BLINK!!! About This Page:

[DDuff]

Back from vacation - and enjoyed the book while spending hours (76+) in the car. I found myself continually stopping and discussing it with my DH. He had already decided to read it but I just couldn't help myself - I was reading aloud numerous passages to him.

[Sandra Bostwick]

Originally Posted by DDuff

Back from vacation - and enjoyed the book while spending hours (76+) in the car. I found myself continually stopping and discussing it with my DH. He had already decided to read it but I just couldn't help myself - I was reading aloud numerous passages to him.

Well, that just made my day! I'm so gald you enjoyed the book! I don't know why I take the book club selections personally, especially when they are often other people's request, but it always makes me happy when people enjoyed the book.

Now, about the conclusion...I am a musician (actually, I guess I have to say in a career that seems now like a former life) so I would probably relate to that conclusion more than most. For me, though, the conclusion left me feeling as if the author had a hard deadline and needed to throw something together. The conclusion, for me, didn't pull together, summarize, or synthesize the powerful info in this book in any sort of way that moved me.

The study question got me thinking, though: Do you agree that perception is reality?

Interestingly enough, the conclusion left me thinking the author had run out of steam, and I set the book down for a while. For some reason, I decided to read the afterword last night. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now that is some powerful conclusion thinking!

The Battle of Chancellorsville, where Hooker made some serious tactical errors that Lee reacted to and gained the upper hand, was a great story!

Here is the thought that really inspired me to think some more on this topic.

"I hope that after reading this far, you recognize the characteristic signs of judgment's fragility. From experienc, we gain a powerful gift, the ability to act instinctively, in the moment. But-and this is one of the lessons I tried very hard to impart in Blink-it is easy to disrupt this gift."

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This guy, without even knowing me, just uncovered one of the most serious hidden barriers to my search for peace, happiness, fulfillment, achievement, self-esteem, safety, intuition, drive...well, if you name anythink that I have been seeking and desiring, what this author said uncovered one of the big barriers.

Can anyone else relate to this?

[DDuff]

Sandy - I haven't finished the conclusion yet - probably because I was feeling a let down after such powerful chapters. Now that I've read your post, I guess I will pick the book back up and give it a shot!

[Sandra Bostwick]

Originally Posted by DDuff

Sandy - I haven't finished the conclusion yet - probably because I was feeling a let down after such powerful chapters. Now that I've read your post, I guess I will pick the book back up and give it a shot!

Know what? I'd suggest the Cliff's Notes for the conclusion, and go straight to the afterword

In a nutshell: When auditions for a symphony orchestra were done with screens (so you can't see who is playing) more women are chosen. The author's take was that men were biased without knowing it to think women could not play powerful instruments, espcially the trombone.

My take is that the screens remove the conscious choice to exclude women from certain positions, so it is, IMHO, more of proof of a level playing field than an unconscious bias.

Part 2 of the conclusion, A Small Miracle, had some value, I think. He asks if being able to control the environment where rapid cognition takes place might help us control rapid cognition itself. I, personally, would use the word influence because i've given up on controlling ANYTHING, but I think the point is an interesting one.

There ya go, the conclusion in a nutshell.

I am still reading parts of the afterword, and I have to say it is just as powerful as some of the earlier chapters.

I think one thing this author does (which I am often accused of doing) is laying out too much info with too many words. I can see why he thinks the descriptions, such as how the specific facial muscles contribute to understanding the emotion, are important, but the typical reader is going to think that is TMI.

Perhaps he could direct the reader to an appendix for such detail, so they can choose to read it if it is important to them, but it won't slow down the momentum of the typical reader.

I don't know...any comments on that?

[DDuff]

I blame the editor - It seemed to me like the first chapters of this book flowed much better than the end. Maybe it was rushed to publication.

[Sandra Bostwick]

Originally Posted by DDuff

I blame the editor - It seemed to me like the first chapters of this book flowed much better than the end. Maybe it was rushed to publication.

I suspect that may be the case, because the Afterword, I think, came in a later printing. I guess all brilliant works constantly change and evolve.

I give the guy credit for being able to meet the deadline. Sometimes i have trouble finishing things when I know they are still cooking!