Tipping Point Summary: Intro. and Chapter 1

In the introduction and the first chapter of his book The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell raises awareness of the tipping point in order for us to realize how social epidemics occur. He says that the tipping point is "[T]hat one dramatic moment in an epidemic when everything can change all at once . . ." (9) Social epidemics work like a sickness, such as the flu, does. He argues that the three epidemic characteristics are "[O]ne, contagiousness; two, the fact that little causes can have big effects; and three, that change happens not gradually but at one dramatic moment . . ." (9) He uses specific examples, such as the Hush Puppies and syphilis epidemics, to demonstrate how epidemics take place and what factors are necessary for them to occur. He says that the three necessary factors are: the Law of the Few, the Stickiness Factor, and the Power of Context. He argues that it only takes a few people to start a social epidemic and that the trend must be convincing or catchy in order for it to "stick". He also argues that the circumstances in which a social epidemic start are important. He concludes the chapters with research questions which he will explore in later chapters.