Like other things on this blog I have fallen behind in my writing. I finished a book at the end of August Called Blink. I had every intention on writing in length about it because I liked it so much. Unfortunately I cant easily recall as much of the detail as I could have 6 weeks ago but I can say that it was a fantastic read and very worthwhile of one's time.Blink is basically about the benefit of using snap judgements to base decisions off of so long as those snap decisions are based off the right inputs. Gladwell illustrates the book with stories of professionals that have gotten so good at certain tasks they can virtually read minds or the future because the can focus in on the smallest of details that lead to correct assumptions, decisions, etc.
Honestly, the book is more entertainment based than self-help based because according to his logic one needs an intimate and rich background in the subject material to start making these decisions correctly but assuming you have the experience in some area of your life you can do the same.
For instance, I bowl... a lot. I should be able to decide how I want to play the lanes just by throwing a shot or two with one ball. I should be able to read subtle things such as the amount of oil up lane vs. down lane and inside vs outside in a shot or two to decide which ball is best to use, at what speed is optimal, and which line is most conducive to striking. Over the course of many games I will likely find that my gut instinctual decision after one or two shots will generally allow me to do better than if I were to try and dissect every detail in the lane. I would probably over analyze and make decision based on obstacles that are not as important as others.
Interestingly enough, if you look at my league stats from last year the first game I bowl is better than the second because I'm relying on my gut, the second I'm dissecting, and the third I understand the lane the best and do good again. The same can be said for the Conan league last year, and the summer league 2006. Basically the last 3 hose pattern leagues I bowled in this pattern showed up. I guess in the future to apply this book to my situation I need to remember what the important factors are in my bowling and base my decisions on my them and stick to them.
Anyway, in the end the book was one of my favorites in a long time and it was a quick easy read too. I recommend it with two thumbs!
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