Q&A with Malcolm Gladwell: "Revenge of the Tipping Point"

Malcolm Gladwell's new book, "Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering," revisits themes from his seminal work, "The Tipping Point," published 25 years ago. In this darker iteration, Gladwell explores how elite institutions like Harvard maintain their cultural and demographic compositions through strategic admissions practices. He argues that Harvard recruits athletes from niche sports to ensure a steady influx of privileged students, thereby preserving its exclusivity and brand value. This approach, he suggests, is a deliberate effort to prevent any non-privileged group from surpassing a critical threshold that could alter the institution's culture. Gladwell contrasts Harvard's stable ethnic proportions with those of other institutions, like Caltech, which have seen significant demographic shifts due to a more meritocratic admissions process. He also draws historical parallels, discussing how Ivy League schools adapted their admissions criteria in response to the influx of Jewish students in the early 20th century, creating a system that balances merit with subjective measures to maintain cultural dominance. The conversation highlights the complexities of group dynamics and the lengths to which elite schools will go to control their demographic makeup.

- Malcolm Gladwell's new book revisits themes from "The Tipping Point."

- Harvard's admissions strategy aims to maintain a privileged cultural composition.

- The book contrasts Harvard's stable demographics with those of more meritocratic institutions.

- Gladwell discusses historical admissions practices in response to changing student demographics.

- The work explores the dynamics of group proportions and cultural preservation in elite institutions.