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Revenge of the Tipping Point

Overstories, Superspreaders and the Rise of Social Engineering

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Revenge of the Tipping Point

By: Malcolm Gladwell
Narrated by: Malcolm Gladwell
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About this listen

A lot has changed in 25 years. A quarter-century after the publication of his groundbreaking first book, Malcolm Gladwell returns with a brand-new volume that reframes the lessons of The Tipping Point in a startling and revealing light - this time in an immersive audio format that transports you, the listener, directly inside of each riveting story.

Why is Miami... Miami? What does the heartbreaking fate of the cheetah tell us about the way we raise our children? Why do Ivy League schools care so much about sports? What is the Magic Third, and what does it mean for racial harmony? In this provocative new work, Malcolm Gladwell returns to the subject of social epidemics and tipping points, this time with the aim of explaining the dark side of contagious phenomena.

Through a series of gripping stories, Gladwell traces the rise of a new and troubling form of social engineering. As with his podcast Revisionist History and bestsellers Talking to Strangers and The Bomber Mafia, pressing play on this audiobook will bring each scene and story to life with vivid first-person accounts, captivating oral histories, illuminating moments from history past and present, and a cinematic original music score.

Take to the streets of Los Angeles with Malcolm to meet the world's most successful bank robbers, rediscover a forgotten television show from the 1970s that changed the world, visit the site of a historic experiment on a tiny cul-de-sac in northern California, and explore an alternate history of two of the biggest epidemics of our day: COVID and the opioid crisis.

Revenge of the Tipping Point is Gladwell's most personal book yet. With his characteristic mix of storytelling and social science, he offers a guide to making sense of the contagions of the modern world. It's time we took tipping points seriously.

©2024 Malcolm Gladwell (P)2024 Hachette Audio UK
Best of 2024 Editors Select Sociology

Editorial Review

What’s wrong with the world today?
I’m so excited to hear Malcolm Gladwell's latest audiobook, Revenge of the Tipping Point, which revisits and reframes his groundbreaking concepts from 25 years ago. The promise of gripping stories about everything from bank robbers to forgotten TV shows, combined with Gladwell's unique insights into social phenomena, has me eager to press play as soon as it hits my library. I'm particularly intrigued by how he'll explore the dark side of what he calls “contagious phenomena” and what new perspectives he'll offer on issues like the COVID pandemic and the opioid crisis. With all of the technological, political and social developments that have happened in the past two and a half decades, Gladwell’s newest listen couldn’t have come at a more critical cultural moment. — Rachael X., Audible Editor

What listeners say about Revenge of the Tipping Point

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Insightful

MG has produced a beautifully written, meticulously researched investigation into what can change culture. Fascinating.

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Exceptional journalism and expertly narrated

The author narrates this book perfectly as he builds and weaves his arguments. Informative, captivating and engaging. This book covers disturbing topics with compassion& accountability.

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If you love Gladwell

Really love the way he explains concepts and introduces ideas that change my understanding of the world. Another spectacular contribution.

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Gladwell is compelling

The storytelling format gives you insights into so many different aspects of society. Very tricky, wicked problems are made clear, even if the implementation of solutions is very very difficult. Listening to the audio book is even better than reading the paper version.

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brilliant

Gladwell is one of my drugs of choice. I love that he's a super spreader of nuance and thoughtful analysis of the now and then

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Tipster

Mr G’s specialty is unexpected implications of research in the social sciences, and to a lesser extent hard sciences, e.g., the sections on Covid superspreaders, and Oxycontin super-prescribers here. His gift is story-telling. His technique, much imitated but never bettered IMO, is to take engagingly told personal stories on apparently disparate themes then tie them together and turn them into parables. His reading of the audiobook is more performance art than mere narration. Like him or hate him, there’s only one Malcolm Gladwell, whether you agree with what he has to say or not.

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So captivating and insightful

Such an amazing listen, delivered in such an engaging way. Full of contemporary and historical examples to masterfully illustrate critical points all about sociology and tipping points more specifically. Love it!

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Exquisitely presented and compellingly argued

I came to this as an early fan of the original Tipping Point, and Malcolm Gladwell has not disappointed. Revenge of the Tipping Point is compellingly argued and if it had been a physical book, I would have found it difficult to put down. The performance and sound design elements are standouts in the audiobook class, adding tension and affect to the listening experience. I can’t wait to spam all my friends and urge them to listen to this excellent book.

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Good but not up to Malcom’s usual standard

About half of this audio book is about Malcom’s obsession with US elite college student selection. It’s not a topic as an Australian I a much interested in but some aspects of it were mildly enjoyable. The rest of the book had a lot of info on what ratios of sex and race differences work for tipping over the situation to the mainstream.

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legacy sequels are a tough ask

You listen to Malcolm and you will learn something while I found some of it interesting too many topics covered feel either dated or too soon.

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