<p>Is this a strict requirement? What is going on with this?</p>
<p>i don't think it's absolutely required...we'll all discuss it in groups during NSO, but you may end up in a group with Pres. Gutmann or one of the professors who wrote an intro to the biography...i suggest that you read it, but don't fret over it too much; i don't think we're gonna have a 1000 question multiple choice test on it or anything</p>
<p>It isn't required but you will discuss it during NSO. But as mentioned, you will probably look silly in front of the faculty.</p>
<p>This is supposed to be for FUN...it's just a medium to interact with fellow students and faculty, and enjoy an interesting read, that's all</p>
<p>after you attend a discussion who knows. Don't stress about this.</p>
<p>what is NSO?</p>
<p>lotta kids in my discussion group for The tipping point obviously hadn't read it.</p>
<p>nobody cared.</p>
<p>edit: as a note, my discussion group was with the interim provost.</p>
<p>will this be a requirement of 2010 too?</p>
<p>It is a Penn tradition.</p>
<p>Probably a different book though.</p>
<p>'Tis a different one every year.</p>
<p>aranaxon: Haha, I didn't find out about the Tipping Point until my friend, who also goes to Penn, mentioned it in a conversation two weeks before NSO. Penn didn't send me the NSO package, so I ended up buying the book myself and scrambling to finish it the night before move-in. In hindsight, that was pretty dumb. You don't really have to say anything in discussion if you don't feel like it.</p>
<p>I enjoyed the book, but i didn't get it mailed to me either :) I am a big geek and I had fun talking about it - i had a pretty good section with Provost Conn.</p>
<p>Yeah I also rather liked it. I thought it was interesting last year when we had to read the Tipping Point, which is about this very systematic way in which the author believed social trends catch on, and then at my hall's discussion with a faculty member, he made a rather surprising observation that the book was quite racist and in fact just a giant marketing ploy, then gave evidence to prove it. I didn't agree with that, but the point is, definitely read your nso book, because you never know what you might get out of it, espcially talking with penn's very intelligent faculty</p>
<p>Yeah, I ended up enjoying the book quite a bit too. I'm currently reading Gladwell's latest book, Blink, which doesn't seem as good so far, but still mildly interesting. </p>
<p>knightmare: What was the argument that the Tipping Point was racist? If it involved racism against blacks, that would seem highly unusual seeing as Gladwell is himself half Jamaican, and was actually featured recently in some kind of black literature magazine. He was also at the bookstore signing books during NSO, and he had a crazy afro.</p>
<p>havent read it yet, and i wouldnt be excited to read it if i were picking this out as a book for personal enjoyment... but its short so w/e... just read it everyone</p>
<p>Moco86, that's interesting, I didn't know he was half Jamaican. Yeah I agree with you, I don't think he was racist, it's just interesting to hear unique takes on the same writing. The prof talked about the four black dudes killing a man on the subway, and how Gladwell chose to make the only criminals/murderers mentioned in the novel be black, and how he wanted to more severely punish these same people for graffiti, instead of even considering options such as graffiti museums. Far out I know. The prof said things to this effect. What's Blink about?</p>