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If Books Could Kill

If Books Could Kill

Malcolm Gladwell's "Blink"

Jul 17, 2025 · 58 min · 12 segments

Did you know that in the split-second it took you to read the title of this episode, your subconscious already figured out that it was going to be extremely good? Peter and Michael talk about Malcolm…

Did you know that in the split-second it took you to read the title of this episode, your subconscious already figured out that it was going to be extremely good? Peter and Michael talk about Malcolm Gladwell's "Blink," a book that is mostly cute scientific anecdotes but also indirectly resulted in millions of taxpayer dollars being wasted on fraudulent science. **Where to find us:** - Our Patreon - Our merch! - Peter's newsletter - Peter's other podcast, 5-4 - Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase **Sources:** - Unconscious influences on decision making: A critical review - Half a Minute: Predicting Teacher Evaluations From Thin Slices of Nonverbal Behavior and Physical Attractiveness - 'Thin slices' of life - Conditions for Intuitive Expertise: A Failure to Disagree - Telling More Than We Can Know: Verbal Reports on Mental Processes - Magic at the marketplace: Choice blindness for the taste of jam and the smell of tea - False-Positive Psychology: Undisclosed Flexibility in Data Collection and Analysis Allows Presenting Anything as Significant - Reading Lies: Nonverbal Communication and Deception - Behavioral Science and Security - TSA Should Limit Future Funding for Behavior Detection Activities - TSA Does Not Have Valid Evidence Supporting Most of the Revised Behavioral Indicators Used in Its Behavior Detection Activities - Telling Lies: Fact, Fiction, and Nonsense - TSA’s Secret Behavior Checklist to Spot Terrorists - A Review of 'Blink' by Malcolm Gladwell Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

Did you know that in the split-second it took you to read the title of this episode, your subconscious already figured out that it was going to be extremely good? Peter and Michael talk about Malcolm…

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Speakers: Michael HobbesHostPeter ShamshiriHost

Top entities: John M. Gottman×10 Getty Center×5 Thin-slicing×2 Transportation Security Administration×9 Federico Zeri×2

Show signals: SuitabilitySafeBiasLeans leftAudience≈42k followers

First Impressions of ‘Blink’0:24 – 2:07

M

MichaelHost

0:24

The book is Blink by Malcolm Gladwell.

P

PeterHost

0:27

Heard of it, heard of him.

M

MichaelHost

0:28

Big bestseller, at least a few million copies sold.

M

MichaelHost

0:31

It came out in 2005.

P

PeterHost

0:33

Mm-hmm.

M

MichaelHost

0:34

It was the third big Gladwell.

M

MichaelHost

0:36

His first one was The Tipping Point.

M

MichaelHost

0:38

Then you had Outliers, which we did an episode on.

M

MichaelHost

0:41

And then you get Blink, The Power of Thinking Without Thinking.

P

PeterHost

0:45

Boom.

M

MichaelHost

0:46

This is also the first Gladwell book, I think just based on my sort of casual perusal, to get some very negative early reviews.

M

MichaelHost

0:55

I think there was, like, a good number of people at this point who were getting wise to the shallowness of the pop science airport book genre.

P

PeterHost

1:04

Yeah.

P

PeterHost

1:04

This is, this is at the time when, like, four of the top ten TED Talks are just, like, thoroughly debunked.

M

MichaelHost

1:11

(laughs)

P

PeterHost

1:11

I'm sorry, grit is not a thing.

M

MichaelHost

1:12

It- I guess it's sort of perfect for me, because I am ever a contrarian.

M

MichaelHost

1:16

And I guess the twist here is that I kind of like this book.

M

MichaelHost

1:20

I think- (laughs)

P

PeterHost

1:20

Yeah.

M

MichaelHost

1:21

I think this book is pretty good.

P

PeterHost

1:22

I think we should talk about your complicated feelings on this, 'cause you've been agonizing about this episode for, like, weeks.

M

MichaelHost

1:26

I have.

M

MichaelHost

1:27

I expected this book to be pseudo-scientific trash.

P

PeterHost

1:31

Yeah, same.

John M. GottmanPersonAmerican psychologist and professor
99%10 mentions
Getty CenterEntityMuseum in Los Angeles, California
97%5 mentions
Thin-slicingEntity
95%2 mentions
Transportation Security AdministrationGovernment OrganizationGovernment agency
94%9 mentions
Federico ZeriPersonItalian art historian
92%2 mentions
Malcolm GladwellPersonBritish-Canadian journalist and author
90%59 mentions
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without ThinkingBookBook by Malcolm Gladwell
88%17 mentions
Arthur A. Houghton Jr.PersonIndustrialist
86%3 mentions
PatreonCompanyCompany
85%6 mentions
Daniel KahnemanPersonIsraeli-American psychologist
83%2 mentions
FloridaAdministrative AreaUS state
81%6 mentions
Jonathan SchoolerPersonAmerican psychologist
79%3 mentions
OutliersBookBook by Malcolm Gladwell
77%3 mentions
Richard Allen PosnerPersonAmerican legal scholar
75%14 mentions
Vic BradenPersonAmerican tennis player
74%4 mentions
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big DifferenceBookBook by Malcolm Gladwell
72%1 mention
University of IowaCollege or UniversityPublic university in Johnson County, Iowa
70%1 mention
Consumer ReportsEntity
68%1 mention
Gary A. KleinPersonPsychologist
66%2 mentions
Paul EkmanPersonAmerican psychologist and professor
65%10 mentions
PepsiCo, IncCompanyFood company
63%6 mentions
Bill ClintonPerson42nd U.S. President
61%2 mentions
Diederik StapelPersonDutch former professor and social psychologist
59%2 mentions
TEDEntityConference
57%3 mentions
Daryl BemPersonSocial psychologist and professor
55%1 mention
Lie to MeTV SeriesAmerican drama series
54%3 mentions
Killing of Amadou DialloEventEvent
52%7 mentions
IowaAdministrative AreaUS state
50%1 mention
United States Government Accountability OfficeGovernment OrganizationFederal agency
48%2 mentions
Thinking, Fast and SlowBookBook by Daniel Kahneman
46%2 mentions
ContemptEntity
45%1 mention
Coca-ColaProductCarbonated soft drinks
43%4 mentions
CaliforniaAdministrative AreaUS state
41%1 mention
Los AngelesCityCity in California
39%1 mention
Nalini AmbadyPersonAmerican social psychologist
36%1 mention
Robert RosenthalPersonAmerican psychologist
36%1 mention
Warren G. HardingPerson29th U.S. President
34%2 mentions
Timothy WilsonPersonAmerican social psychologist and writer
32%3 mentions
The InterceptWebsite
30%1 mention
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28%1 mention
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26%1 mention
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25%1 mention
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23%1 mention
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21%2 mentions
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19%1 mention
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17%2 mentions
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15%1 mention
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14%1 mention
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12%1 mention
Monica LewinskyPersonAmerican activist
10%1 mention

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DiscriminationPolitics > Social Issues > Racism
RacismPolitics > Social Issues
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IntuitionPsychology > Cognitive Science
PsychologyMedia > Books > Non-Fiction
IntuitionMedia > Books > Non-Fiction > Psychology
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Case StudiesLaw > Criminal Justice > Policing > Racial Profiling
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BehaviorSociety > Culture
PolicingLaw > Criminal Justice
Non-FictionMedia > Books
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First Impressions of ‘Blink’0:24 – 2:07

M

MichaelHost

0:24

The book is Blink by Malcolm Gladwell.

P

PeterHost

0:27

Heard of it, heard of him.

M

MichaelHost

0:28

Big bestseller, at least a few million copies sold.

M

MichaelHost

0:31

It came out in 2005.

P

PeterHost

0:33

Mm-hmm.

M

MichaelHost

0:34

It was the third big Gladwell.

M

MichaelHost

0:36

His first one was The Tipping Point.

M

MichaelHost

0:38

Then you had Outliers, which we did an episode on.

M

MichaelHost

0:41

And then you get Blink, The Power of Thinking Without Thinking.

P

PeterHost

0:45

Boom.

M

MichaelHost

0:46

This is also the first Gladwell book, I think just based on my sort of casual perusal, to get some very negative early reviews.

M

MichaelHost

0:55

I think there was, like, a good number of people at this point who were getting wise to the shallowness of the pop science airport book genre.

P

PeterHost

1:04

Yeah.

P

PeterHost

1:04

This is, this is at the time when, like, four of the top ten TED Talks are just, like, thoroughly debunked.

M

MichaelHost

1:11

(laughs)

P

PeterHost

1:11

I'm sorry, grit is not a thing.

M

MichaelHost

1:12

It- I guess it's sort of perfect for me, because I am ever a contrarian.

M

MichaelHost

1:16

And I guess the twist here is that I kind of like this book.

M

MichaelHost

1:20

I think- (laughs)

P

PeterHost

1:20

Yeah.

M

MichaelHost

1:21

I think this book is pretty good.

P

PeterHost

1:22

I think we should talk about your complicated feelings on this, 'cause you've been agonizing about this episode for, like, weeks.

M

MichaelHost

1:26

I have.

M

MichaelHost

1:27

I expected this book to be pseudo-scientific trash.

P

PeterHost

1:31

Yeah, same.

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