Blink

One of the advantages of having family around over Christmas is the ability I have to help myself to their Christmas presents, to try them out before they do. Notable occasions this has happened over the years include the water gun year, the skateboard year and of course all the Lego years.

Now the lads are adults, I get to sample the chocolates when they're not looking, listen to their CDs and read the books they get for Christmas. They of course get the same courtesy, take my new Suduko book Nick has polished off, from the back of course as he does the genius ones first. Actually I'm sighing with relief about that but don't tell him. I've protested just enough for him to think it's not OK for him to do my Suduko. Truth is I got the book from the secret santa at work and I don't do Suduko, not that I can't mind. I have a very mathematical brain, where else would the genius Nick get his brains from after all. 

Back to the books. This year I managed to snaffle Nick's present Blink before he had even sniffed away that wonderful new book smell. So good of his in laws to buy him such an interesting book. Blink is about the power of thinking without thinking or the snap judgements we make in life that are correct and how we confuse ourselves at times with over thinking and rationalizing them. It's about things clicking into place in the blink of an eye.

The author, Malcolm Gladwell, talks about the concept of thin slicing, how a little bit of knowledge goes a long way and how we become experts at reading people and their actions subconsciously. Sounds kind of heavy for Christmas reading but it's surprisingly entertaining with lots of examples and anecdotes. Things like what makes salespeople great salespeople, how our stature and looks can impact on our success and the role of race and gender in how we are viewed by others. Gladwell also wrote Tipping Point, on my list for the next Borders trip. 

I'm not sure what other books he's got with him but Courtney brought my Mr Pip back and I have my Fisk one on the go too. Nothing like reading three books at a time, that's what a summer holiday is all about. There was even some sun to sit and read in today, warm sun without a cold wind, luxury.

I've got a mission tonight, a midnight trip to the airport to pick up some of the Aussie rellies. They are staying a few days then heading to a family reunion at Makaawhio, on the marae. It should be an interesting gathering, one I'm not tempted to join.  It'll be good to see Des and Scotty again best get some beer in the fridge, it could be a long night.