reading response essay

Reading Response
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Reading Response
Summary
Malcolm Gladwell's "The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make A Big Difference" explains how diseases become epidemics. The primary three rules discussed by Gladwell are the stickiness factor, the law of the few, and the power of context (Gladwell, 2002). These factors depict how few individuals can significantly contribute to the widespread of a disease. They show the process of reaching the tipping point. The author's primary scenario to show his application of the three rules is Baltimore's mid-1990s syphilis epidemic. Based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the syphilis epidemic was caused by the dramatic increase of crack cocaine in Baltimore. Besides, users of this drug engaged in risky sexual behaviors. A Johns Hopkins University's sexually transmitted disease expert, John Zenilman, said that the breakdown of medical facilities in Baltimore's poorest neighborhoods was responsible for the syphilis epidemic. Another perspective of the spread of syphilis was given by one of the most renowned epidemiologists, John Potterat. According to Potterat, the housing dislocation contributed to people's migration to various parts of Baltimore, hence taking the disease and risky sexual behaviors with them. However, Gladwell asserts that although the above descriptions of the spread of syphilis in Baltimore are true, few people can significantly contribute to the spread of disease. For example, Gaetan Dugas, the French-Canadian flight attendant and patient zero of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), had about 2,500 sexual partners in North America (Gladwell, 2002). The person was linked to approximately 40 early cases of AIDS in New York and California.
Analysis
The primary theme of Gladwell's book is how little things can cause significant effects or consequences. In particular, the author clarifies that few peopl...