Gladwell, a writer for The New Yorker and a former business and science reporter for the Washington Post, traces the roots and branches of a number of such social epidemics in order to make sense of how and why the contagions spread. According to tipping point theory, a number of factors must come together in just the right time and context. Among the most important factors are the key people involved in starting, spreading, and advertising the epidemic. Gladwell refers to these key people as Connectors (extroverts with large circles of acquaintances); Mavens (collectors and disseminators of information); and Salesmen (charismatic personalities who persuade others to embrace the innovation or idea).

In the course of the 8 CDs, Gladwell provides satisfying examples from a variety of fields, including anecdotes about the importance of the number 150, a highly successful diabetes awareness project, the cause of a drastic decrease in crime in New York City, the history of Paul Revere’s midnight ride, a new version of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, the rash of teen suicide on one particular island, and the success of the novel Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood.

Whether you want insight into promoting your new product, improving the efficiency of your business, or just a better understanding of group dynamics and social change, The Tipping Point will almost certainly provide you with a few ‘Ah ha!’ moments. Informative, entertaining, and often enlightening, this audio book kept me riveted for over eight hours, and is a sure bet to fascinate others, as well.