The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell Essay Example for Free

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell Essay The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell’s 2000 bestseller, discusses how some trends becomes gigantically popular while others fade away in the background without even leaving any mark. The Tipping Point, he says, is â€Å"the moment of critical mass, the threshold, the boiling point,† (12) where the â€Å"unexpected becomes expected, where radical change is more than possibility† but already a certainty. (13-14) It is when certain ideas, products, messages or behaviors suddenly turn into something of an epidemic, where everyone or majority of the people all of a sudden gets caught up in it without warning. We know right away that a certain trend has become an epidemic: its spread demonstrates contagious behavior, little changes had affected its growth tremendously, and it happened fast. According to Gladwell, these characteristics of an epidemic can be rooted to three factors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     The Law of the Few is discussed in the second chapter aptly titled, â€Å"Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen.† Gladwell explains that phenomenal trends can be attributed to the few people that, through word-of-mouth, are able to influence others to either love or hate the trend. Gladwell explains that â€Å"the success of any kind of social epidemic is heavily dependent on the involvement of people with a particular and rare set of social gifts.† (33) Connectors link different people to each other and are referred to as â€Å"people specialists† (59). Mavens, on the other hand, are â€Å"information brokers† that possess, share, and acquire information on a lot of different products, prices, or places. (62, 69) The third type of influential people would be the salesmen, who can persuade and convince others into believing what they want.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Stickiness Factor is a trend’s unique quality of being memorable, or of being able to â€Å"stick† to the minds of the public. The elements that make something sticky are not really wonderfully big or exciting; in fact, they are actually the small and seemingly trivial things that appear to be counterintuitive to the norm or conventional wisdom. For instance, the makers of Sesame Street thought it would be a good idea to educate children through television, even though experiments and educational experts saw television as having low involvement. (99-110) The simple idea of using television to teach children surprisingly became a success, which had been followed by other educational viruses such as Blue’s Clues. As Gladwell puts it, â€Å"there is a simple way to package information that, under the right circumstances, can make it irresistible† or sticky. (132)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Finally, the Power of Context consists of the conditions and circumstances of the times and places in which trends occur. The environment and historical moments where the trend originates are also responsible for making it phenomenal. Contextual changes are responsible for tipping an epidemic, as is in the case of the crimes in New York City, wherein crime became a contagious behavior due to the circumstances in the city. (140-143) However, Gladwell also adds that Environmental Tipping Points can be changed and reversed, and even prevented. (167) Another element in the third factor would be social groups, which makes people â€Å"susceptible to peer pressure and social norms and any number of other kinds of influence that can play a critical role in sweeping us up in the beginnings of an epidemic.† (171) Socialization plays a large role in context, because the popularity of a trend also depends heavily on how the public responds to it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In his conclusion, Gladwell redefines Tipping Points as â€Å"a reaffirmation of the potential for change and the power of intelligence action.† (259) After investigating two case studies that further exemplify the Tipping Point and its factors, he suggests that we reframe the way we think about the world, and accept that change is possible and constant. Work Cited Gladwell, Malcolm. The Tipping Point. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2000.

Seasons-Spring and Winter in Whistling of Birds by D. H. Lawrence Ess

â€Å"Whistling of Birds† by David Herbert Lawrence is a depiction of the vividness of his writings and his own artistic vision and thought. In this essay he has elucidated the change of seasons- change from winter to spring- in an impressive way by the use of images, similes and metaphors.. Winter, as he narrates, brings woe and causes wreck. The intense frost that sustained for several weeks caused the death of birds. The remnants of the beautiful bevy of birds – lapwings, starlets, thrushes, lied scattered in the fields. The â€Å"invisible beasts of prey† had wolfed the birds. The winter had massacred the song birds and their blood-soaked skins were spread all around. The beings that could not shield themselves against its rigours shivered with cold and were exposed to the fury of biting cold winds. Winter thus had brought a host of hardships to the poor souls who found it hard to face the vagaries of the weather. Oh, the long and dreary Winter! Oh, the cold and cruel Winter! – LONGFELLOW, Hiawatha Then sudden change appeared. The way wind began to blow depicted change of weather. The winds were warm and during the day shimmers sunlight could be seen. The birds began to chirp uncomfortably, without a pause. The doves were uttering strained coos as the influence of winter prevailed on them. Their attitude was queer. It was like a overlapping season. The surroundings were still snow carpeted. They kept on cooing with weakness. The breeze was still chilly enough to hurt. The subdued sunlight provoked the birds to chirrup in feeble tones. During the hard frost, deathly silence held sway. Then with the slight change of conditions, the whistling of birds appeared to be a peculiar act. It was extremely difficult to accept the change. The writer inquires for it, as the earth had been covered with the sheet of lacerated cadavers. The scene was quite frightening and alerting as the birds kept on tweeting and spreading their â€Å"silver† songs all around in the winter-effected sur roundings. The joy and defiance of the birds amazes and inspires him; it is the image of all brave rebirths. The birds were reconciling to the death of the other birds. They were forgetting the dead world in order to join the new bright one. â€Å"If winter comes, can spring be far behind.† –Shelley, Ode to the West Wind. If there comes a little thaw, Still the air is chill and raw, Here and there a patc... .... He continues with his whistling. Whistling affirms passionately the irrepressible renewal of life after death and destruction. The essay describes the renewal of the birds’ song after the long and dreary winter. The song is a metaphor for life that is chosen, willingly and deliberately. Lawrence is not alone in his determination to choose life. Many others have reached the same decision after grappling with the horror of death in their minds and souls. In Whistling, Lawrence celebrates the impulse to life that cannot be quenched--the hope that lives in all of us. He uses the metaphor of the whistling of birds for his depiction of this inextinguishable flame of life and hope in humans. Lawrence not only affirmed life but insisted on the inevitability of it: â€Å"Who can thwart the impulse that comes upon us? It comes from the unknown upon us,† Faith of life is generated in them; they have escaped from the dreadful shadows of death. It becomes essential for us to relocate from the zone of death to life. Thus the two seasons, spring and winter, have been clearly portrayed by the writer. The change that fascinated him has been explained in a vivid way that it enthralls the readers too.

Children Literature Essay

No one can explain the literally unprecedented Harry Potter phenomenon, starting with J. K. Rowling, now 35, whose life has been changed utterly by the product of her imagination. Seven years ago, she was the single mother of a small daughter, living in a two-room flat in Edinburgh, listening to mice skittering behind walls. Now she is internationally famous and earning, according to various estimates, somewhere in the range of $30 million to $40 million a year. Once, during a bad patch, she dreaded the hostile looks she would attract while lining up at the local post office to claim her weekly income support check. Now however she still gets lots of stares, but in the reverse order (Neil 45). Yes, it true J. K. Rowling life has chanced and her books has been the hottest commodity for commercialization since forever. THESIS: There has been a lot of controversy regarding the Harry Potter book series, the scope of the controversy range in conversations from schools, churches, board rooms, colleges and universities. Some of the discussions have been positive and some negative, but mostly what everyone is saying is that the Harry Potter book series will become a classic, because when compared to other children literature books they are just good or better than most, if not all of the other children’s books. In this essay I will prove the point that the Harry Potter books have all that it takes to become part of the literary canon. I will compare the Potter books to five children literature books to determine their literary authentic. I will look at the Potter books from a Philosophy prospective to give a clear concept about the books. I will compare opinions of lay persons, and scholars, and lastly I will discuss the affects that commercialization have had on the books. The books that I have chosen to compare the Potter books are: â€Å"The Chronicles of Narnia,† â€Å"Alice in Wonderland,† and Through the Looking Glass,† Hackberry Finn,† and â€Å"the Wizard of Oz, I have chosen these five books to compare to the Potter books, because these books are books that have endured for centuries. First I will compare the Harry Potter books with â€Å"The Chronicles of Narnia†. The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of seven fantasy novels written by C. S. Lewis. They are considered classis of children’s literature and are perhaps the author’s best known work. The books that make up the Chronicles of Narnia consist of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Trader, The Silver Chair, the Magician’s Nephew, and The Battle. The Chronicles of Narnia are great children literature books because they contains Christian themes, â€Å"These books may also be used to teach children about spirituality, and are often times viewed as religious allegories. These books teach child about good verse evil, and at the time of their publication they were very popular books, and still are today. Like the Chronicles of Narnia, the Harry Potter books also teach children about good verse evil. But these books like the Potter books have had plenty of criticism. There were certain Christians and Christian organizations who felt that The Chronicles of Narnia promotes ‘soft sell paganism and occultism†, because of the recurring pagan themes and the supposedly heretical depictions of Christ as an anthropomorphic lion. Satyrs, fauns, centaurs, dwarves, werewolves, giants, and even the pagan god Bacchus and the Maenads are depicted in a positive light, when they are distinctly pagan motifs (Smith 10). Although, there was all this criticism about the Chronicles it wasn’t enough to prevent these books from becoming classic. Secondly, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is a great children literature book. This book is considered one of the first books created solely to amuse children. It is witty, playful, full of clever conceits and genuine comedy and downright entertaining. But what makes it better than the Harry Potter books? Or is it? No! The Harry Potter books are witty, with genuine comedy, full of clever conceits and downright entertaining, also the Harry Potter books are read by children, young adults, and adults as well. Even children who as a rule are skeptical of reading are reading the Harry Potter books. Should this alone be reason enough to allow the Harry Potter books to classify as a classic? I think so, but let’s continue with our comparison of the other children books (Carol 3-10). The third comparison to the Harry Potter books will be Lewis Carol’s Through the Looking Glass. Just like Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass is a great children’s story. This book is a continuation of the story of Alice in Wonderland, and over the years it has amused and entertained many children, but what makes its better than Harry Potter? Is it really better than Harry? Before we answer the question lets continue with our comparison of the next book (Carol 6-10). The fourth comparison will be The â€Å"Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In this novel a young boy is in search of freedom and courage. I believe that this book became a classic because it was one of the first American books in which a black character is portrayed as someone to be emulated, in this case serving as the voice of reason for a cast-off urchin and a middle class white boy. There was plenty of criticism about this book, because it used the word â€Å"nigger† throughout. Many people feel that the word’s racist and discriminatory connotations make it unacceptable to use any where, and particularly in a book aimed at child. Others, however, claim that to call the book racist because of this usage is to miss its point. Again, â€Å"The Adventures of huckleberry Finn is a very nice story, full of fantasy, but it has nothing that the Harry Potter is missing. The fifth comparisons will be the Wizard of Oz. The Wizard of Oz, created the popular political fable rather than having Christian inspiration uplift, with a protagonist who is an admirable, individualistic, and rather selfish child rather than a cooperative do-gooder. However, Baum at the same time retained the dominant structure of nineteenth (twentieth century fantasy and with it the neo imperialism that assumed the inherent superiority of certain racial types. The Wizard of Oz is a great children literature with lots of fantasy (Baum 28). Development of fantasy itself owes a great deal to children’s literature, but this does not mean that fantasy is only for children. However, the Harry Potter books have made it trendy to ready fantasy again, but I think it’s worth reminding ourselves of the great tradition that preceded Rowling’s books and helped children to grow up realizing that it is okay to be imaginative and to continue to dream. The Harry Potter books have all the fantasy and intrigue as all the other books and more beside. Each of the books that I have named were usually books that were read by adults to children as a bedtime story, where as the Harry Potter books are being used for the same purpose and more. Not only are parents reading the Potter books to their child as bedtime stories, but in addition they are reading them, themselves for the sake of getting lost and carried away in the magical world of Harry Potter.

Essay on African Americans in the Great Depression

The Great Depression. The worst financial crisis to ever hit America. Unemployment rates of over 25%. A 50% decrease in national income. Billions of dollars lost in a single day. (Trotter, pg.8) The Depression affected everyone in America. Young and old, rich and poor, black and white, none were spared. However, for America’s 12 million African Americans (Encyclopedia of Race and Racism) the Depression didn’t just start in 1929.(Africa to America: From the Middle Passage Through the 1930s) African Americans were a subjugated minority. Racism wasn’t only present in America, it was accepted by many. In the South, Democrats fought to keep African Americans under harsh segregation and oppressive laws. (Trotter, pg. 9) Efforts to relieve†¦show more content†¦35) As Hoovers administration continued its business backing policies African Americans drifted towards Democrats. This accompanied a rapid urbanization that rose the percentage of African Americans livin g in cities from forty four percent to fifty percent in just 9 years, from 1930 to 1939. (Trotter, pg. 11) Seventy five percent of African Americans lived in the South, where Southern Democrats had oppressed and opposed African Americans since the end of the Reconstruction in the early 1870’s. (Americans at War) Despite the bad blood between African Americans and Democrats, they drifted in large numbers towards ‘the left’ as Roosevelt and his administration began to administer the â€Å"New Deal†. The New Deal was a series of programs and agencies set up to help the United States recover from the Depression. Over 20 million Americans sought assistance from agencies and programs such as Social Service. (Trotter, pg. 8) Many of these were African Americans, but over sixty percent of African Americans received no benefits from the New Deal due to a propensity towards racism in many of the local distributers of aid. (Trotter, pg. 11) According to labor laws su pported by Roosevelt and the Democrats, it was not required to pay African Americans minimum wage. Roosevelt also refused to sign an anti-lynching bill into law, allowing lynching to remain legal in many Southern states, due to Roosevelts need of the Southern Democrats to maintain power in the Senate andShow MoreRelatedAfrican Americans : A Great Depression1282 Words   |  6 PagesAfrican Americans didn’t know that is was a Great Depression. African Americans have always been poor and knew how to survive. By 1932, approximately half of black Americans were unemployed, blacks always felt unemployed and under paid. Whites attempted to keep blacks out of work by not hiring African Americans. 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