The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference - Book Report/Review Example

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference is an analytical text which was authored by Malcolm Gladwel and published by Little Brown in the year 2000. In this book, Malcolm strives to describe and illustrate the ‘mysterious’ sociological transformations which characterize everyday life of human beings. To explain this, he uses the concept of tipping point to in which he says that before ideas, behaviors, messages or concepts reach a threshold, they spread at a very faster rate just like that of the viruses. However, for such a tipping point to be achieved there needs to be there are certain factors which need to be incorporated and put into consideration since they have got an ability to facilitate the wide spread of ideas from one person or place to another. To explain his point, Malcolm kicks off his discussion by giving an example of the terminally-uncool Hush Puppies shoes which became popular with just a few Manhattan hipsters in the 1990s before eventually spreading throughout the United States of America (USA) and giving huge returns to the manufacturer. This demonstrates how the influences of certain people can be paramount in the determination of success or failure of a project or idea (Heppner al., 2008). For this reason, Malcolm analyzes his tipping concept by insinuating that it can only be attained as a result of the contribution and influences of certain people and facts. In his language, he refers to these as the law of the few, stickiness factor and the power of the context. Further more, he goes ahead to provide realistic cues and case studies to prove to the audiences how these factors can directly contribute to the success or failure of a certain concept. I would like to begin by accepting that this book is quite relevant to me. First, it contains important information which can help me in understanding much about counseling. At the same time, it has crucial information that can be used to understand the medical and psychosocial aspects of disability. These are sociological issues which affect people in the contemporary society. The concepts of disability have been characterized with stereotypical beliefs that are spread by a few people to the rest of the society. At the same time, the ideas expressed by Malcolm about the role of stick factor can be quite fundamental in understanding about the counseling profession. The ideas expressed in this book can be of great importance in understanding about medical care. By explaining that ideas can spread like a virus, Malcolm was, in a way, trying to explain to the audience how epidemics do spread at a very faster rate from one person to another. Once the virus or the causative agent infects certain people, it might be in a position of spreading to others at an alarming rate. This will happen even after the disease beginning with just a few people. However, if they get a high concentration of the virus, they might become influential in spreading the virus to other sections of the society. Through this, they will enable the epidemic to reach the tipping point. In reference to the three rules of epidemic, it does not require all the people to be infected for a certain virus to spread all over. However, once the problem is with influential people such as the mavens, connectors and salespersons. These are a few people who have got a great ability to influence the rest of the society. Once they are infected, they can easily spread the condition to other people at an alarming rate. As a result of their networking, it might be so easier for them to spread the disease to other people with whom they interact. Such an argument can be used to explain the spread of HIV/AIDS which is among the most life threatening conditions in the contemporary society. By infecting such influential and highly connected persons, the disease can end up spreading to the entire society since such people can catalyze its spread to others. As a psychosocial aspect of human life, disability has been a major issue of concern in the society. Although just a few people are disabled, the point is that disability has been perceived to be a major burden to the entire society. Although depending on each community, the disabled have been perceived as a burden to the physically fit since they are taken to be unable. However, this can be so unfortunate especially when such ideas are propagated by the influential and highly connected people whom Malcolm calls mavens, connectors and salespersons. Due to their influences and connections, the positions they take can determine the fate of the disabled (Oliver, 2007). However, positive impacts can be attained if they deliberately choose to make positive contributions such as influencing the policy makers to consider the disabled and come up with viable strategies to cater for their medical, emotional and psychological well being. This book is also resourceful in understanding much about the idea of counseling. As a profession, counseling requires a lot of listening, communication and persuasion skills. Meaning, for a counselor to successfully help a client, they need to incorporate such skills in order for them to appeal to their clients both during private and public counseling sessions. Based on this, I would like to point out that the first major point borrowed from Malcolm is that a counselor needs top employ stickiness factors while handling their clients. This is necessary since it can compel the client to be keen and pay attention to whatever they are being told by the counselor. Once the counselor manages to captivate the attention of the client, it would be much easier to meet their needs. This is because they would be convinced to fell free to give account of their experiences as they wait for the counselor’s guidance (Heppner et al., 2008). The other important skill which the book imparts concerning counseling is about the importance of context in the success of the counseling exercise. As the author examines, the immediate environment can have a great influence on the spread of an idea. AS Malcolm argues, "Epidemics are sensitive to the conditions and circumstances of the times and places in which they occur."The more conducive it is, the faster the rate of achieving the threshold (tipping point). Therefore, the same context can be relevant if applied in the field of counseling. While offering counseling services, the counselor should ensure that there is a favorable environment in which the client is made to feel comfortable, confident, relaxed, anxious and ready to effectively engage on a one-on-one conversation with the counselor (Zunker, 2011). It can help in producing optimal results leading to the achievement of the desired behavior change. In conclusion, I would like to point out that The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference is a well written book. It provides a lot of exhaustive information about the influences of various people and factors in the society on the spread of ideas and information. As Malcolm illustrates, for the tipping point to be attained, adequate measures should be put in place to incorporate the in put of the few influential individuals who can catalyze the process of reaching the required climax point. Besides, there needs to be a good context which can help in facilitating the dissemination of such ideas. With these explanations in mind, the book stands out to be a very resourceful material which can be applied in comprehending the issues of disability and counseling. References Heppner, P. et al. (2008). A Growing Internationalization of Counseling Psychology. Handbook of Counseling Psychology. John Wiley & Sons: New York. Oliver, M. (2007). The Politics of Disablement. London: St. Martin's Press. Zunker, V. (2011). Career Counseling: A Holistic Approach (8th Ed.). Pacific Grove, California: Brooks/Cole Publishing. Read More