Summary of Introduction and Chapter One

The author Malcom Gladwell raises the issue of social epidemics, with the purpose of understanding why some ideas start an epidemic and why other ideas do not. Gladwell argues that epidemics can be started in various ways, by observing several popular trends, diseases, and fashion. In the introduction Gladwell discusses a trend that took place in the 1990s. Hush Puppies were a shoe that was manufactured, but did not become a trend until two people who wanted to be different started to wear them. Once others saw these people wearing the shoes, Hush Puppie sales quickly sky rocketed and became a social epidemic. In chapter one Gladwell discusses a negative social epidemic, that being the outbreak of Syphilis. The syphilis outbreak occured in Baltimore, MD and began 3 different ways. The first being that there were drug users who shared needles and transmitted the disease. The second way was the economic situation at the time and the budget cut back. Therefore clinics were not receiving the money to operate and educate. The third reason for the trend is that low income housing were being torn down and people had to move out of that area and into a new area, spreading the disease.