I decided to read the book Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell. Even though I found interest in the title of this book, I went ahead and looked it up to read the first few pages. I assumed that there was a psychological aspect to what the book is about, and after I started reading, I realized that my assumption was right. Just in the beginning section, multiple different psychologists were mentioned, as well as the experiments and tests that were done. One thing that makes Blink different than any book I have ever read, is that some of the tests are given to the reader to prove certain points. For example, I took a “scrambled sentence test,” and I learned that certain words scattered throughout the sentences can affect how one behaves. Seeing words like “worried,” “old,” “lonely,” “gray,” “bingo,” and “wrinkle,” in sets of five-words, causes my adaptive unconscious to think about the state of being old. My brain takes all of this so seriously that after the test, I would find myself walking slower, like an old person would. I found it very interesting that without even noticing it, my behavior could be changed for the short moment following the test.

So far, I have found the book to be a pretty easy read. I like how the author uses a voice that addresses the reader. A lot of “you” and “your” is used, which forms a connection between the book and the reader. I think it causes me to find myself interested in learning more about what my subconscious really is about. Reading this book has opened up my eyes to the fact that everyone’s unconscious is more accurate than commonly thought. Certain examples in the book prove that initial judgments of a person can be just as accurate as knowing the person for multiple years. Before reading this book, I would of never expected that to be possible. I’ve always learned to get to know a person and to never judge a book by its cover. Now, I feel that it is better to accept the nature of our snap judgments. It is possible to know things without hours of extensive research, or any research for that matter.

Psychology has always intrigued me, which is what led me to read Blink. It seems to be a very factual book, and with all the experiments described, I can say that the author does an impressive job at proving her facts right.