The Freshman Reading Experience

The Freshman Reading Program will bring the incoming freshman class together with the reading of a common book, connecting them through an interactive experience with their peers, fellow students, FAU faculty and staff. The chosen book for 2009 is Blink by Malcolm Gladwell.

Freshmen have been invited to join a online community during the summer to discuss the book and learn about FAU's resources. In the online community, students will be able to explore and reflect on the meaning and significance of the book, as well as gain valuable information about the FAU community, develop critical reading skills, and “chat” with other incoming and current FAU students.

Malcolm Gladwell serves as the staff writer for The New Yorker and formerly served as the business science writer for The Washington Post from 1987 to 1996. In 2005 he was named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People. His previous book, "The Tipping Point: How Little Things Make a Big Difference," (2000) along with this volume under review were number one New York Times bestsellers. He graduated from the University of Toronto, Trinity College, with a degree in history.

Gladwell notes that his book Blink is about “the first two seconds of looking … a single glance” — also known as a “thin slice”. He defines a ‘thin slice’ as “refer[ring] to the ability of our unconscious to find patterns in situations and behavior based on very narrow slices of experience”. He notes that thin-slicing “is a central part of being human”. Gladwell’s aim in this work is to show not just the “power of the glance” but also “when our instincts betray us” and how we may educate and control those snap judgments.

The FAU Library is a good resource guide to Blink where you will find interesting tidbits about the author, an informative bibliography and Blink videos from YouTube.  LibGuide is a research assistance, subject guide, and useful resource that is compiled by librarians. Click here to enter the site.