What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures by Malcolm Gladwell; read by the authorBack-of-the-box blurb: Now the very best and most famous of Malcolm Gladwell’s New Yorkerpieces are collected in a brilliant and provocative anthology. Among the pieces: his investigation into why there are so many different kinds of mustard but only one kind of ketchup; a surprising assessment of what makes for a safer automobile; a look at how we hire when we can’t tell who’s right for the job; an examination of machine built to predict hit movies; the reasons why homelessness might be easier to solve than manage; his famous profile of inventor and entrepreneur Ron Popeil; a look at why employers love personality tests; a dissection of Ivy League admissions and who gets in; the saga of the quest to invent the perfect cookie; and a look at hair dye and the hidden history of postwar America.
She Is Too Fond of Books’ thoughts: I’m a big fan of Malcolm Gladwell; I appreciate the way he shares his pop psychology research; the results are always easy to understand, and expressed in such a way that interesting facts and observations stick with the reader (or, in this case, listener). I’ve read his previous books – The Tipping Point (my favorite) about trends; Outliers, in which he discusses those on the outsides of the bell curve; and Blink which is said to investigate those “snap” decisions we make.
Some of my favorite essays from this collection were the discussion of ketchup (I had an “a-ha” moment when I finally understood why toddlers want ketchup on everything – not only is it a near-universal palate pleaser, but it gives them a measure of control over their food), the marketing of Clairol and L’Oreal hair dye to various images of women, and the examination of homelessness.
“Essays” is a key word in the preceding paragraph. Each of these pieces was previously published in the New Yorker magazine, and I recognized the material from one which was also used in Blink. Because these were discrete articles, and because I had previously read a few of them, they weren’t an ideal motivation for the treadmill. I’ve realized that a longer (novel-length, or nonfiction on one subject) audiobooks are great company on the treadmill; What the Dog Saw kept me company during yardwork and housework.
While What the Dog Saw might have been a better fit for me in a print edition, you may enjoy Gladwell’s ever-passionate narration of his book. The listener can’t help but be interested in ketchup or hair dye when he’s emphasizing a point.
Enjoy this short (less than two minutes long) video of the author speaking about this most recent book:
Dawn, I’ve enjoyed Gladwell’s book in the past, but the title of this one sounded just silly to me…LOL I may give it a try though; Thanks for helping me reconsider.
I haven’t ever listened to an audio book, but this review has made me want to give it a try. I also think I’ll pick up a paperback copy of What the Dog Saw because I did really like Blink and I love Gladwell’s insights into the world. Great review!
This was my first experience with Gladwell’s work and I did enjoy it, although I had to adjust to his narration at first. As with any group of essays, I enjoyed some more than others.
I haven’t read Gladwell, but I do find that short stories and essays are best read than listened to because (1) I like getting lost in the flow of the audio and (2) I don’t necessarily read every piece in a collection from beginning to end (not all are equally appealing to me).
I liked but didn’t love this book, so maybe it didn’t work as well in print either. I did really enjoy the ketchup story as well though.
I won this book in a giveaway a few months ago and can’t wait to read it! It sounds like it is really interesting and has a lot of fun and useful information in it. Glad that you liked it. I am going to have to look out for some of his others as well! Thanks for the great review!
I have this although have not listened to it yet. But the ketchup thing has me intrigued. I used to LOVE ketchup, but it wasn’t the control, I just loved it. Which is weird. Why do kids love the taste so much? It’s not like I would have gone out of my way to eat a tomato as a kid. ….
only one kind of ketchup…well, that is true in the US, but I have noticed that, in Ireland for example, they have several types besides tomato. So what does that mean?
I’ve yet to read anything by Gladwell, and sometimes essays are the ticket between novels. Great review, Dawn.
diane – I think the title is from an essay about “The Dog Whisperer” and the way dogs interpret our cues. One drawback to audio is that I don’t have the print TOC to refer to.
Kimberly – I’ve enjoyed all of Gladwell’s work. The essay format would be better (for me) in a print edition — I hope you like it. And do give a novel or longer nonfiction a try on audio.
Kathy – that’s true, some essays made a stronger impression; there’s always variety in a collection like this.
Beth – oh, if you have the chance to read one of Gladwell’s books, I’d recommend THE TIPPING POINT.
Swapna – I found that article online, for anyone who wants to learn the secret of ketchup: http://www.gladwell.com/2004/2004_09_06_a_ketchup.html
zibilee – let us know which of the essays strike you when you read it. Some of the other Commenters have pointed out the hit or miss nature of collections.
rhapsody – LOL! My youngest would argue with that; he eats tomatoes right from the vine. I put a link to the ketchup article a few lines up … see if you can relate to his findings.
caite – now, that’s interesting. What kind of base do they have, if not tomato? And do we have something similar, with a different name?
Beth – yes, a book like this is nice when you have time for one or two essays. then you can put it down for a few days (or a few weeks) without losing continuity.
I have yet to read a Gladwell book but they sound very intriguing. I thought this would be a good start for me.
My husband has listened to all of these so I feel like I’ve read them all too! I don’t remember him mentioning th ketchup though.
Jenners – I think you’ll really like his writing – very interesting/engaging, with memorable examples.
Stacy – my favorite remains THE TIPPING POINT, but I’ve enjoyed them all.
I had read this piece in the NY’er and then in “best essays”…memorable.
Hard to understand this is not uncommon! One of my friends is taking care of a child whose “parents” along with both maternal and paternal grandparents let the dog attack the child repeatedly…