The Tipping Point

Yesterday I discovered a fantastic little store right here in Folsom! In general I like those little second hand stores where you can discover just about anything. Nowadays you rarely see them anymore… Anyway, Colton Books on E. Bidwell is such a store. It’s small, but very well stocked with second-hand books on just about anything! Everything is laid out in a clear, easy to find manner and best of all, the owner is very friendly and helpful! (In fact, I discovered as we spoke, she is Jewish too!)

So, I ended up leaving with a book called “The Tipping Point”. It sounded interesting but what took me was the subtitle; “How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference”. You see, this notion is an oft-repeated theme in Jewish (and even more so in Chassidic) writings.

Maimonides writes that one should consider the world as an equally balance scale. With one good deed we can “tip the scale” and change the whole world for good.

Interestingly, the graphic on the cover of this book is a match. (I guess we know how a little match can affect so many from the recent wild fires in southern California). In Chassidic sources this concept is echoed in the saying “Me’at or docheh harbeh choshech” – “A small light dispels much darkness”.

Now I’ll read this book to find out what Malcolm Gladwell has to say on the matter.