Why Gladwell Can Do No Wrong

You ever go to hear a writer speak--or worse, hear them read from their work--and think, "well that pretty much ruined my opinion of not only his fashion sense but also of the book which I previously loved so much?"

Let's face it, people: writers are good at writing and not much else. Harsh but true. If it wasn't, there would be more of them on billboards and cereal boxes. They're not snappy dressers or cunning linguists; they're not conversationalists and they don't have a wicked jump shot. Once, I heard a writer who had trouble reading and pronouncing the words that he himself wrote. I remember sitting there, my disappointment mounting, thinking, "No, no, NO! You are doing it all wrong. You are ruining it!"

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I started reading Malcolm Gladwell's books a couple of years ago and my i.q. immediately jumped by the necessary increments to qualify me as "fully-functioning." Through a series of essays, Gladwell--a journalist of The New Yorker fame--explores a general topic. After putting in hundreds of hours of research, he artfully crafts the essays in a style that is both informative and engaging, while always maintaining a fun, inquisitive voice. What does Malcolm Gladwell have to do with writers sucking at life, you ask? Well it just so happens that he is one of the best public speakers working right now. I sense your incredulity. "A writer and a good public speaker?" you ask, mouth agape in childlike glee. That's right, kids. Just check out the above video, "Choice, happiness, and spaghetti sauce." While viewing, pay close attention to Gladwell's style of delivering what is essentially an academic talk. He keeps it light without sacrificing credibility, he cracks jokes at his own expense, he ropes the listener in not only with his body language but also the narrative with which he paints the picture of Howard Moscowitz. He fosters a connection.

So. You want to be a writer and a speaker? You want to inform, entertain, draw crowds? Well, why not study the writer who is also one of America's highest paid speakers today ($80,000 per talk, not too shabby).