No more excuses. It's time for me to give my review and recommendation for "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell. Those of you who have been following this blog will recall that I have been promising to write about this book since July, when I read it on my way home from retreat. I still need to develop some reflections on the implications for evangelization...
Gladwell offers, basically, an analysis (full of stories and case histories) of how ideas spread. Like viruses, as a matter of fact. And the characteristics that make for an epidemic in the world of germs are parallel to those that account for the way ideas take hold (or not) and become trends that sweep a society. A lot has to do with people and their qualities. (You will note that it doesn't start with the quality of the idea, because a lot of ideas can become trendy!) (But that's me talking, not Gladwell.)
The people who turn ideas into trends are relatively few, and Gladwell identifies three types of key players: there are the "connectors" (you know them, the people who remember everyone they have ever, ever met, and who find a way to keep in touch once in a while, even if they only met once, while waiting in a long queue for some event). Connectors have contacts everywhere. They are real people people, and they foster innumerable relationships. Then you have "Mavens." Mavens are experts in some field of interest, and they willingly share their expertise out of love for the information and concern that this knowledge they possess benefit others. And some of those who reap that benefit may be connectors. My sister Nell is a shopping maven. She knows just how much things ought to cost, and just where to find the best deal on them, and she really wants to help me get the best prices on things our community needs. My brother-in-law is a technology maven. I always call him with my computer questions, because he is up on everything in the world of electronics. So "Connectors" have the address books, "Mavens" have the in-depth scoop. The third essential personality involved in trendsetting is that of the "Salesman" (salesperson?). When a salesman is sold on something (perhaps a maven friend or relative gave them critical information), he/she can and will sell it convincingly. Salesmen may not know as many people as connectors do, but the people they do contact will come away convinced, sold. And some of those people may be connectors. The interaction of connectors, mavens and salesmen is crucial for an idea getting off the ground.
Just yesterday in the paper, I read an article about the famine situation in Niger that seemed to me to unite the geography/agriculture/culture link presented in "Guns, Germs and Steel" with the "Tipping Point's" critical personality types for getting an idea to be widely accepted. It seems that in Niger, the traditional staple crop is a grain called millet. But millet has very poor nutritional value, with almost no protein. Even if the people have a good harvest of millet, they can be malnourished. But it is very hard to woo them away from millet to grains that have more worth. Every village would need a maven, who understands that millet is just one grain among many, and that other grains can offer more hope for the survival of their children. A maven alone is not enough. A salesman is needed who will be convinced that the alternative grains really do offer more substance. The salesman would grow the new grains and offer samples to relatives and neighbors, while extolling the value of the new crop. The salesman's persuasiveness would be such as to overcome the enormous reluctance of a tradition-bound people to depart from the soil-depleting crop that was all their ancestors could domesticate in that region. And then it would take a connector to bring more and more people within the salesman's purview, so they could "catch" the infection of the new idea--in this case, be persuaded of the benefits of reducing their dependence on millet. A nation's survival could depend on mavens, salesmen and connectors.
Gladwell doesn't only speak about people, but that is where I have chosen to focus. Other aspects of a trend have to do with an idea's capacity to "stick", and then, the contexts in which and for which the ideas arise. I'll have to reread that part of the book to process it more deeply. In the meantime, I am quite impressed with the people factor. Ideas do not catch on primarily because of the value of the ideas, but more than anything because of the persons who come into contact with them. An idea that has no way of reaching a connector, a maven or a salesman is basically doomed.
So after you finish "Guns, Germs and Steel," move to "The Tipping Point." Both are on Sister Anne's "read and recommended" list.
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