I'd Rather Be Reading

Malcolm Gladwell on 25 Years of Writing Books That Make the World Think


Listen Later

We have a legend on I’d Rather Be Reading today, friends. None other than Malcolm Gladwell is here to talk about his latest book, Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering, which is out October 1. Revenge of the Tipping Point comes nearly 25 years after Malcolm’s 2000 book The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, a bestseller that took his career to the next level and ushered in a new genre of books. Today on the show we talk to Malcolm about what made him want to return to the concept of The Tipping Point and if there was unfinished business there; what a tipping point is, exactly; and how, as he writes in Revenge of the Tipping Point, “the very same tools we use to build a better world can also be used against us.” As he puts it, Revenge of the Tipping Point is a study of the underside of possibilities he explored a quarter century ago. We talk about social engineering, social epidemics, monocultures, overstories, his process, and how we can use tools necessary to control an epidemic to build a better world. So much here, and I’m excited to dig into all of it with you listeners today. Malcolm Gladwell is someone I’ve mentioned on the show before — I’ve read all of his books, and I’m a big fan. He is a journalist, author, and public speaker who has been a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1996. In addition to publishing seven New York Times bestselling books (and I have no doubt his latest, his eighth, will become a bestseller, too), he is a podcaster — his show “Revisionist History” is a must-listen. His work is in the realm of sociology and psychology, social sciences, and after the success of The Tipping Point in 2000, books like Blink, Outliers, What the Dog Saw, David and Goliath, Talking to Strangers, and The Bomber Mafia followed. His books are massive bestsellers, he’s one of the forefront thinkers of our time, and has even been named one of TIME’s 100 most influential people. Revenge of the Tipping Point marks Malcolm’s eighth book, and I’m thrilled to chat with him about it today. I also want to throw this in here for good measure — he has a cat named Biggie Smalls, so that’s absolutely amazing. Take a listen.

 

Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering by Malcolm Gladwell

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

I'd Rather Be ReadingBy I'd Rather Be Reading

  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3

4.3

27 ratings


More shows like I'd Rather Be Reading

View all
Happier with Gretchen Rubin by Gretchen Rubin / The Onward Project

Happier with Gretchen Rubin

12,950 Listeners

A Thing or Two with Claire and Erica by Claire Mazur & Erica Cerulo

A Thing or Two with Claire and Erica

753 Listeners

The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast by Lauryn Bosstick & Michael Bosstick / Dear Media

The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast

14,910 Listeners

Next Question with Katie Couric by iHeartPodcasts

Next Question with Katie Couric

4,900 Listeners

Second Life by Second Life

Second Life

2,851 Listeners

The goop Podcast by Goop, Inc. and Audacy

The goop Podcast

6,727 Listeners

Totally Booked with Zibby by Zibby Owens

Totally Booked with Zibby

605 Listeners

The Dr. Hyman Show by Dr. Mark Hyman

The Dr. Hyman Show

9,358 Listeners

Everything is Fine by Jennifer Romolini and Kim France

Everything is Fine

881 Listeners

Chasing Life by CNN

Chasing Life

8,225 Listeners

Lipstick on the Rim by Sony Music Entertainment

Lipstick on the Rim

972 Listeners

Dear Gabby by Gabby Bernstein

Dear Gabby

6,089 Listeners

Here's Where It Gets Interesting by Sharon McMahon

Here's Where It Gets Interesting

15,330 Listeners

The Mel Robbins Podcast by Mel Robbins

The Mel Robbins Podcast

20,713 Listeners

Let's Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa by Kelly Ripa

Let's Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa

3,998 Listeners