The power of thinking without thinking - Blink book review.
I'm delighted to offer this Blink book review. This book and its author, Malcolm Gladwell rank amongst my all-time favourites.
Blink is full of real-life drama and fascinating research. In contrast with some of my articles such as Vanishing Freewill and How to Win with a Sales Plan which are about forethought, planning, and preparation, Blink by Malcolm Gladwell is about the human ability to make correct assessments and effective decisions based on a small amount of information. It is about the source of judgment.
In some of the research cited by Gladwell, it is called ‘thin-slicing’. Undeniable evidence from the work of many scientists and psychologists indicates that people have pre-conscious decision-making processes that are largely inaccessible to the conscious mind.
Slow motion video evidence, recorded by John Gottman, Paul Ekman, and others, demonstrates how people’s expressions declare their emotions with unsettling precision.
Documenting the exact muscle movements that telegraph twenty-plus distinct feelings has enabled these pioneers to compile startling evidence of human transparency.
Right from the first pages of Blink, I found myself engrossed in the portrayal of actual events that illustrate the ability of some people to make accurate intuitive leaps of judgment that seem to demonstrate a sixth sense.
Blink is among my all-time favourites. Malcolm Gladwell's style reminds me of Daniel Goleman and Robert Cialdini's work. See my reviews of these other books in the 'Recommended' section.
In addition to numerous and increasingly gripping stories, Gladwell writes about the research that shows how preconceived ideas, prejudices, and chance observations can render our preconscious judgment worse than useless.
The elusive skill illuminated in this outstanding book is the ability to discern if a thought or feeling is the result of our near-infallible pre-conscious judgement or is polluted by recent thinking, false beliefs, and misleading experiences.
It seems we don't make up our minds for the reasons we think we do and don’t have easy access to the bits of our mind that direct our thinking.
Don't believe me - read Blink.
If you want to connect with sales intuition or develop your unconscious thinking skills, read Blink by Malcolm Gladwell.
ISBN 1-141-01459-8
Blink Book Review by Clive Miller
If you need to improve sales intuition, judgment, or thinking skills we can help. Telephone +44 (0)1392 851500. We will be pleased to learn about your needs or discuss some options. Alternatively, email custserv@salessense.co.uk or use the contact form here.
