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Talking to Strangers

What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know

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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

The highly anticipated new book from Malcom Gladwell, host of the chart-topping podcast Revisionist History.

With original archival interviews and musical scoring, this enhanced audiobook edition of Talking to Strangers brings Gladwell's renowned storytelling to life in his unparalleled narrating style.

The routine traffic stop that ends in tragedy. The spy who spends years undetected at the highest levels of the Pentagon. The false conviction of Amanda Knox. Why do we so often get other people wrong? Why is it so hard to detect a lie, read a face or judge a stranger's motives?

Through a series of encounters and misunderstandings - from history, psychology and infamous legal cases - Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an intellectual adventure into the darker side of human nature, where strangers are never simple and misreading them can have disastrous consequences.

No one challenges our shared assumptions like Malcolm Gladwell. Here he uses stories of deceit and fatal errors to cast doubt on our strategies for dealing with the unknown, inviting us to rethink our thinking in these troubled times.

(C) 2019 Malcolm Gladwell (P) 2019 Malcolm Gladwell

 Communication & Social Skills Personal Development Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Social Psychology & Interactions Sociology Thought-Provoking Inspiring Health

Critic reviews

I love this book . . . reading it will actually change not just how you see strangers, but how you look at yourself, the news - the world. Reading this book changed me.
Fascinating . . . you should read the book . . . He's tackling the dark side of human nature - what do we ever know about other people? (Sathnam Sanghera)
Now that practically everybody seems to be spoiling for a fight, I have found Malcolm Gladwell's Talking to Strangers invaluable . . . His moral - to approach new people with caution and humility - has become my motto.
Taut, provocative, smart . . . Gladwell's cool, playful intelligence has made him one of our leading public thinkers
A book examining the ways we misinterpret or fail to communicate with one another could not feel more necessary . . . the page-turning urgency of a thriller (Chris Barton)
Superb writing. Masterful . . . bears all the marks that have made Gladwell one of the most successful non-fiction authors of his generation. (Pilita Clark)
A dazzling book . . . Gladwell is a rock star of nonfiction . . . ideas are slowly revealed until the reader arrives at a conclusion they didn't expect. Gladwell is advancing ideas and, sure, they are all open to challenge . . . but they are stimulating and convincing - and you won't regret a minute you spend mastering them
A wonderful provocation which Gladwell delivers like no other, an awakening to just one of the fascinations that lie in ordinary human experience . . . as ever, Gladwell's genius is in the telling.
Malcolm Gladwell made his name bringing intellectual sparkle to everyday subjects, and his new book - about how strangers talk to each other - is no exception. (Sean O’Hagan)
All stars
Most relevant
So what can I say. Within the first few minutes I’m driving along with my jaw on the floor- oh my god! All my commutes have been reduced to minutes whilst Malcom takes me on a journey of enlightenment and discovery. Forget counting down the miles, I arrive home and sit on the drive not wanting to turn this off! I have waited so long for your new book and still you fail to disappoint. Simply brilliant !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Classic Gladwell please do not leave it another 6 years

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Malcoln Gladwell is brilliant at what he does, breaking down complex ideas so that the mass public can pretend to understand. Here in lies the problem, it's so watered down when done that the impact is superficial. I'll continue reading/listening to him as it's easy going but I would love to see him take on truly new ideas, not just regurgitate what's been covered more academically by others.

Entertaining if not insightful

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Another masterpiece by Malcolm Gladwell. Felt like I was listening to a documentary, not the boring kind, the kind that has your heart on edge.

Invisible walls of 2019 are broken down

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If you love revisionist history, then you're going to love this! And if not, then you're STILL going to love this! Gladwell weaves teaching and storytelling to provide hidden insights into our current culture. Very well produced and a joy to listen to. Bring on the 'enhanced audiobook'!

Outstanding

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Great if not an obvious conclusion. The sound track and original recordings and voice actors is brilliant!

Great if not an obvious conclusion

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