Thin Slicing

 Blink examines the phenomenon of snap judgments, meaning the split-second decisions we make unconsciously. These snap judgments are important decision-making tools, but can also lead to bad choices and all manner of problems. Blink explains how we can best make use of them.

Gladwell sets himself three tasks: to convince the reader that these snap judgments can be as good or better than reasoned conclusions, to discover where and when rapid cognition proves a poor strategy, and to examine how the rapid cognition's results can be improved.

Blink, a nonfiction work by Malcolm Gladwell, explores the psychology of snap decisions and quick thinking, illuminating how subconscious biases affect the way we think and behave.  Gladwell introduces the idea of “thin slicing”—using little slivers of information about a person to form a larger opinion. He concludes that this method is most effective among strangers and breaks down in intimate relationships, such as marriages.  Gladwell examines how subconscious racial and socioeconomic biases affect how we think about other groups of people and the language we use to describe them.

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Canadian journalist and public speaker Malcolm Gladwell provides a compelling analysis (drawn from scientific studies as well as case histories) of how our “gut-reactions” or “snap judgments” take place, what their consequences (positive or negative) might be, and how our awareness of unconscious thoughts at work can help us to identify, evaluate, and manage our reactions wisely.