Malcolm Gladwell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Malcolm Gladwell
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Gladwell in 2008
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Malcolm Timothy Gladwell
3 September 1963 Fareham, England
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| Nationality | Canadian |
| Education | University of Toronto (BA) |
| Occupation | Non-fiction writer, journalist, public speaker |
| Years active | 1987–present |
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Notable work
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| Relatives | Colin Powell (distant cousin) |
Malcolm Timothy Gladwell CM (born 3 September 1963) is a Canadian journalist, author, and public speaker. He has worked as a writer for The New Yorker magazine since 1996. He has written eight books. Malcolm Gladwell also hosts the podcast Revisionist History. He is a co-founder of the podcast company Pushkin Industries.
Gladwell's books and articles often explore surprising ideas from social sciences. These include subjects like sociology (the study of human society) and psychology (the study of the mind). He often uses ideas from academic research in his work. In 2011, Gladwell was given the Order of Canada. This is a high honor in Canada.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Malcolm Gladwell was born in Fareham, England. His mother, Joyce Gladwell, is a Jamaican psychotherapist. His father, Graham Gladwell, was a mathematics professor from England. When Malcolm was six, his family moved from England to Elmira, Ontario, Canada. This was a Mennonite community. He has two brothers.
Malcolm grew up in rural Ontario. He attended a Mennonite church. Research shows that one of Gladwell's ancestors on his mother's side was a Jamaican woman of mixed black and white heritage. Her great-great-great-grandmother was from the Igbo ethnicity in Nigeria, West Africa.
In his 2008 book Outliers, Gladwell wrote about how lucky events helped his family over many years. These events contributed to his own success. Gladwell has said that his mother is his writing role model.
Gladwell's father noticed that Malcolm was a very focused and ambitious boy. When Malcolm was 11, his father let him explore the offices at the University of Waterloo. His father was a professor there. This made Malcolm interested in reading and libraries. The University of Waterloo gave Gladwell an honorary degree in 2007. In 1982, Gladwell worked as an intern at the National Journalism Center in Washington, D.C.. He earned a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Toronto in 1984.
Career as a Writer
After college, Gladwell wanted to work in advertising. He was turned down by every advertising company he applied to. So, he took a journalism job at The American Spectator magazine. He then moved to Indiana. Later, he wrote for Insight on the News.
In 1987, Gladwell started writing about business and science for The Washington Post. He worked there until 1996. Gladwell once explained his own experience with the "10,000-hour rule." This rule, which he wrote about in Outliers, suggests that it takes about 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert. He said, "I was a beginner at first, and I felt like an expert at the end. It took 10 years—exactly that long."
When Gladwell joined The New Yorker in 1996, he wanted to find new ideas from academic research. His first task was to write about fashion. Instead of fancy clothes, Gladwell chose to write about a man who made T-shirts. He said it was more interesting to write about making an $8 T-shirt than a $100,000 dress.
Gladwell became well-known for two New Yorker articles from 1996: "The Tipping Point" and "The Coolhunt." These articles became the basis for his first book, The Tipping Point. He continues to write for The New Yorker.
In a 2002 article, Gladwell wrote about the "talent myth." He suggested that some companies wrongly believe in only rewarding "stars." He argued that this can lead to inexperienced workers getting promotions too quickly. This can also prevent more experienced employees from moving up. He stated that the most successful companies value experience and take more time for promotions.
Books by Malcolm Gladwell
Malcolm Gladwell has published seven books. His seventh book, The Bomber Mafia, came out in April 2021. When asked about his writing process, he said he looks for interesting stories and interesting research. He tries to find cases where they connect.
The Tipping Point
His first book, The Tipping Point, was published in 2000. The idea for the book came from the sudden drop in crime in New York City. Gladwell wanted the book to explain similar changes in other areas. He looked at these changes through the idea of epidemiology (the study of how diseases spread).
While working at The Washington Post, Gladwell covered the AIDS epidemic. He noticed how "strange epidemics were." He said epidemiologists have a "very different way of looking at the world." The term "tipping point" describes the moment when something spreads very quickly, like a virus reaching a critical mass.
Gladwell's ideas about crime were influenced by the "broken windows theory" of policing. This theory suggests that visible signs of crime, like broken windows, encourage more serious crime. Gladwell helped make this theory popular. However, some people have questioned the strong link between "broken windows" and the drop in crime in New York City. Gladwell later admitted he might have "overstated its importance."
Blink
After The Tipping Point, Gladwell published Blink in 2005. This book explains how our unconscious mind quickly understands events. It also shows how past experiences help us make fast, informed decisions. Gladwell uses examples like the Getty kouros (a statue) and research on divorce in married couples.
Gladwell's own hair inspired Blink. He noticed that after he let his hair grow longer, he started getting speeding tickets often. He also started getting extra checks at airport security. This was unusual because he had never experienced these things before.
Both The Tipping Point (2000) and Blink (2005) were international bestsellers. The Tipping Point sold over two million copies in the United States. Blink also sold very well. By November 2008, the two books had sold a total of 4.5 million copies.
Outliers
Gladwell's third book, Outliers, came out in 2008. It explores how a person's surroundings and their own effort affect their chances of success. Gladwell wondered why many successful corporate lawyers in New York City had similar backgrounds.
He also noticed that people often say Bill Gates succeeded because he was "smart" or "ambitious." Gladwell pointed out that many smart and ambitious people are not worth billions of dollars. He felt that our understanding of success was too simple. He wanted to find better explanations.
What the Dog Saw
Gladwell's fourth book, What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures, was published in 2009. This book is a collection of his favorite articles from The New Yorker magazine. The stories in the book share a common idea. Gladwell tries to show the world from different points of view, even from the perspective of a dog.
David and Goliath
Gladwell's fifth book, David and Goliath, was released in October 2013. It looks at the struggles between underdogs and favorites. The book was partly inspired by an article Gladwell wrote for The New Yorker called "How David Beats Goliath." The book became a bestseller.
Talking to Strangers
Gladwell's sixth book, Talking to Strangers, was released in September 2019. Gladwell said he was inspired to write the book because many news stories were about strangers misunderstanding each other. The book challenges the assumptions we make when we meet new people. It also explores the possible dangers of misinterpreting people we don't know.
The Bomber Mafia
Gladwell's seventh book, The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War, was released in April 2021.
Revenge of the Tipping Point
Gladwell's eighth book, Revenge of the Tipping Point, was released in October 2024. This book is a follow-up to his popular book The Tipping Point, which came out in 2000.
Podcasts
Gladwell hosts the podcast Revisionist History. It started in 2016 and has aired seven seasons, each with 10 episodes. Each episode starts with a question about a person, event, or idea. Then, it questions what people commonly believe about that subject.
Gladwell was asked to create a podcast by Jacob Weisberg, who worked for The Slate Group. In September 2018, Gladwell announced he was starting his own podcast company with Weisberg. This company was later named Pushkin Industries. Gladwell said that some feelings and ideas can only be shared well through audio.
He also has a music podcast called Broken Record with Bruce Headlam and Rick Rubin. On this podcast, they interview musicians. It has two seasons, from 2018–2019 and 2020, with a total of 49 episodes.
Personal Life
Malcolm Gladwell is a Christian. His family attended church in Southampton, U.K., and later in Elmira, Canada. His parents and siblings are part of the Mennonite community in Ontario. Gladwell reconnected with his Christian faith while writing David and Goliath. This happened after he met Wilma Derksen, whose child had died.
Gladwell was a very good runner when he was younger. He was a champion in high school in Ontario. He was one of Canada's fastest teenagers in the 1500 meters race. He ran 4:14 at age 13 and 4:05 at age 14. In university, he ran the 1500 meters in 3:55. In 2014, at age 51, he ran a mile in 4:54. At 57, he ran a mile in 5:15.
He had his first child, a daughter, in 2022. In 2024, it was reported that he got engaged, had two children, turned 61, and moved from Manhattan to Hudson, New York.
Awards and Honors
In 2005, Time magazine named Gladwell one of its 100 most influential people.
In 2007, he received an award from the American Sociological Association. This award was for excellent reporting on social issues. In the same year, he received an honorary degree from the University of Waterloo.
In 2011, he was named a Member of the Order of Canada. This is a very high honor in Canada.
He has received honorary degrees from the University of Waterloo (2007) and the University of Toronto (2011).
Images for kids
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Gladwell in 2008
See also
In Spanish: Malcolm Gladwell para niños
