Who is Malcolm Gladwell?

Malcolm Gladwell is a non-fiction writer who has earned a place on the New York Bestsellers list for multiples books inspired by social psychology. His books often cite statistics and research that Gladwell has performed after becoming inspired by recent news stories or personal incidents. Gladwell is a journalist from Canada and has been a writer for “The New Yorker” for more than 15 years. He also makes part of his living traveling and making speeches.

Gladwell was born in England to a psychotherapist and a math professor. When he was just a child the family moved to Canada, where he studied history in college. Even though he graduated in 1984, he was not considered a good student. He was considered intelligent and high-achieving but he did not get especially good grades.

Gladwell’s books delve into research and social science. His four books include “The Tipping Point” (2000), “Blink” (2005), “Outliers” (2008), and “What the Dog Saw” (2009). Each book was considered a bestseller. Even his first book was considered a huge success, earning him a solid reputation in the field of social psychological writing. The first three books were inspired by stories that stuck with him and research he found interesting. The final book, “What the Dog Saw”, is a collection of Gladwell’s articles from “The New Yorker”. Gladwell has sold millions of copies of his books.

While Gladwell has received accolades, many believe that his conclusions are not necessarily correct. Many also reconsider the validity of his work. Still, readers remain impressed by his findings. Gladwell is known for presenting statistical information in a way that is pleasant and interesting to readers who know little about sociology. His reputation earned him a spot on "Time Magazine’s" list of influential people of 2005, after the publication of his second book.

For more on Malcolm Gladwell, Scathing Weekly offers readers more on his book, Outliers.