Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering by Malcolm Gladwell
In his latest book, Gladwell tells a number of seemingly unconnected stories that all have some unexpected outcomes. I find Malcolm to be an out standing story teller, which makes this summary less comprehensive than others you will find on the blog. I hope this quick read encourages you to purchase that fine book and that you enjoy it as much as I did.

1. The Tipping Point for Bank Robberies

• There are three mysteries here. The first is why were bank robberies so prevalent in Los Angeles in the 1990s but far less so in New York City? The second is why doctors perform abundant forms of a given surgery at one hospital but not at another hospital. Third is why are children in most schools at or near 100% vaccinated while students at Waldorf Schools are closer to 25%?

2. What Made Miami Change

• This is the story of medicare fraud in South Florida (Miami). The main character runs a chain of nursing homes that defrauds Medicare for billions. The story also deals with drug money laundering with the cooperation of banks. Thanks to the inflow of drugs and 125,000 people dumped there by Castro in 1980, the nature of Miami changes greatly.
• Gladwell more or less provides a how-to for setting up a fraudulent medical practice here. The application is easy, but you do need a location of some sort and access to a doctor with a “loose pen.” In the end, the main character gets off with a multi-million dollar fine because he has an “ace up his sleeve.” That ace is a government connection, and it results in a sentence commutation from Donald Trump. Democrat presidents are also noted for this kind of behavior.

3. The Epidemic in Poplar Grove

• This is not the name of the town composed mostly of wealthy people with high expectations for their children. For many kids the expectations turned out to be too much and a string of teen suicides followed. It seemed like one suicide caused other kids to think about it and it some cases, they followed through. Here is where a small number can become a tipping point of sorts.

4. When Does Tipping Happen?

• A tipping point is a threshold where something that had been one way for generations seems to change overnight. In the case of company Boards, it seems to take three women before a woman can become comfortable in that position. This magic third also shows up for other tipping points. Once a black population reaches about one third in a school, the black students start performing as well as the white students.

5. Rugby at Harvard

• Here Gladwell points out why elite schools like Harvard had so many teams for Olympic sports. In order to give a child training in these sports, it takes a lot of money. If you help your kid develop in a sport like squash, sailing, or rugby, they have a better chance of getting into an elite school than if they relied on their grades and test scores alone.

Share this: