Talking to Strangers: An eye-opening book

Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell is a thought-provoking book. It is an exploration of how miscommunication can have disastrous consequences. Terms like Coupling and Transparency Illusion are terms from this book. Gladwell argues that people are often poor at reading others, mistakenly assuming they understand intentions and emotions (ring a bell). They ‘default to truth’, naturally assuming the person sitting opposite to them is telling the truth, and severely underestimate the role context plays in a scenario. The beauty of Malcolm Gladwell’s writing style lies in his unique conversational style. Now, I’ve talked a lot about conversational styles, especially Cal Newport’s, but Gladwell’s excellence lies in his rhetorical questions. His questions really make you think, he follows it up with writing that is a right blend of pop psychology and investigative journalism. The latter part is where one of the greatest drawbacks of Gladwell lies. 

Gladwell relies on unique case studies, experiments and while the words themselves are not uncommon, the heavy use of these elements make it a dull starting book. You will need some sort of interest towards psychology and sociology to get interested. Another problem is one I’ve noticed when I read more of his works. The ‘formula’ I mentioned in the last paragraph follows in every book, and while each book individually is engaging, it can feel repetitive and tedious. However, every writer has his flaws and Malcolm Gladwell’s flaws are not as demotivating as others. This book is still for the masses, and I guarantee you will view the world from a different set of eyes after reading this book.