Blink is a book about how we think without thinking, about choices that appear to be made in an instant--in the blink of an eye--that actually aren’t as simple as they seem. Why are some people brilliant decision makers, while others are consistently inept? Why do some people follow their instincts and win, while others end up stumbling into error? How do our brains really work, in the office, in the classroom, in the kitchen, and inthe bedroom? And why are the best decisions often those that are impossible to explain to others?
Blink is a book about how we think without thinking, about choices that appear to be made in an instant--in the blink of an eye--that actually aren’t as simple as they seem. Why are some people brilliant decision makers, while others are consistently inept? Why do some people follow their instincts and win, while others end up stumbling into error? How do our brains really work, in the office, in the classroom, in the kitchen, and inthe bedroom? And why are the best decisions often those that are impossible to explain to others?
Blink reveals that great decision makers aren’t those who process the most information or spend the most time deliberating, but those who have perfected the art of "thin slicing"-- knowing the very few things that matter.
Drawing on cutting-edge neuroscience and psychology, and displaying all of the brilliance that made The Tipping Point such a landmark work, Blink changes the way you understand every decision you make. Never again will you think about thinking in the same way.
INTRODUCTION
The Statue That Didn’t Look Right
ONE
The Theory of Thin Slices: How a Little Bit of Knowledge Goes a Long Way
TWO
The Locked Door: The Secret Life of Snap Decisions
THREE
The Warren Harding Error: Why We Fall For Tall, Dark, and Handsome Men
FOUR
Paul Van Riper’s Big Victory:Creating Structure for Spontaneity
FIVE
Kenna’s Dilemma: The Right--and Wrong-Way to Ask People What They Want I47
SIX
Seven Seconds in the Bronx: The Delicate Art of Mind Reading
CONCLUSION
Listening with Your Eyes: The Lessons of Blink
Notes
Acknowledgments
Index