Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know Paperback – 30 April 2020

Talking to Strangers is another compelling book by Malcolm Gladwell that delves into the complexities of human interaction, particularly with people we don't know. Gladwell examines how our preconceived notions, cultural biases, and psychological quirks can affect our ability to accurately perceive and interact with strangers.Key themes and concepts:The default assumption: The idea that we instinctively assume strangers are friendly and trustworthy until proven otherwise.The stranger effect: The phenomenon of how our perception of strangers can be skewed by our preconceived notions and stereotypes.The power of context: How the environment and circumstances can influence our interactions with strangers.Examples explored in the book:The case of Sandra Bland, a black woman who died in police custody after a traffic stopThe phenomenon of "stranger danger" and its impact on our interactions with strangersThe challenges of communicating effectively across cultural boundariesWhy this book is important:Understanding human interaction: Talking to Strangers provides valuable insights into the complexities of human relationships, particularly with those we don't know.Improving communication: The book offers practical advice on how to communicate more effectively with strangers and avoid misunderstandings.Challenging our biases: Gladwell encourages us to question our preconceived notions and stereotypes about strangers.If you're interested in learning more about human psychology, communication, and the challenges of interacting with strangers, Talking to Strangers is a thought-provoking and informative read.

We don't know how to read strangers or how to talk to them. We think we do, but we don't. This is the central thesis of Gladwell's latest book. He uses it to tell stories - as he always does - and they are good stories. Why spies don't get caught (very often), how Bernie Madoff got away with huge fraud, why Amando Knox looked guilty even though she wasn't, how we can understand Friends with the sound off, but people from other cultures can't, how you can reduce crime by targeting things cleverly. It's really interesting, told in Gladwell's incredibly readable style.The book opens and closes with the case of Sandra Bland - which brings everything together in the most tragic way imaginable.I'm less sure on what the conclusions are, beyond the fact that we're not very good at talking to strangers or reading them. So there's not really much of a clear conclusion. That's OK, I guess, but just so you know. It's definitely worth reading though.

I work a lot with people, and use communication interventions with clients. This book really gave me a different perspective on how people operate in certain situations, and how we need to use our judgement constantly to figure out the facts!It helped me think of things differently.It’s such a constant page turner - much like many of Gladwells books. If your looking for a thought provoking read, give it a go!

Very well written. I can relate my experiences to a lot that Michael writes about. It was like reading myself. Enjoyable read it kept me wanting to read more and not wanting to put thr book down. Have Malcolm Gladwell's other 5 books sitting in my basket. I am looking forward to reading his other books and hope they are as enjoyable as 'Talking to Strangers'.

Bought after a recommendation from a friend. It is a little bit vague and does not catch attention. so I found it a bit hard. but it might interest others.

Stunning book to make you think. It starts out great and after a while I did think to myself, where is this going? But by the final 2 chapters it all comes together to show how a simple traffic stops ends in someone's death. Not based on any major decision to be openly racist, but on lots of small decisions based on faulty misunstandings of how people actually work . Wow. Those final chapters are worth the perseverance and actually shocked me and provided a lot of context and understanding in a very wide sense going way beyond the obvious.

This is a thought provoking read which is greater than the sum of its parts.In parts it appears simplistic but as whole it has an important message to impart.The underlying premise of this prescient work is that the evolution of humans as a social species has left us as too trusting and in a poor position when it comes to deciphering the motives of others.Gladwell uses the concepts of:‘default to truth,’ transparency’, behavioural ‘mismatching’ and ‘coupling’ to provide a psychological framework to our inability to understand the internal motivations of strangers.Particularly compelling is the notion of coupling and its deployment in the aggressive policing tactics recently linked to tragic cases in the US and UK.The misappropriation of strategies lifted from one context without consideration to cultural or social factors and subsequent deployment elsewhere as a panacea is an increasingly common problem in public administration - from policing to education.The counter productive use of enhanced interrogation procedures in connection with terrorism in procuring reliable witness evidence is also telling.The evidence relating to the influence of alcohol on the amygdala and memory is chilling particularly when considered in the contextual minefield of sexual consent.This is a call to view truth as fragile and to treat strangers with respect and caution - a valuable message for fractious times.

Buenisimo como todos los libros del autor. una introspeccion en el arte de escudriñar a la gente y porque no sabemos si dicen la verdad o no entre otras cosas. muy recomendable

Kids should read and discuss this type of book in class, that would change the next generation for better. Necessary read.

Excellent book , a must read

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There's a lot to learn from the book, although you get the feeling that he is just repackaging someone else's literature. First chapters hinge together well but later the book trails off. Fun read.