Book Notes #84: What The Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell

What The Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell is a compilation of captivating essays explores human behaviour, intuition, hidden patterns, and empathy.

Title: What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures
Author: Malcolm Gladwell
Year: 2009
Pages: 432

Looking under the surface of the seemingly mundane, Malcolm Gladwell explores the underdogs, the overlooked, the curious, the miraculous and the disastrous, and reveals how everyone and everything contains an incredible story.

What the Dog Saw is Gladwell at his very best – asking questions and finding surprising answers.

Known for his radical writing, Gladwell brings together a collection of adventures initially published in The New Yorker. 

The collection is an exciting mixture of economics, marketing, psychology, social history, and sociology. Gladwell as usual covers a wide spectrum of topics in this work, which transforms readers into diverse individuals.

Gladwell’s writing style is captivating, making complex topics accessible and engaging to a broad audience. 

Each essay presents a unique and thought-provoking perspective on various aspects of everyday life.

As a result, I gave this book a rating of 7.5/10.

For me, a book with a note 10 is one I consider reading again every year. Among the books I rank with 10, for example, is Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People.

3 Reasons to read What the Dog Saw

1. Understanding the Power of Intuition: Gladwell explores how intuition shapes decisions with limited information, sharing expert experiences. We can grasp the unconscious processes behind actions, learning to harness intuition effectively.

2. Uncovering Hidden Patterns and Connections: Gladwell reveals hidden meanings and connections in diverse scenarios, fostering curiosity. We can sharpen pattern recognition, gaining fresh perspectives on everyday events.

3. Empathy and Human Behaviour: Through compelling narratives, Gladwell highlights empathy, understanding motivations and emotions. We can develop compassion in relationships and communities, appreciating human complexity.

What the Dog Saw is not a book written by Malcolm Gladwell. Instead, it is a compilation of essays written by him, published in 2009. 

The book consists of various articles that originally appeared in The New Yorker magazine, where Gladwell is a staff writer.

The essays in What the Dog Saw covers a wide range of topics, exploring different aspects of human behaviour, social phenomena, and psychological insights.

Each essay delves into a unique story or case study, offering readers a glimpse into how the mind works, how decisions are made, and the intricacies of everyday life.

What are the Key Ideas

The power of intuition in decision-making: What the Dog Saw explores how our minds make quick judgments and decisions based on limited information, often leading to surprisingly accurate outcomes. It emphasizes the importance of understanding and harnessing intuition effectively in our daily lives.

Uncovering hidden patterns and connections: Malcolm Gladwell has a talent for spotting patterns and connections in seemingly unrelated events or scenarios. He reveals the underlying threads that tie them together, encouraging readers to think critically and gain new perspectives on the world around them.

Understanding human behaviour through empathy: Through compelling narratives, What the Dog Saw sheds light on the motivations and emotions that drive human actions. By exploring the stories from the book, readers develop a deeper sense of empathy and appreciation for the complexities of human nature.

Challenging perceptions of the ordinary: Gladwell’s insights transform seemingly mundane events and objects into extraordinary stories. He challenges readers to look beyond the surface and find meaning in the everyday occurrences that surround us.

Blending storytelling and science to explore complexities: What the Dog Saw combines storytelling with scientific research and data, making complex topics accessible and engaging. What the Dog Saw offers a captivating journey into various subjects, providing readers with valuable insights into the complexities of life and human behaviour.

What are the Main Lessons

Trust your intuition: Understanding the power of intuition can help in decision-making, allowing us to make quick judgments based on limited information and leading to better outcomes.

Embrace curiosity: Uncovering hidden patterns and connections requires curiosity and critical thinking. Cultivate a curious mindset to gain new perspectives and insights from everyday occurrences.

Practice empathy: Understanding human behaviour through empathy fosters compassion and deeper connections with others. By appreciating the motivations and emotions that drive actions, we can build stronger relationships.

Seek meaning in the ordinary: Challenge perceptions of the ordinary by finding significance in everyday events and objects. Embrace a mindset that looks for hidden stories and connections in the seemingly mundane, enriching our understanding of the world.

One of the most valuable takeaways from What the Dog Saw is the emphasis on empathy and understanding human behaviour. Gladwell delves into the stories of individuals and communities, shedding light on the motivations and emotions that drive their actions. 

Through these compelling narratives, readers of What the Dog Saw can develop a deeper sense of empathy, appreciating the complexities of human nature and the diverse factors that shape our choices.

My Book Highlights & Quotes

Good writing does not succeed or fail on the strength of its ability to persuade. It succeeds or fails on the strength of its ability to engage you, to make you think, to give you a glimpse into someone else’s head

Nothing frustrates me more than someone who reads something of mine or anyone else’s and says, angrily, ‘I don’t buy it.’ Why are they angry? Good writing does not succeed or fail on the strength of its ability to persuade. It succeeds or fails on the strength of its ability to engage you, to make you think, to give you a glimpse into someone else’s head—even if in the end you conclude that someone else’s head is not a place you’d really like to be

What does it say about a society that it devotes more care and patience to the selection of those who handle its money than of those who handle its children…”

The ethics of plagiarism have turned into the narcissism of small differences: because journalism cannot own up to its heavily derivative nature, it must enforce originality on the level of the sentence

Happiness, in one sense, is a function of how closely our world conforms to the infinite variety of human preference

The talent myth assumes that people make organizations smart. More often than not, it’s the other way around

Words belong to the person who wrote them

Everything that can be tested must be tested

The book’s title is inspired by one of the 19 essays in which Gladwell investigates the abilities and perceptions of our furry friends, dogs, to understand the world from their perspective.

Some essays in What the Dog Saw explore topics like the concept of intuition, the challenges of communication, the dynamics of successful entrepreneurs, and the hidden meanings behind simple objects and events.

One of the central themes in What the Dog Saw is the concept of intuition. Gladwell delves into how our minds make quick judgments and decisions based on limited information, often leading to surprisingly accurate results. 

Through various compelling examples, such as the experiences of experts and professionals, What the Dog Saw highlights the power of intuitive thinking and its role in shaping our actions and perceptions.

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