Book Review: The Tipping Point—Malcolm Gladwell

I first read the book Tipping Point when it was published in 2000. It was interesting reading and I applied it to my current situation as an administrator for an after-school program in a school district. The premise is that things need to reach a critical mass, and at that moment, the shift begins. I applied that to continuing to build high-quality programs and discovered that for me, one critical mass was getting more Site Coordinators who understood how to be a leader and coach than those who did not have this vision. When that critical mass was reached, the remainder began to fall in line, or moved on to other jobs, because the critical mass made it uncomfortable for folks to stay on board when it was obvious the pressure it would put on them to step up the effort.

After many years of thinking about and contemplating the possibilities of Consult 4 Kids, a year ago, a critical mass of another kind was reached, and a small group of driven people began to act on the vision, one step at a time, an as we began to move the “bolder up the hill” we reached a tipping point between dream and reality and the momentum increased. I reread the Tipping Point about six months ago. I was reading it through a different lens and what I learned, what resonated with me in this reading, was the importance of networking and the role of the maven (the person with information to share), the connector (the people who have a sphere of influence that they connect others to), and the salesperson or closer (who comes in an makes the deal). Consult 4 Kids is looking for these people—the connectors, the mavens and the salesperson. If you think that you are one of these people, shoot us an email and let’s have a conversation. At any rate, read the book The Tipping Point and learn how Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. I can certainly say it has changed my life.


Not so usual celebrations…
August 30th is Frankenstein Day. WOW! Not quite sure why, but Frankenstein has three days that folks celebrate or honor him. This one, August 30, is the birthday of the author of Frankenstein, Mary Shelly, who was born on this day in 1797 (Frankenstein was first published in 1818). The last Friday in October is another Frankenstein day—you have to wonder if this recognition was, in any way, attached to Halloween. Google sets it Frankenstein day as October 29th-giving the patched together monster three special days. So today, perhaps to celebrate the author makes more sense, but it would also be an interesting conversation to discuss why this character still intrigues us nearly 200 years after Shelly created him.

Activity for Kids
Youth will enjoy discussing and participating in projects around Frankenstein in August instead of waiting until October. Have the kids create a Frankenstein mask using a paper plate, paint or pens, and a great deal of imagination. After they have finished the masks (be sure they have holes for eyes) have them model the masks and select a winner or two from the group.