Gather is giving away a set of Malcolm Gladwell books, including his new title, What the Dog Saw. Here’s what you could win:
WHAT THE DOG SAW
What is the difference between choking and panicking? Why are 
there dozens of varieties of mustard but only one variety of ketchup? What do football players teach us about how to hire teachers? What does hair dye tell us about the history of the 20th century?
In the past decade, Malcolm Gladwell has written three books that have radically changed how we understand our world and ourselves: The Tipping Point; Blink; and Outliers. Now, in What the Dog Saw, he brings together, for the first time, the best of his writing from The New Yorker over the same period.
Here is the bittersweet tale of the inventor of the birth control pill, and the dazzling inventions of the pasta sauce pioneer Howard Moscowitz. Gladwell sits with Ron Popeil, the king of the American kitchen, as he sells rotisserie ovens, and divines the secrets of Cesar Millan, the "dog whisperer" who can calm savage animals with the touch of his hand. He explores intelligence tests and ethnic profiling and "hindsight bias" and why it was that everyone in Silicon Valley once tripped over themselves to hire the same college graduate.
What the Dog Saw is yet another example of the buoyant spirit and unflagging curiosity that have made Malcolm Gladwell our most brilliant investigator of the hidden extraordinary.
- OUTLIERS
- BLINK
- HE TIPPING POINT
For your chance to win a Malcolm Gladwell prize pack, tell us a question you’d like to see Gladwell address in a future book. Gather will draw ten respondents to receive copies of the books listed above. Comments must be posted in the field below by Sunday, October 25th.
One entry per person who participates in the chat. No purchase necessary. See official rules.
rate
email
print
link to this page
Comments: 109
I would like to see him write about the process of flow. How there is a natural flow to everyday life... go with your gut.
How successful will our efforts to reverse or slow down climate change be? Knowing that climate change is cyclical, is it better to focus on coping with its effects? What would that mean and what would it look like?
Why do they call it sleeping like a baby when most babaies don't sleep very soundly at night?
Why am I me and you are you?
I think a good topic for Gladwell would be the issue of human and technology interaction. We work with technology to extend ourselves, and some technologies (e.g., a pencil) have become "transparent" (according to Andy Clark, who also calls us "natural born cyborgs"), to the point that we don't realize we're using it, and we only focus on the task we're using it to do. I would love to hear Gladwell's perspective on this issue.
First the whole global warming issue. We know it has happened before. We hear all the horror stories about what will happen if we don't stop it. So what would be the outcome if we did stop it. What would our world be like if there were no 'global warming'?
Second and in a totally different direction: Why does it seem that those who have nothing are the first to step up and help someone in trouble? We have millionaires and billionaires, and yes they give to charity (seemingly an endless, bottomless bucket), but we can't pay off our national debt. And how much money can you actually spend???? You can't take it with you - why not adopt a third world country???? Why not contribute to the national debt? Aren't your millions of seemingly untaxable income contribute to the national debt???
I have been in a situation where I have only had a dollar in my pocket - but still given it to someone who I perceived needed it worse than I. I didn't know where my next one was coming from, but I didn't have a problem giving it up. But recently I had a bit of a tight spot and asked a person who I know gets $60,000 every 3 months from an insurance settlement (and was not any where near what you would call poor before she got the settlement) for a few bucks to get me through til my check came through in two weeks - and she is just 'strapped' - How can that be???? I will never understand this. I also used to know a person who upon being asked if I could borrow 5 bucks for gas until payday would always ask if I could change a 100? (And therefore not have to lend me the 5)... ??????
And as someone above mentioned, where is it going to end...???? When is the insanity going to stop???? In our little one stop light town - average rent is about $700 a month - but the average wage is minimum $7.15 or whatever. And most are under 40 hours a week so they don't have to pay benefits. You figure the math. And most rentals are owned by the few wealthy.
Well now my mind is too boggled by all that to go on. I hope I answered the question well enough I will be picked to win this book series - I have never read them, but they sure sound interesting.
I have never read this author before but it looks as though it would be a very interesting read.
I would like to see him discuss the phenomenon that when someone hears someone talking about something-- such as a disease, and all of a sudden they are convinced they have all those symptoms.
Ok, maybe not so seriously. Here's a real one:
Why is it that in Italy, you can pretty much walk into a college class and take it, no money, but in Oh-So-Idiotic America, you have to go through this crazy enrollment process, pay a grip of money, and wind up with loads of college debt? Why is it that we can't just have socialized Health Care like all the other smart countries out there? What mindset is keeping up from doing these things?
erma.hurtt@sbcglobal.net
I would also be interested in seeing a book on the changing attitudes towards work. I know some people are driven to go above and beyond to do a good job and/or provide good customer/client service. It seems I'm encountering more people on a daily basis who are focused on their personal interactions, either talking with friends in person, by text, by cell phone, than on doing what they're paid to do. What's going to happen to our society if we continue this way?
Sorry, I know you only wanted one suggestion....
I hope he does humor and its health benefits to patients thats really interesting and I'm doing a research paper on it now!