I just bought a book Talking to Stangers by Malcolm Gladwell, whose first couple of pages really pulled me in. I wanted to read what he had written, so I chose to get the book. (I also got a discount on it, if that matters.)
But now that I returned home, I was searching the book up, and while it has a good rating of 4/5 stars in Goodreads, certain reviews on Goodreads as well as on here have really made me think about my choice to buy it.
The reviews basically said that his writing, even though non-fiction, often has "dodgy claims" from unverified sources, and at certain points, he apparently has some claims which even I don't I agree with.
Now I am sad and conflicted, wondering if I shouldn't have checked anything at all, and whether I spent hard earned money on something not worth reading.
by BabyDistinct6871
32 Comments
And no, it’s not possible for me to return the book as the store doesn’t do returns
Why on earth would you read reviews of a book you’ve already purchased but haven’t read?
Draw your own conclusions from reading the book, not using a Goodreads review to influence whether you’ll like it or not.
Read the book and make up your own mind?
Read it and think. Use it as an excuse to do some digging.
Why not take it out from the library in the future? I rarely buy a book I haven’t borrowed from the library, read, and liked enough that I wanted my own copy.
Malcolm Gladwell is a polemicist and likes to put forward arguments based on his research. I read this book, and it has many interesting ideas and possibilities in it. Some I agree with and some I agree would need more research before I could make up my mind.But realistically that’s true of just about any book. I agree with the other comment that you should give it a read and make up your own mind. But you shouldn’t just accept as 100% through any book that’s out there.
You won’t know whether it was worth reading it for you until you try reading it. It pulled you in, so you decided to read it, and that should be enough.
Personally I don’t read reviews after I’ve already committed to reading a book, especially negative ones as those will just make me wait for the bad parts. I may read reviews before buying to help me decide (but not always; if the synopsis sounds good and I like the writing style, I don’t need to see any reviews) and I may read reviews after finishing to see if there’s anyone I agree with, but never in between.
Don’t worry about reviews from others. As a reader, you should be focused on reading and forming your own opinion.
jfc this is ridiculous
learn to form your own opinion
….Your first mistake was reading reviews online. Your second mistake was reading reviews online AFTER purchasing the book. Your third mistake was in not just reading it and critically thinking and making your own opinion and coming to conclusions based on your experience and not random people on the internet.
That’s the review for all of Malcolm Gladwell’s books. He’s a pop sociology writer, not a researcher.
Unfortunately Malcolm Gladwell has a reputation for dodgy claims as you said, along with cherry-picking data to support foregone conclusions. Don’t worry though, a lot of people still buy his books. You might want to use this as an exercise in critical thinking, and then perhaps sell it to a used book store.
I think criticism of Malcom Gladwell and his anecdotal style is valid, but his podcast and books always shed some sort of new light on a topic, and often change how I look at an idea.
Definitely worth reading the book imo, I personally really enjoyed it. Just take it for what it is, which is definitely not scientific research.
Gladwell like many authors of history (Howard Zinn comes to mind) prefers to tell his story for a modern audience with short attention spans. Authors like this want to “suck the reader in,” by being engaging, but they skip over anything that doesn’t meet their central thesis for a story.
I made the same mistake with Zinn’s, “A Peoples History.” While it had an interesting premise, the amount of “cherry picking” to match his thesis made the book mostly useable for serious historians other than as a footnote to make sure to include alternative viewpoints. In fact, I think he damaged a lot of alternative viewpoints with his shallow renditions, similar to Gladwell.
Looks like the only stranger you should have avoided talking to was your impulse to buy the book.
I read it and enjoyed it. Then I read the reviews and appreciated the perspective. If you’re looking for a book that will give you all the right answers, good luck, and let me know when you find it! I see books as voices in a conversation, and Gladwell has an enjoyable voice. Read what he has to say, then find other writers who challenge him.
Reporting you to the mind police for thought crimes
A book can be 99% wrong but still have nuggets of wisdom and quality that make it worth the buy.
Gladwell cuts corners and over simplifies in the name of clear arguments and solid points.
You own the book. Might as well read it. Take the good. Leave the rest
Unpopular opinion: Butcher and Blackbird. Everybody was talking about. I trudged through 50 pages and finally looked it up. It is just not that good. Writing and criminality.
Fourth Wing. I just started reading fantasy and didn’t know the genre that well. I saw great ratings on Goodreads and thought, “This must be the greatest book ever.”
It cost me 4400 BDT, about a third of my salary. (I live in a third-world country.)
After reading around 100 pages, I felt like suing both the author and the Goodreads reviewers.
So you bought a book you wanted to read, enjoyed it from the beginning, but then a complete stranger on the internet had their own opinion and you’re allowing it to dictate how you feel? C’mon now. Be better.
Just read the book and decide for yourself.
If you don’t want to read it, donate it to a local hospital.
I’m baffled by his reputation as some kind of genius. I will say that he does scatter some interesting observations here and there, so as long as you don’t his frequently unpersuasive larger notions, you can get something.
As for regret, you can always recoup some of the price by selling it to a used book store, or if it’s in good shape give it as gift to someone you don’t like.
I hear you, book regret is real & especially painful if you actually paid money & it wasn’t a freebie or .99
Check the Goodreads reviews of your favourite book and you’ll find someone shitting on it. Draw your own conclusions
I never look at Goodreads or movie reviews and take it as gospel.
>he apparently has some claims which even I don’t I agree with.
Are you an expert on the subject? Are you afraid to read an opinion that differs from yours? Should every book that claims something that you don’t agree with be burned?
I really don’t understand your mindset here.
I never look at reviews before I read any books.
MG is a polarizing figure and also wildly popular (as in, sells a lot of books). That means his books get LOTs of reviews from critical thinkers (his target audience). I don’t think he wants everyone to agree with him, he likes to start a conversation and provide a contrarian viewpoint. I think it’s a good thing that you don’t necessarily agree with everything he’s saying. You will probably get a lot out of the book! Enjoy, and then sell the book online to get some of the value back!
It’s worth a read, I would not regret it at all. Gladwell often takes an approach of challenging conventional wisdom and that is healthy. (And his writing is beautifully persuasive.) But his “case study” approach bears scrutiny as it benefits enormously from hindsight. Think of it as a read that will challenge your thinking and assumptions and then question his assumptions with some of your own research on the topics he’s covered. If you use his work as a prompt for your curiosity, it will be a great experience.