I can see now that the Freakonomics boys took quite a few pages out of this book. The Tipping Point launched the trend of examining social experiments with results that are, to use Mr. Gladwell's phrase, "wildly counterintuitive". I breezed right through this one--the most popular books always seem to be quick reads--because I was so caught up in Gladwell's straightforward style of writing and fascinating subject matter. (I particularly enjoyed the Sesame Street/Blue's Clues experiments.) The book only lags (and then only slightly) towards the very end with his "case studies". Someone named DeeDee Gordon, whom Gladwell tells us is an expert in spotting "trendsetters", delivers the following monologue:

"I've run into trendsetters who look completely Joe Regular Guy. I can see Joe Regular Guy at a club listening to some totally hard-core band playing, and I say to myself, omigod, what's that guy doing here, and that totally intrigues me, and I have to walk up to him and say, hey, you're really into this band. What's up? You know what I mean? I look at everything. If I see Joe Regular Guy sitting in a coffee shop, and everyone around him has blue hair, I'm going to gravitate toward him because, hey, what's Joe Regular Guy doing in a coffee shop with people with blue hair?"

What's sad is that almost everyone knows someone who talks like this. And sometimes we want to punch them. I mean, can you even imagine these "Joe Regular Guy" scenarios actually occurring? First at the club:

DeeDee Gordon: Hey, Joe Regular Guy...

JRG: Pardon me?

DeeDee Gordon: You're really into this band. What's up?

JRG: They're okay, I guess. What do you mean?

DeeDee Gordon: You really intrigue me, Joe Regular Guy.

JRG: My name is Ted.

DeeDee Gordon: I want to know what Joe Regular Guy is doing listening to a band. In a club.

JRG: Are you hitting on me?

DeeDee Gordon: Is this a new trend I spy, Joe Regular Guy?

JRG: I'm going to go stand over there.

(JRG leaves)

DeeDee Gordon: I wonder what Joe Regular Guy is doing standing over there?

Or, in the coffee shop:

DeeDee Gordon: Hey there.

JRG: Um, hello.

DeeDee Gordon: What's Joe Regular Guy doing in a coffee shop with people with blue hair?

Blue Hair #1: She has identified our leader!

Blue Hair #2: Pummel her!

(Joe Regular Guy and blue-haired acolytes pummel Deedee Gordon)

At least that's what I hope would happen. Anyway, good book, this.