The Tipping Point (2013 Edition)

My son got this book for me, for my 72nd birthday. Thanks, Derek. After reading most of my other books from my birthday, I am starting to settle on this one. The title alone has given me pause to think about the Russian-Ukraine conflict, within the context of world news. It’s been a very long time since almost the whole world has been rooting for the underdog. Even yesterday, the drone footage of Russian tanks being shelled and having to scatter in order to avoid destruction shows how a little resistance can help to strike back at the overwhelming forces around you.

It was the same for the Truck Convoy driving to Ottawa. It was an ill-conceived attempt to undermine the government of Canada, but it caught the public’s imagination and got plenty of support right across the country. The idea of a common ‘enemy’ is old-hat, but it’s still the most effective way to unite people.

The Tipping Point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic of flu, so too can a small but precisely targeted push cause a fashion trend, the popularity of a new product, or a drop in the crime rate. This bestselling book, in which Malcolm Gladwell brilliantly illuminates the tipping point phenomenon, is already changing the way people throughout the world think about selling products and disseminating ideas.

Back cover blurb

Yes, the book is about selling a product or idea, but its methods are adaptable to media savvy individuals, like Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy, who can effectively stir up support for their cause.

It has been slightly over two weeks since Putin sent his (mostly conscripted) armed forces across Ukraine’s borders. He hasn’t won his skirmish(?) yet, and perhaps he never will, because even when one wins a battle, one can lose the war, in the end. And that’s how the tipping point works.

Beware the Ides of March, again, Caesar.