First published 2024
Malcolm Gladwell returns to examine social epidemics twenty-five years after his first exploration of tipping points. This time he focuses on the troubling aspects of contagious phenomena and social engineering. Gladwell travels from Los Angeles streets to meet highly successful bank robbers, uncovers a forgotten 1970s television program that transformed society, and visits a small California cul-de-sac where a significant experiment took place. He investigates what makes Miami unique, draws lessons from the cheetah's decline about child-rearing, and explains why Ivy League institutions prioritize athletics. The book introduces the concept of the Magic Third and its implications for racial relations. Gladwell provides alternative perspectives on major contemporary epidemics including COVID and the opioid crisis. Through storytelling combined with social science research, he creates a framework for understanding modern contagions and their mechanisms.
Genres: social-science, non-fiction, 21st-century, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: investigative-journalism, social-commentary
Setting: Los Angeles, California, Miami
Period: 1970s, Contemporary
352 pages · Hardcover · Little, Brown and Company