Tipping Rd. Log 2

Why Does the author use epidemics as an example?

The author of Tipping Point using epidemics as an example because he is trying to demonstrate that just like something simple such as the common flue can adapt, became complex, and infect millions of people. Just as hush puppies started out small with just a few kids in New York city, became contagious, and then quickly spread as more and more people saw people wearing hush puppies and bought them. The author is illustrating that even though human beings generally think in linear terms that something small can unexpectedly reach a tipping point and rapidly change, just as when the temperature dips below freezing it can snow, even though the change was only a few degrees.

This phenomenon can be used to describe the iPod. In the begging some people bought the iPod because it was new and it was a cool product. As more and more people started buying iPods more people wanted one because it became the cool device to have. This is partly do to the fact that the iPod had an elegant yet simple design, and worked with iTunes, however another factor was that if your cool friend had an iPod you would want one too.

Vocabulary

Epidemic: A widespread occurrence of an idea, thought, trend, or fashion, the biological definition is a widespread occurrence of a disease.