Talking to Strangers

Malcolm Gladwell is a fabulous narrator of his latest book, this one about the biases and blind spots people have when trying to understand people who are not like they are. His pleasing tone, phrasing palette, and exceptional skill with dramatic pauses all sound natural, yet add sparkling energy to his writing. He says we often misunderstand others because of cultural and neurological factors that make us default to believing, trusting, and wanting to connect with them. His discussions of how people misread figures like Bernie Madoff and Amanda Knox are riveting. And without moralizing or excusing, he shows how we can also be sidetracked by a variety of institutional and character flaws when doing police work, conducting courtroom trials, and judging any number of people in situations where the truth is mismatched with what is presented. T.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine