TOW #4 Post (IRB Book): Blink

      Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell, discusses the various ways our minds work. It illustrates the unconscious thinking that happens without us ever realizing. Gladwell, a graduate from the University of Toronto, has been an expertise in this subject matter for years now. His previous books, such as The Tipping Point, cover the same topic of psychological decision-making that occur in our brains. Throughout the book, Malcolm is able to establish ethos by what he is saying.  Backing up his reasoning, of how the brain makes decision unconsciously, with narratives and research proves to his readers that there is a truth to Malcolm’s theory. It makes him credible, which is highly important when the book’s overall subject is about science, specifically psychology. Besides ethos, Malcolm also uses narratives as a way to connect with his readers. People reading this book must have a curiosity for how their minds work and certain functions that goes along with this process. Therefore, his readers are people interested in psychology: especially its connection to the brain. By using stories as a way to highlight the importance of that unconscious section in our brain, Malcolm is able to put a complicated science into simpler terms for his audience. Not only is this an effective strategy, but it also allows readers to really understand his purpose: breaking down the specifics of a newly psychological idea of unconscious decision-making. In fact, you could go even farther and say that in a way, Malcolm is trying to teach the audience how to use that part of their brain advantageously. Besides stories, Gladwell uses a variety of experiments to represent the benefits of knowing about our unconscious side and using it to improve our everyday behavior. For example, when talking about an experiment about deciding if a professor is good or not, Malcolm states, “We believe that we are always better off gathering as much information as possible and spending as much time as possible in deliberation. But there are moments when our snap judgments and first impressions can offer a much better means of making sense of the world” (Gladwell 14). In this quote, Malcolm is summarizing his findings in the experiment by saying that sometimes all the research and getting to know you isn’t needed; usually, our guts tell us our true feelings within the first ten seconds of meeting someone and that is what we should really listen to. Ultimately, Blink is a phenomenal book, so far, that goes into great depths about the wonders of our unconscious side. As for Gladwell, his purpose is clearly stated in each chapter as he continues to break down the psychological reasoning behind this science and along the way, teaches the reader how to use them advantageously with the addition of experiments, research, narratives, and ethos.