How exactly do social trends begin and how do they become such huge phenomena? Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point explains how ideas, trends, and behaviors reach a "tipping point" (Gladwell, 2000). According to Gladwell, a tipping point is the culmination of a particular phenomenon. The Tipping Point describes exactly how disease outbreaks, fashion trends, TV shows, products, etc. become popular and last for extended periods. In this summary, I will attempt to reiterate what Gladwell means by talking about “how many small things make a big difference.” Chapter One To understand how things reach a crisis point, you must first understand the three rules of epidemics. Gladwell defines the three rules of epidemics as the law of the few, the rigidity factor and the power of context. The first rule, the law of the few, explains how individuals with connections and persuasion make a difference by pushing epidemics to their limits and spreading a useful message far and wide. It most definitely takes talent to be that person(s) for something to reach its peak. THE ...