For the longest time I’ve understood that the best way for me to learn is by analogy and story telling.
I’m drawn to people who teach me through that method and while that is not a method that suits everyone, it’s definitely a method that suits me.
As a result of that, when I’m given the privilege to teach (and that is quite often) it's always done through that method of story telling and analogy, of sharing information personally about me and personally about other people and other situations.
It’s not for everyone and it’s certainly not always for everyone but it's also certainly a way that humans have taught and learnt for millennia.
On a recent trip to Scotland with the boy and on the long road up the M1/A1/A66, I decided to introduce him (at age 13) to concepts that I never found out about until I was a much older man.
We started that journey with Malcolm Gladwell and his amazing and groundbreaking book ‘David and Goliath’.
I recently gave my library binding hardcopy of that book (a very precious thing) to our new practice manager Lauren as part of her induction reading and so I introduced it on audiobook to Callum as part of his induction listening.
This is the part of the blog where I tell you the story that it changed my sons life and he went on to become the president of the world health organisation or similar but that’s not true.
He was interested in some of the concepts initially and then stopped and got bored and went onto something else.
Such as the way of a 13 year old and certainly is not a new thing because it was the way of me as a 13 year old.
To me though it lead in a different direction because over the next few days I finished listening to the book again and I have devoured that book now on many occasions and would easily be able to start it over again today.
Just as I finished it though and as luck would have it with the power of the algorithm, it introduced me to Malcolm Gladwell’s new book which I was unaware of entirely until that point.
And so, having only listened to 30 minutes or so of that book the other morning, I find myself recommending it to you and I have already recommended it to one of the delegates on the course this week, who has already downloaded it on audible (a word of mouth sale for Malcolm from me).
(If Malcolm Gladwell was to count up the return on investment from me, I’m sure he would send me a gift).
It turns out that Malcolm Gladwell has started his own company because he’s so good at producing audiobooks and he wanted to change the paradigm of audiobooks that he’s decided to do it himself.
Gladwell has co-founded a company called Pushkin Industries (named after the Russian romantic writer and creator) and he’s using it to produce podcasts, books and creative work to send a message to change the world.
He started to do this in his previous book ‘Talking to Strangers’ which is more than an audiobook and more like a performance in a production with the media interviews, sound clips and music within that.
He’s doing it again with The Bomber Mafia.
What’s interesting about Gladwell’s latest book is that as he freely admits it’s about his obsession which is effectively war and more specifically air warfare.
It’s beyond that though.
The way we’re able to tell stories going forwards will, almost certainly, define our ability to influence positively; the people we choose to influence and serve.
A good place to start is with someone who is already brilliant and there is probably no-one more brilliant in this environment than Gladwell.
The link to the book is here, I hope you enjoy it as much as I am.
Blog Post Number - 2762
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