Perfect for learning how humans are notoriously bad at judging strangers through the stories of high-profile cases like Sandra Bland and Amanda Knox.

Combining academic research in sociology and psychology with journalism, Malcolm Gladwell continuously writes books that attempt to change society’s perceptions of social issues. Talking to Strangers is no different and discusses the implications of judging others without truly knowing or understanding one another. The book’s introduction and final chapter discuss the case of Sandra Bland, an African-American woman stopped by a white highway patrolman in 2015 who was later found dead in her cell by apparent suicide. Bland was arrested after a typical traffic stop escalated into a confrontation, and her death “is what happens when a society doesn’t know how to talk to strangers,” according to Gladwell.

Throughout the book, Gladwell explores the nuances and intricacies of talking to strangers and shows how even experts trained in judgment and psychology lack the ability to predict how a stranger will behave. Covering high-profile cases like those of Sandra Bland and the Ponzi scheme of Bernie Madoff, Talking to Strangers will reveal how little you really know about the people that walk among you.

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