What the dog saw - Malcolm Gladwell

I have always enjoyed reading Malcolm Gladwell's books, and this one I must say I enjoyed tremendously. It provided bite-sized material that gave me new insights and perspectives to various issues - I feel I grew a little wiser and also learnt a little more about the world after reading this.

Some of the key things that I learnt:

• Amplitude - how different tastes blend together - as an important factor in how things taste. Now I know why I love my Coke Zero and Santouka ramen. I suppose this also has implications in other areas of life. Perhaps personalities also have blends, and some people are more well-blended than others?
  
• Body language and other non-verbal cues as a powerful way which we communicate with other beings around us. In the case of a dog, which can't really understand most things we say, these cues become amplified and hence can lead to large chances in the behavior of the dog. I believe that the impact on humans is equally strong, but it is harder to become skilful in dealing with humans.
• The benefit of retrospect - I think many armchair economists / theorists / pundits are tremendously skilled in making sense out of things (and accusations too) in retrospect. And it is quite easy to make things look simple (and oneself look intelligent) with the luxury of hindsight. (I'm starting to doubt all the business books I've read! Oh dear.)
• Choking vs panic - these are two things that I often battle with in times of extreme stress. Now I know which situations to use my brain more and which to use my instincts more.
  
• Late bloomers - this gives me some comfort! There are different kinds of genuises and the type of talent they bring to the world are slightly different in nature. Now that I'm over the age for precocity, perhaps I can aim to do something great by my 50s and 60s.