Creative Meanderings

_David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants_ by Malcolm Gladwell

Over three years ago, I posted upon hearing about this new title by Gladwell. No doubt, he already has another one out, but I do not yet know about it. 😉 I have really enjoyed just about everything he has written and this one did not disappoint.

Gladwell takes this well-known Biblical story and challenges us to reconsider just why David beat Goliath. Although we enjoy the story of the ‘underdog’ winning over all odds against him, Gladwell retells the story in a way that makes us rethink that perhaps it was not such an amazing feat that David accomplished. Using related stories from history and making social commentary, the writer takes us on a journey to learn how to give credit to circumstances for the winning of what seems impossible.

If nothing else, we can discover that no matter how impossible things may look, it is just a matter of perception and understanding of the situation. If we shift perspective, then even the biggest challenge can be made small.

Even though I read this quite some time ago and am just now getting to writing about it, I find that the message of the book is even more appropriate now than it was before. So, it is timely to finally get to writing about this Gladwell book now. 😛

~T 😀



_What the Dog Saw:  And Other Adventures_ by Malcom Gladwell is an interesting collection of his New Yorker articles over the years. Since I’ve not been able to keep up with all his articles (though I wish I could find the time to read the New Yorker regularly…), it was interesting to read his stories and takes on different events over the years.

Gladwell writes on sociological phenomenons such as the use of birth control, the publicizing of the Enron case, the reasons why some inventions were a success and others were not, and more.

I’ve been a Gladwell fan for some time now and have read his novels as they’ve come out. This one was just as interesting as the others and while not necessarily a travel book, it is one that would satisfy a before-bed read and fill your mind with interesting thoughts as you enter dream-world. 😉

More to come…

-T