently than they did when this book was published due to technology, specifically the Internet. Ten years ago, social media hadn't gained its popularity. Blogs, Facebook, Twitter and My Space were in their infancy, if even yet developed. Going "viral" hadn't yet been discovered. And a "YouTube Sensation" like Susan Boyle was a thing of the future. Technology has taken "word of mouth" to another level.
In my opinion, today's society social epidemics are more prevalent but still follow Gladwell's concepts. The difference is that in some cases they take less time to reach their tipping point. The Internet has accelerated the process in many ways.
(January 5, 2010 - ABC's Katie Couric interviews Malcolm Gladwell. He discusses The Tipping Point and his other three books.)
So what does this have to do with motherhood? Good question. I think it helps us explain the world in which we live. The world where we raise our children, nurture our relationships and marriage and discover our roles in society. Mothers are an important part of social phenomena.
The Tipping Point is a fascinating, intelligent and thought-provoking book for all ages. In addition to Gladwell's social concepts, he shares a wealth of information, stories and history lessons that will appeal to several audiences. This book will change the way you see the world from personal and business standpoints. I feel like I am a smarter person having read this book. It was definitely time well spent.
Sami
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