A thread by Andy Rowell
As usual, Malcolm @Gladwell's latest book "Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don't Know" (Sept 10, 2019) is stimulating in its stories and commentary. But this is a dark one: sexual abuse, suicide, abuse by police, scams, alcohol, rape, and torture. Gladwell is a story-teller, popularizer, opinion columnist, pundit, reporter, writer, commentator, searcher for truth. I think his tone invites pushback, further research, and correction. He respects academics and researchers. I think he is a force for good. I have read all his books and listened to all of his Revisionist History podcast episodes. I have very occasionally been disappointed in his sloppiness and flippancy, but more often his curiosity, love for learning, joy, moral seriousness, and humanity have given me much joy. The "Talking to Strangers" audiobook is better than normal audiobooks in that he has used recordings of quotes when possible. I thought this critique of Gladwell's work back in Oct 2013 was fair.
But I think he has matured since then—perhaps due to his return to Christianity while writing David and Goliath, which he shared publicly that month.
@spulliam
Andy Rowell@AndyRowell"The question is whether Gladwell is accurately conveying the science … whether he is getting the big ideas right." http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2013/10/malcolm_gladwell_critique_david_and_goliath_misrepresents_the_science.single.html …
(washingtonpost.com/local/author-m…)
This review out last week of "Talking to Strangers" is also fair:
Yes, I'm not sure the book has an overall thesis, except that sin is real. And yes, the stat about poets committing suicide frequently is thin but it is not important to Gladwell's argument. (theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/…)
Malcolm Gladwell✔@Gladwell
