From what I can tell, I’ve read all of Malcolm Gladwell’s books. And before reading this one, which is a kind-of sequel to his best-seller from 25 years ago, I read a blistering review attacking it. But I approached it with an open mind.

And I was not disappointed. Malcolm Gladwell is, above all, a terrific story-teller. He may or may not be right about the subjects he covers, but he’s always engaging and often entertaining. When I say ‘not always right’ I think it may be stretch to make two American television programs responsible for growing world-wide recognition of the Holocaust and the legalisation of gay marriage in the United States. But he may be right, too.

If the book has a fault, and I’m not sure this is a fault, it’s that all the issues he addresses are set in the US. Some are genuinely American issues — as he pointed out, many countries (including the one I live in) did not experience anything like the opiod epidemic that has ravaged parts of the United States. But at least he focussed on what he knows and can research, so this may not be a fault at all. It’s a quick read and I enjoyed every minute of it.