What the Dog Saw

Malcolm Gladwell explores "minor geniuses" and idiosyncratic behavior to reveal how we organize our experiences in this engaging collection of writings from The New Yorker. He poses intriguing questions: What distinguishes choking from panicking? Why are there numerous mustard varieties but only one ketchup? What can football players teach us about hiring teachers? How does hair dye reflect 20th-century history? Over the past decade, Gladwell has authored three influential books—The Tipping Point, Blink, and Outliers—that reshaped our understanding of the world. In this compilation, he presents the best of his New Yorker pieces, featuring the bittersweet story of the birth control pill's inventor and the innovative pasta sauce creator Howard Moscowitz. He shares insights from Ron Popeil, the American kitchen king, and uncovers the techniques of Cesar Millan, the "dog whisperer." Gladwell delves into topics like intelligence tests, ethnic profiling, and "hindsight bias," examining why Silicon Valley once favored a particular college graduate. He asserts that "good writing" engages readers and offers a glimpse into others' minds. This collection exemplifies Gladwell's buoyant spirit and relentless curiosity, solidifying his reputation as a brilliant investigator of the extraordinary.