Gladwell explores the concept of “thin-slicing” which he defines as “a critical part of rapid cognition” and “the ability of our unconscious to find patterns in situations and behavior based on very narrow slices of experience” (23). He also explains how all of us use thin-slicing in every day situations and how this is particularly important in how we interact with others.

One interesting section of the book titled “Listening to Doctors” (39) focused on how we talk to people, and proved that when people feel “rushed or ignored or treated poorly” (40) the quality of care, or the information that they’re given doesn’t matter as much. Although the book referred to Doctors, I think we can learn a lot from this; the quality of our interactions with patrons can mean so much. It’s not just about what we say to people, it’s how we say it.

Another concept in Blink that intrigued me, is the process of finding out how others make decisions. Gladwell states that there is a right and a wrong way to ask people what they want, and points out that simply asking people what they want, more than likely will not work. And it’s not because people are lying, it’s just that truly knowing what you want is more difficult than it seems. What you think you like might not actually be true. Therefore, finding out which Library 2.0 services our patrons really want is a more difficult task than we might think.

Blink Animoto

p.s. If you haven’t it already, check out animoto — I had a lot of fun making this video :)

The book is based on findings from a research project that took 5 years to complete. I love non-fiction, and research is definitely my cup of tea, so this book was a big treat. The findings in this book are simply fascinating!

Good to Great taught me that discipline is one of the key factors in making a transformation from good to great possible. But besides discipline, I learned a great deal about leadership and concepts that great leaders (level 5 leaders) use to make positive and lasting change.

If you’re interested in reading a synopsis of the study before checking out the book, there’s a great article available on Jim Collins’ site that goes through all of the findings — and if you’re impressed by what you see, I would strongly recommend the book. You’ll learn a lot, whether you’re an entrepreneur, a leader, or just a worker like me :)

I went with my friend Lisa and after climbing up on bookshelves at Borders to see Charlaine talk (since the place was packed with people) and after waiting close to 5 hours in line, I finally got a brief chance to talk to Charlaine and get my book signed.

I also got a book signed for my friend Bridget, who was nice enough to give me the first two Sookie Stackhouse books. When I told Charlaine about this, she said “your friend is an enabler.”

p.s. more photos on flickr