David and Goliath

I first learned of Malcolm Gladwell when he was the keynote speaker at a conference I attended in San Diego, I believe in 2006, around the time his second book, "Blink" came out.

I recall being captivated listening to him as he challenged my thoughts and offered such provocative ideas. I picked up both "The Tipping Point" (his first book) and "Blink" shortly after seeing him and loving both of them.

To date, I've read all of his books and every time a new copy of The New Yorker shows u at the library, I look at the table of contents to see if there is anything there by him (or David Sedaris).

In this book, Gladwell challenges our ideals and perceptions of advantages and disadvantages, starting with one of the most famous "underdog" stories of all, David and Goliath.

In addition to getting me to think and re-think, Gladwell always manages to teach me something or steer me in the direction of wanting to learn more about something and this is something I almost crave when reading non-fiction that isn't biography or autobiography.

You may not always agree with Gladwell's train of thought or ideas, Gladwell provides a platform where your thought and ideas can be challenged and revisited and that for me, is what keeps the mind vital.