Book Review: The Tipping Point

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The world is a great, big place and it's easy to feel like a drop of water in the ocean. We feel like in the grand scheme of the ocean our little drop isn't really making a difference. What's cool about The Tipping Point is that it's an excellent reminder that we all matter and have the potential to make a difference in this world. You could be that one person that changes the face of technology, or fashion, or medicine.
I quickly took a liking to this book because it puts in perspective a lot of everyday questions I have about trends. Just the other day I was talking to my mom about fashion trends. She saved a lot of clothes from when she was in her 20's and every now and then she'll bring them out of the depths of her closet and give them to me. Over the weekend she gave me a high waisted skirt and a crop top set. We immediately started talking about how interesting it is that trends circle back around. Who's to say when something comes into fashion and when it goes out of fashion? We're always so amazed by this concept and we talk about it regularly.
In his book, Gladwell compares trends to epidemics by pointing out that they are contagious, little changes that have big affects, and both changes happen in a hurry. These three things are all rules for the "tipping point." I really liked the example he used about Hush Puppies. The shoe company was about to go out of business when a "handful of downtown hipsters" started wearing hush puppies. All of a sudden they became all the rage. Our generation has the capacity to start trends and I think Hush Puppies is a perfect example of how industries look at our age group to see what's hip and what's not.
Gladwell breaks down the rules of the tipping point in order to help us make sense of epidemics. The rules are: the Law of the Few, the Stickiness Factor, and the Power of Context. The Law of the Few is centered around the idea of word-of-mouth and the people that spread these messages. A lot of times when we share our everyday experiences with others, we forget how much of an impact what we are saying can have. My sister and I share everything, so naturally when she tells me she just bought this really cool bracelet, chances are I'm going to check it out and want to buy it also. Word-of-mouth is so powerful and it plays a huge role in the spreading of ideas and trends. The Stickiness Factor focuses on how memorable the message we're relaying is. Is it something that is so memorable it is going to spur change? Lastly, the Power of Context breaks down how "epidemics are sensitive to the conditions and circumstances of the times and places in which they occur."
If you want to learn more about everything I've discussed in this post, I highly recommend you read the book. It is extremely eye opening and a page turner!