Talking to Strangers

Talking to Strangers

by Malcolm Gladwell

In 1938 Neville Chamberlain, then Prime Minister of Britain, went to Munich to meet with Adolf Hitler. His purpose was to get a read on Hitler's character. Although initially fearful of the possibility of war, Chamberlain left thinking that Hitler was trustworthy.

While most of us don't have to make a character judgment that influential, we do judge one another daily. You've probably thought you knew how someone was feeling already today. We do it all the time, whether at parties, work, or just walking down the street.

If you think you're good at getting a read on people, you're wrong. Everybody we see has different experiences and perspectives, and it's hard to tell what they're thinking. That's what Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know is about. In it, Malcolm Gladwell dissects why we're so bad at judging others and what to do about it.

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