How to write a "Malcolm Gladwell Bestseller" • Hacker News Board

Re: How to write a "Malcolm Gladwell Bestseller"

#41

Post by physcab » Thu, Jun 10, 2010, 7:15 PM UTC

mattmaroon wrote: post #29

efsavage wrote: post #10

Gladwell is a fantastic storyteller. Unfortunately, this isn't obvious to many people, who seem to think he's a scientist or a journalist, despite no claims on his part for these qualifications or assertions that his work stands up to the rigors of those disciplines. They have decided that he is one or both of these things, and since he isn't, he does not fare well when assessed along those lines. He writes very well…

I despise arguments of this nature. You hear them all the time. "Gladwell isn't a scientist and doesn't claim to be. Glen Beck isn't a politician and doesn't claim to be, he's an entertainer." It's bullshit. The unstated claim is the basis of their success. Gladwell might not claim to be a scientist, but his success exists entirely because average readers can't tell the difference. Gladwell uses "science" and "journa…

Pseudo-science or not, Gladwell's work always incites discussion. This is, I believe, the real value of his work. Most people I know don't take his word as truth, but they love to use his anecdote's as seeds for delving into a subject further.

Besides, this type of bullshit is perfectly suited to starting random conversations with strangers. It's rememberable and entertaining and loosely intellectual. It doesn't alienate people based on their personal beliefs like religion or politics would. In the vast spectrum of bullshit out there, I think Gladwell might be the best kind.

Re: How to write a "Malcolm Gladwell Bestseller"

#42

Post by kadavy » Thu, Jun 10, 2010, 9:01 PM UTC

So basically, writing a "Malcolm Gladwell Bestseller" requires a shitload of work.

Re: How to write a "Malcolm Gladwell Bestseller"

#43

Post by tptacek » Thu, Jun 10, 2010, 9:20 PM UTC

mattmaroon wrote: post #29

efsavage wrote: post #10

Gladwell is a fantastic storyteller. Unfortunately, this isn't obvious to many people, who seem to think he's a scientist or a journalist, despite no claims on his part for these qualifications or assertions that his work stands up to the rigors of those disciplines. They have decided that he is one or both of these things, and since he isn't, he does not fare well when assessed along those lines. He writes very well…

I despise arguments of this nature. You hear them all the time. "Gladwell isn't a scientist and doesn't claim to be. Glen Beck isn't a politician and doesn't claim to be, he's an entertainer." It's bullshit. The unstated claim is the basis of their success. Gladwell might not claim to be a scientist, but his success exists entirely because average readers can't tell the difference. Gladwell uses "science" and "journa…

The title "essayist" would suit almost everything Gladwell sets out to do, so can we just stipulate that that's the right thing to call him?

Re: How to write a "Malcolm Gladwell Bestseller"

#44

Post by tptacek » Thu, Jun 10, 2010, 9:23 PM UTC

pavs wrote: post #17

efsavage wrote: post #10

Gladwell is a fantastic storyteller. Unfortunately, this isn't obvious to many people, who seem to think he's a scientist or a journalist, despite no claims on his part for these qualifications or assertions that his work stands up to the rigors of those disciplines. They have decided that he is one or both of these things, and since he isn't, he does not fare well when assessed along those lines. He writes very well…

I haven't read any of his books, though I got many recommendations from friends. Which one should I start with? (don't care much about relevance to startup/business, as long as its a good book)

Don't bother. Instead, go to his New Yorker archive.

http://www.gladwell.com/archive.html

Gladwell is best taken in small (or at least syncopated) doses, and he really has managed to write about a variety of interesting things. Go find the ketchup essay. It's awesome.

Re: How to write a "Malcolm Gladwell Bestseller"

#45

Post by tptacek » Thu, Jun 10, 2010, 9:25 PM UTC

Robin_Message wrote: post #37

efsavage wrote: post #10

Gladwell is a fantastic storyteller. Unfortunately, this isn't obvious to many people, who seem to think he's a scientist or a journalist, despite no claims on his part for these qualifications or assertions that his work stands up to the rigors of those disciplines. They have decided that he is one or both of these things, and since he isn't, he does not fare well when assessed along those lines. He writes very well…

The problem with Gladwell is he will be read by literally millions of politicians, school administrators and middle management drones. They will read it as science, and because they do not understand science, they will use the easy approximation of science=truth (especially if they can fit it into their worldview (which Gladwell is extremely good at assembling an argument to do)). From the propositions "Gladwell uses…

It is not reasonable to bag on Gladwell because some ignoramus cites him as scientific fact. Your problem is with your boss, not with the "negative externalities" caused by an author who writes something that makes your boss do something else dumb.

It would be a different story if Gladwell wrote an article exhorting bosses to hand out "maven" badges. But he did nothing of the sort.

Re: How to write a "Malcolm Gladwell Bestseller"

#46

Post by fgf » Thu, Jun 10, 2010, 11:31 PM UTC

barry-cotter wrote: post #22

fgf wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I enjoyed the debate between Gladwell and Steven Pinker after Pinker wrote a negative book review. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/15/books/review/Pinker-t.html... http://papercuts.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/19/malcolm-gladwe...

That's not a debate, that's a Pinker curb-stomping Gladwell, hardly surprising when Steve Sailer is entirely capable of doing it.

For those about to read: It's true, Gladwell gets pwned. If you want feel sophisticated while quoting the tipping point this will not help.

Re: How to write a "Malcolm Gladwell Bestseller"

#47

Post by fgf » Thu, Jun 10, 2010, 11:38 PM UTC

efsavage wrote: post #10

Gladwell is a fantastic storyteller. Unfortunately, this isn't obvious to many people, who seem to think he's a scientist or a journalist, despite no claims on his part for these qualifications or assertions that his work stands up to the rigors of those disciplines. They have decided that he is one or both of these things, and since he isn't, he does not fare well when assessed along those lines. He writes very well…

Reading someone's prose because they are "such good storytellers" is a bit like introducing your sister to this* guy because he's such a charmer.

*http://mysterypua.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/mysterypua....

Re: How to write a "Malcolm Gladwell Bestseller"

#48

Post by pwhelan » Thu, Jun 10, 2010, 11:50 PM UTC

lhorie wrote: post #40

FWIW, one could argue that many of these elements are also present in a book like Godel Escher Bach. - Your book is actually going to be a collection of essays drawn together by a loose thread. - "strange loops" - Each of your essays is going to revolve around a single idea - pretty much every Achilles and Tortoise chapter - Illustrate the idea with stories about real people - Godel, Escher, Bach and so on... I don't…

'I don't get all this passive-agressive "holier-than-thou" attitude towards Gladwell being famous I've been seeing lately. Who cares if he's famous?'

It reminds me of what PG said about this in his "why to not not start a startup" -- he is successful for what he does and they don't think he should be because he writes about things he doesn't do professionally or something.

Re: How to write a "Malcolm Gladwell Bestseller"

#49

Post by pwhelan » Thu, Jun 10, 2010, 11:56 PM UTC

lylejohnson wrote: post #33

pavs wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I haven't read any of his books, though I got many recommendations from friends. Which one should I start with? (don't care much about relevance to startup/business, as long as its a good book)

I've read all of them (I think?) but The Tipping Point is still my favorite. Always thought it might be interesting to model the ideas in it using some sort of multi-agent system.

You would probably like Linked by Barabasi -- it is similar, but Barabasi is an academic (my barabasi # would be 2!)

Re: How to write a "Malcolm Gladwell Bestseller"

#50

Post by Robin_Message » Fri, Jun 11, 2010, 9:01 AM UTC

tptacek wrote: post #45

Robin_Message wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem with Gladwell is he will be read by literally millions of politicians, school administrators and middle management drones. They will read it as science, and because they do not understand science, they will use the easy approximation of science=truth (especially if they can fit it into their worldview (which Gladwell is extremely good at assembling an argument to do)). From the propositions "Gladwell uses…

It is not reasonable to bag on Gladwell because some ignoramus cites him as scientific fact. Your problem is with your boss, not with the "negative externalities" caused by an author who writes something that makes your boss do something else dumb. It would be a different story if Gladwell wrote an article exhorting bosses to hand out "maven" badges. But he did nothing of the sort.

It depends on your ethical theory I guess. To my mind, Gladwell's actions have predictable negative consequences and he should be held at least somewhat responsible for those consequences. Of course he's free to write what he likes, and I am not arguing for censorship or judicial intervention. But I think he has a negative impact on society and argue against him on that basis. He is the same as the "visualising higher dimensions video" or homeopathy, or any pseudo-science -- using the right words to get the answer you already thought of. I just love jerf's response to the video I mentioned (http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1385736) and I'd like to misquote it here:

I can not anti-recommend Gladwell enough. He is anti-knowledge, convincing you that you know something when you actually understand it less well after reading than before.