The Tipping Point

You never realized how big of a difference little things make until you read this book. The Tipping Point shines light on small factor that play large roles in things like fashion, crime, language, etc. As a journalist, Malcolm Caldwell knows the art of research and investigating, and it is apparent in this book. Fashion is one of my favorite things to talk about and look at. As a model, you see so many clothing items and you match them up in your head from head to toe. Sometimes you can’t think of what shoes or purse will add the finishing touches to an outfit so you have to think back! I can count plenty of times when I have gone to a thrift store or consignment shop to find gems that would not be found in a department store or mall. So I’m not surprised that the Hush Puppy show came back in style. In 2016 we’ve seen many thing come back into style like high waist pants, three strap sandals, up-do hairstyles, etc. I know this is true because every time I get something new from the store my mom says “girl, we used to wear them back in the day.” Crime is something that is in every city, you can’t avoid it. But some cities may have a lower crime rate than others. I never thought about the factors that went into these statistics like an older population, drugs, college degrees, etc. The Tipping Point spoke about crime in NYC falling over time. I’ve lived in communities where the crime rate was high and others where it was low. The deciding factor came down to be income. In a place where most people have stable jobs or are retired, they tend to have the resources that those people committing the crimes want for. They are wealthy, educated, and lacking or nothing. On the contrary, those who are committing the crimes lack those things. This is problem why the crime goes down as that demographic gets older, they are either doing better or mentally have chosen to stop the crime. Last but not least, language. As a reporter, I have to make sure that I am using language that others can understand, whether they are in elementary school or have graduated from college. But language varies across different groups. When covering a story about a suicide or homosexuals, you have to make sure the terms are inclusive. Being in a sorority has taught me a lot about language and translation. Everyone was raised differently, and everyone takes words different ways. But when you used inclusive language, language that would be appropriate and respectful in front of your grandmother or mom, you’re usually on the safe side. I think The Tipping Point does a great job of explaining the different factors that makes an issue change or stay the same. I recommend this book to anyone doing research or any journalist that is looking for investigative story idea.