46. Talking to Strangers - Malcolm Gladwell

 

I've enjoyed Malcolm Gladwell's works in the past, and this book is no exception.   I listened to the Audible version narrated  by Gladwell himself.   Why are humans so terrible at reading the emotions of strangers?  Gladwell explores this subject through anecdotes and research - attempting to explain why humans misread strangers.   This book wasn't at all what I was expecting.  I thought it would be tips and tricks on how to detect lies (hello...I'm a mom to a teenager), but instead it dealt with police brutality, campus rape, sexual assault, spies, and interrogation tactics - situations when misreading another human's intentions leads to disastrous consequences.   We are fed a steady diet of lies on the television which intentionally dramatizes facial expressions to make the actors easily understood, but humans in real life rarely act like that.  We aren't that transparent!   But yet the expectation is set, and when others act contrary to our expectation for transparency we misinterpret them.   This book was a fascinating read and helped me understand myself and others better...or rather embrace that it's impossible for me to understand a stranger, and I should instead approach dealing with strangers with "caution and humility."  I listened to the Audible of this book and the voice acting and recorded interviews added quite a bit to my enjoyment of this piece.   I give this book a 4 ...and definitely the Audible version is worth it.