I know, I know, *everyone* has read this book already. But I hadn’t. Now I have.

The Tipping Point is a really great book that discusses the phenomena surrounding “social epidemics”. The “Tipping Point” describes that moment in time when things coalesce and an epidemic begins. The book talks of the “Law of the Few”, which involves 3 distinct types of people that are necessary to spread social epidemics: the Connector, who knows everyone; the Maven, who knows everything; and the Salesman, who knows how to influence people. Know people who fit these roles? I do.

The book goes into detail about the idea of stickiness, and what makes something sticky, using Sesame Street and Blue’s Clues as examples of children’s programming that really hold the attention of kids and educate them. It also talks about the Power of Context and how environmental forces can play a large role in influencing an epidemic.

Interesting to me was the idea of 150 being the most people that you can really keep social relationships with at any one time, hammered home with a study of Gore Associates, a privately held, multimillion-dollar high-tech firm who does not allow more than 150 workers in a single plant.

There’s lots more to read here - I highly recommend this book to anyone working in social media. And since I’ve read a bunch of “work” books in a row, now I’m going to enjoy re-reading the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.