���In relation to this article: http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2009/12/gladwell-200912
Mike Palij wrote [snip] > Perhaps what I like least about Gladwell's writing is > when he comes off like a snarky intellectual version > of Larry King, AS HE DOES IN THIS THROWAWAY > ARTICLE. (emphasis added) And Christopher Green wrote: [snip] > more to the point of THIS ADMITTEDLY TRITE > GLADWELL PIECE…" (emphasis added) And Mike again: > It may come as a surprise to some, however, that GLADWELL > IS DOING A SHTICK, but this is, of course, his most > adorable/annoying characteristic. :-) (emphasis added) Hey, folks. The article was a parody of Gladwell *written by Craig Brown*. Craig Brown would be amazed that it led to a serious exchange on the meaning of Christmas! http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/comedy/craigbrown.shtml “Gwyneth Paltrow” shares her secrets of happiness with Craig Brown: http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2009/09/vanities-paltrow200909 Times Higher Education Supplement reviews Craig Brown: http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=176946§ioncode=26 Allen Esterson Former lecturer, Science Department Southwark College, London http://www.esterson.org ---------------------------------------------------------- RE: [tips] Dropkicking Malcolm Gladwell: Steven Pinker Style Mike Palij Sun, 15 Nov 2009 05:41:47 -0800 On Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:52:48 -0800, Allen Esterson wrote: >Malcolm Gladwell discusses Christmas with Craig Brown. > > http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2009/12/gladwell-200912 Perhaps what I like least about Gladwell's writing is when he comes off like a snarky intellectual version of Larry King, as he does in this throwaway article. A greater investment of time but with a much greater payoff would be Stephen Nissenbaum's "The Battle for Christmas" which provides an interesting history of the holiday from the setting of the date of Christman in 400 AD, its manifestation as "misrule" and rejection by some Christian sects such as the Puritains (Christmas was briefly legally banned in Massachusetts), and its reinvention by a number of New Yorkers into a child centered holiday (with borrowing from other cultures, especially German) that we continue to celebrate today. Nissenbaum is a professor of history which might be interpreted as implying that perhaps he has some idea of what he is talking about though, clearly, simply being a professor (as in Pinker's case) might imply to some the opposite. Nissenbaum's book is available in snippet view on books.google.com, see: http://books.google.com/books?id=-q6BAAAAMAAJ&dq=christmas+history+nissenbaum&q=contents#search_anchor It also available in book form on Amazon (sadly, there is no version for Kindle gnawers or Kindle nibblers): http://www.amazon.com/Battle-Christmas-Stephen-Nissenbaum/dp/0679740384/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258290808&sr=1-4 or http://tinyurl.com/yzsa2vz -Mike Palij New York University [email protected] Re: [tips] Dropkicking Malcolm Gladwell: Steven Pinker Style Christopher D. Green Sun, 15 Nov 2009 07:31:48 -0800 Mike, That's a little like comparing a scholarly treatise on life in neolithic times with the old Reiner & Brooks "2000 Year Old Man" routine with ("We spoke Rock." "Really, could you give me an example of Rock?" "Yeah. 'Hey you, don't throw that Rock at me'.") Of course, Mike has never had a cynical thought about Christmas, or (more to the point of this admittedly trite Gladwell piece) about the kind of overly obvious research conclusions that psychologists sometimes like to dress up as being Scientific Discoveries. :-) Chris -- Christopher D. Green Department of Psychology York University Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 Canada RE: [tips] Dropkicking Malcolm Gladwell: Steven Pinker Style Mike Palij Sun, 15 Nov 2009 05:41:47 -0800 On Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:52:48 -0800, Allen Esterson wrote: >Malcolm Gladwell discusses Christmas with Craig Brown. > > http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2009/12/gladwell-200912 Perhaps what I like least about Gladwell's writing is when he comes off like a snarky intellectual version of Larry King, as he does in this throwaway article. A greater investment of time but with a much greater payoff would be Stephen Nissenbaum's "The Battle for Christmas" which provides an interesting history of the holiday from the setting of the date of Christman in 400 AD, its manifestation as "misrule" and rejection by some Christian sects such as the Puritains (Christmas was briefly legally banned in Massachusetts), and its reinvention by a number of New Yorkers into a child centered holiday (with borrowing from other cultures, especially German) that we continue to celebrate today. Nissenbaum is a professor of history which might be interpreted as implying that perhaps he has some idea of what he is talking about though, clearly, simply being a professor (as in Pinker's case) might imply to some the opposite. Nissenbaum's book is available in snippet view on books.google.com, see: http://books.google.com/books?id=-q6BAAAAMAAJ&dq=christmas+history+nissenbaum&q=contents#search_anchor It also available in book form on Amazon (sadly, there is no version for Kindle gnawers or Kindle nibblers): http://www.amazon.com/Battle-Christmas-Stephen-Nissenbaum/dp/0679740384/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258290808&sr=1-4 or http://tinyurl.com/yzsa2vz -Mike Palij New York University [email protected] --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([email protected])
