The Tipping Point: Intro and Chapter 1

Malcom Gladwell used The Tipping Point to show how little things can greatly effect a big issue.

During the introduction, he spoke of the epidemic of the Hush Puppies and how they went from almost being phased out, to being sold in every mall in America. This happened because a few kids in the East Village of New York and Soho started wearing them and people started to follow the trend. This small step caused a huge epidemic.

In chapter one, Gladwell states "The Three Rules of Epidemics." These rules are the Law of the Few, the Stickiness Factor, and the Power of Context. He uses the example of the spread of syphilis in Baltimore, Maryland. Each rule can be applied to a reason for the spread. For example, he states that the Law of the Few can be defined with the 80/20 Principle, meaning that 20 percent of people do 80 percent of the work and that's how the epidemic started, with just a few people. Gladwell continues the chapter by giving examples of the other rules in reference to the reason for the syphilis epidemic.

The chapter is concluded by stating that the three rules help people make sense of epidemics, and asking how the rules will help us understand other epidemics later in the book. Gladwell keeps your interest by stating that "the answers may surprise you."