Tipping Point Questions #1 [Pg. 3-89]

1. Whom does Gladwell say is ultimately responsible for starting the trend that made Hush Puppies "tip"?

2. What are the three distinguishing characteristics of the Hush Puppies phenomenon and the New York City crime phenomenon?

3. How does Gladwell illustrate the notion of a geometric progression?

4. When and in what context did the term "Tipping Point" originate?

5. What relationship did Crane find between the number of high status role models in black communities and the lives of teenagers in those communities?

6. What did the CDC (Center for Disease Control) believe was responsible for the epidemic of syphilis in Baltimore?

7. What did John Zenilman think caused the syphilis epidemic?

8. To what did John Potterat attribute the outbreak of syphilis?

9. What is the 80/20 principle that informs economists and how does this principle affect tipping points?

10. What does Jaap Goudsmit believe was actually the first "AIDS" outbreak? How did it spread at that time?

11. What is the Stickiness factor?

12. What did researchers learn from the Kitty Genovese story about group behavior in crisis situations and what does Gladwell say this suggests about tipping point phenomenon?

13. What was the experiment that Stanley Milgram designed and what familiar expression did it give rise to?

14. How does the surname test apply to the notion of being a Connector?

15. What is the "weak tie" and how does Gladwell suggest Roger Horchow¹s purpose for making the "weak tie" is different than most of us?

16. How does Gladwell differentiate a maven from an expert?

17. What differentiates a Connector from a Maven in his/her ability to "persuade" others?

18. What is Gladwell trying to illustrate with the study of newscasters' facial expressions and viewer voting patterns?

19. What does Gladwell suggest it means to have a powerful personality?

20. What did Howard Friedman's study illustrate about the moods of charismatic people?