If Books Could Kill: Episode on Malcolm Gladwell's "Blink"

Release Date: July 17, 2025

In this episode of If Books Could Kill, hosts Michael Hobbes and Peter Shamshiri delve deep into Malcolm Gladwell's influential book, Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. Released in 2005, Blink explores the concept of rapid cognition—how individuals make swift decisions based on limited information. Throughout their conversation, Michael and Peter offer a balanced mix of appreciation and critique, dissecting both the strengths and shortcomings of Gladwell's arguments.

1. Initial Impressions and Context

Michael Hobbes initiates the discussion by positioning Blink within Malcolm Gladwell's oeuvre, noting its place following The Tipping Point and Outliers. He acknowledges the book's widespread popularity, citing its millions of copies sold, but also reflects on the skepticism surrounding the "pop science airport book" genre.

Michael [00:28]: "Big bestseller, at least a few million copies sold. It came out in 2005... get Blink. The power of thinking without thinking."

Peter Shamshiri expresses his initial disdain for the book, labeling it "very dumb" and anticipating arguments in favor of first impressions.

Peter [00:03]: "All I know is that my first impression of this book was that it was very dumb."

2. Exploring Thin Slicing and Intuition

The duo delves into Blink's core concept of thin slicing, defined as the unconscious ability to detect patterns based on limited experience. Michael introduces the term as Gladwell's central thesis, emphasizing that intuition is most effective when paired with expertise.

Michael [07:08]: "Thin slicing is the ability of our unconscious to find patterns in situations and behavior based on a very narrow slice of experience."

They reference studies by Nalini Ambati and Robert Rosenthal, which demonstrate how brief observations can correlate strongly with long-term assessments, such as students rating teachers after just seconds of viewing.

Peter [09:07]: "From the research of thin slicing, I... think you can say based on this, is that, one, our brains are making determinations very quickly, and then, two, those determinations are lasting."

3. Critique of Gladwell's Anecdotal Approach

Michael acknowledges that while Blink is replete with engaging anecdotes, it suffers from pseudoscientific oversimplifications and narrative inaccuracies. He highlights how Gladwell often presents compelling stories without thoroughly vetting the underlying science.

Michael [01:31]: "There is a lot of pseudoscience in this book... But I didn't find too many significant cases of him misrepresenting the science."

A notable example discussed is the story of John Franco Bacina and the fraudulent marble statue, which illustrates the power of expert intuition but also underscores Gladwell's reliance on anecdotal evidence.

Peter [04:10]: "He says... We did spoil this one in the Outliers episode... How is it possible to gather the necessary information for a sophisticated judgment in such a short time?"

4. The Science Behind Intuition and Expertise

The conversation transitions to the scientific foundations of intuition, referencing Daniel Kahneman's work in Thinking, Fast and Slow. Michael and Peter discuss how expertise, accumulated through extensive practice in high-validity environments, can enhance the reliability of intuitive judgments.

Michael [16:29]: "Daniel Kahneman... he wrote a paper... conclude that it's true that experts can develop extremely reliable intuition even when handling very complex problems, but only under certain conditions."

Examples include chess masters and experienced firefighters, where pattern recognition and repeated exposure enable swift and accurate decisions.

Peter [17:29]: "A lot of the early research on expert intuition involved chess masters... Another one is firefighters."

5. Questioning the Validity of Priming

A significant portion of the episode critiques the concept of priming, another central theme in Blink. Priming suggests that exposure to certain stimuli can subconsciously influence behavior. The hosts express skepticism, particularly in light of the replication crisis in psychology, which has cast doubt on many priming studies.

Peter [21:38]: "A concept I'm actually kind of skeptical of."

They recount experiments that initially supported priming but failed to replicate under more rigorous scrutiny, highlighting studies where supposed priming effects, like those influencing walking speed after exposure to certain words, were not consistently observable.

Michael [24:31]: "And lo and behold, the science here is very shaky."

The discussion underscores the importance of reproducibility in scientific research and how many priming studies lack the robustness needed to support their claims definitively.

6. The Complexities of Decision-Making and Verbal Overshadowing

Michael and Peter explore the disconnect between subconscious decision-making and conscious reasoning, introducing the concept of verbal overshadowing. This phenomenon occurs when articulating the reasons for a decision can impair the original judgment, as seen in experiments where students' quality assessments of jam were distorted when asked to verbalize their preferences.

Peter [35:47]: "So what is this explanation of this effect?"

Michael [36:18]: "There's this disconnect between our subconscious decision making process and our conscious mind."

They discuss how attempts to rationalize decisions often diverge from the actual factors influencing those choices, leading to less accurate or altered outcomes.

7. Controversial Anecdotes and Real-World Implications

A particularly contentious discussion revolves around the tragic case of Amadou Diallo, a Black immigrant mistakenly shot by NYPD officers. Gladwell introduces the concept of temporary autism to explain how high-stress situations might impair an individual's ability to read others' intentions accurately.

Peter [40:17]: "He begins talking about autism... He calls it mind blindness."

Michael [41:22]: "He theorizes that high stress situations cause us to lose our ability to read people's faces and gestures, a phenomenon he calls temporary autism."

The hosts critique this explanation, arguing that it insufficiently addresses systemic issues like racism within policing.

Michael [42:15]: "He sort of seems to be implying that training can fix this... But the idea that they were unable to sense Diallo's intentions is built on an assumption that I don't think you can make."

Further, they discuss Paul Ekman's role in popularizing microexpressions and how this pseudoscientific approach influenced programs like TSA's SPOT, which were later found to lack empirical support.

Michael [44:53]: "Ekman claims he can detect deception with 90% accuracy... but there's no evidence that people consistently exhibit microexpressions at all."

8. Reception and Criticism of "Blink"

The episode also highlights critical responses to Blink, notably a scathing review by Richard Posner in The New Republic. Posner, a renowned judge, accuses Gladwell of superficial analysis and reliance on clichés, questioning the validity of his arguments.

Peter [51:22]: "Posner says one of Gladwell's themes is that clear thinking can be overwhelmed by irrelevant information... These are typical examples of Gladwell's style."

They discuss how Posner challenges Gladwell's interpretations, such as the notion that discrimination in car sales is merely unconscious bias rather than systemic racism.

Peter [53:31]: "Posner's objection is like, well, maybe black people are just worse at negotiating."

The hosts express frustration with Posner's approach, perceiving it as dismissive of empirical evidence and overly reliant on ideological stances.

Michael [54:43]: "I hate Richard Posner... Still hate you, nerd."

9. Concluding Thoughts

In wrapping up, Michael and Peter reflect on the pervasive influence of Malcolm Gladwell despite the book's scientific shortcomings. They acknowledge that while Blink presents intriguing ideas about human cognition and intuition, its reliance on anecdotes and questionable science undermines its credibility.

Michael [50:04]: "By the way, I was so close to being like, you know, this book is pretty harmless at the end of the day, but then it turns out that it indirectly launched a completely fraudulent and possibly racist TSA screening program."

The episode serves as both an appreciation of Gladwell's narrative prowess and a critical examination of the scientific rigor behind his claims, encouraging listeners to approach popular science with a discerning eye.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Michael [00:28]: "Big bestseller, at least a few million copies sold. It came out in 2005... get Blink. The power of thinking without thinking."

• Peter [09:07]: "From the research of thin slicing, I... think you can say based on this, is that, one, our brains are making determinations very quickly, and then, two, those determinations are lasting."

• Michael [07:08]: "Thin slicing is the ability of our unconscious to find patterns in situations and behavior based on a very narrow slice of experience."

• Peter [51:22]: "Posner says one of Gladwell's themes is that clear thinking can be overwhelmed by irrelevant information... These are typical examples of Gladwell's style."

Final Remarks

Michael and Peter's in-depth discussion of Blink offers listeners a comprehensive overview of Malcolm Gladwell's exploration of rapid cognition, highlighting both its compelling narratives and the scientific debates it has sparked. For those intrigued by the interplay between intuition and expertise, and the reliability of our subconscious judgments, this episode provides valuable insights and critical perspectives.