What does the location of Silicon Valley have to do with Freudian psychoanalysis?
You gotta love Malcom Gladwell. I, for one, see him as a sort of intellectual trend setter. No doubt, he’s a smart guy, and his books, including The Tipping Point and Blink, have placed him in the discussion as perhaps one of the preeminent mainstream thinkers of our times. Don’t forget, though, he’s a journalist by training. A storyteller.
I’d argue that Gladwell’s books are popular not just because of his intellectual treatises, but because of his storytelling. He’s demonstrated an uncanny knack for landing on zig-when-they-zag topics, and his arguments are well thought out, and compelling. That’s all true. And… whatever thesis he may be out to prove, he largely hangs his arguments on anecdotes and stories to illustrate his points. Would his ideas be half as well known if his books were not also wonderful page turners?
So here’s another example of Gladwell’s spinning a great story. He starts with an intriguing question – what’s the origin story of Silicon Valley? That is, why did the tech capital of the US (or daresay, the world) end up developing where it did, near San Francisco? Why not New York, or Boston, or somewhere else?
The answer could probably be summarized in two or three sentences. Instead, Gladwell takes his listeners on a journey that debunks a number of potential explanations before landing on his nominee for the deeper reason.
Why does he call this episode Silicon Valley “on the Couch”. Why, after a few minutes into the story, does the trail lead him on a seeming tangent to speak with a psychoanalyst in New York City?
Have a listen. I won’t spoil the ending for you.
https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/revisionist-history/silicon-valley-on-the-couch