The most intriguing idea in this book is how too much information can cloud effective decision making.
Gladwell uses examples ranging from war to medicine to illustrate the power of subconscious parts of the mind while at the same time remaining very aware of the limitations of "thin slicing" any situation. "Thin slicing" = rapid cognition.
Too much information was clouding ER docs' decisions regarding chest pain, thus algorithms were introduced that dramatically improved diagnosis.
Gladwell even goes on to suggest a constitutional amendment regarding the right of the accused to see and confront her accuser and jury of her peers. However, the data shows clearly that black males are "13 times more likely to be sent to prison on drug charges than a white man" (275). This is when these two men, white and black, are charged and convicted for an identical crime.
Thus Gladwell remains optimistic that errors in rapid cognition will continue to be identified and appropriate fixes put in place. Examples include the introduction of blind auditions to prevent sexism in classical music.
Gladwell proposes that rapid cognition is most effective at a certain level of stimulation, but too much arousal "leaves us mind-blind" (229).
Hopefully I'll get a chance to read some of Gladwell's other books in the future.
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