Book Notes: The Tipping Point

I was recommended The Tipping Point by my colleagues at Ambient Devices (who design and sell way cool technology for the masses, by the way). The book is about the analysis of how epidemics, fads, etc spread, approaching it from a social and psychological standpoint. It suggests there are four key components to a "Tipping Point Architecture" (my term): Connectors, Mavens, Stickiness, and Context.

The individual case studies and examples are just fascinating. Why did Hush Puppies turn around so quickly? Why did crime drop in NYC so drastically? Did you know 2 year olds have more complex conversations with themselves than they do others? Simply fascinating trivia, and the author does a great job with the examples, using them to kick off a chapter, leaving the reader intrigued as to the relationship between the case study and the "Tipping Point."

Taking a holistic view at epidemics, the author really gives you something to think about in terms of Connectors, Mavens, Stickiness, and Context. Trying to open a new business? How do you reach your Connectors and Mavens? What makes your idea "stick"? How do you give it the right context (or how do you launch in the right context? What about launching a fundraising drive? In and of themselves, these ideas are not novel. But it gives a nice scope of what it takes for ideas to take off.