THE British-born, Canadian-raised (of Jamaican-British parentage) Malcolm Gladwellwrites for The New Yorker magazine and is a New York Times best-selling author. Gladwell’s books include The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, What The Dog Saw, (an anthology of his New Yorker pieces), and his latest which enjoyed a 2013 release — David and Goliath. The New York City-based Gladwell is also an award-winning journalist, speaker and marathoner.

Where?

On Monday, October 13, at the Sir John Golding Rehabilitation Centre fund-raising lecture on capitalisation, which Gladwell delivered at the Assembly Hall at the University of the West Indies, Mona. Cocktails and dinner followed at the Jamaica Pegasus later that evening.

By?

SO reporter Curt Cawley.

Which of your titles is your personal favourite and why?

That’s like asking a father which of his children he prefers! I like them all for different reasons.

What surprising tool did your psychotherapist mother pass on to you as a writer?

My mother who is writer as well impressed upon me the value of clarity and simplicity. I think she learned to write that way at St Hilda’s long ago.

And what did she pass on that you consider quintessentially Jamaican?

That ideas need to be expressed with passion!

Has the literary bible The New Yorker moved from intellectual manna to unread status symbol in this attention-deficit era?

We are actually doing better than ever, because the digital version of the magazine has massively expanded our international readership. In an attention-deficit world, a thoughtful publication is more important than ever.

It is said that during the writing of your fifth and latest title David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants, you rediscovered your Christian roots. Was that a difficult reconciliation for you as a literary mind?

Not at all! I don’t think the idea of faith is a stretch for a literary mind. Quite the opposite: I think anyone who is engaged with matters of the human spirit sees the power of faith easily.

What would the ‘underdog’ and the ‘favourite’ learn from each other if they were to exchange notes?

The favourite is usually too arrogant to read the notes that come from underdogs. That’s why favourites are so vulnerable.

The journey between a first book and fifth book can be described as a significant one. What truth is that type of author still focused on unearthing?

I spoke a little about this during my time in Jamaica. At the moment I’ve become very interested in the idea of truth — and how to generate it in a society.

What do you find most fascinating about the ‘disagreeable mogul/head honcho’?

I wrote about this in David and Goliath. Truly revolutionary change requires someone who doesn’t need the support and applause of his peers. Very few of us fit that description.

You’re a prolific runner: What are you able to achieve on a run that you struggle to achieve at the keyboard?

Running gives you immediate rewards. In writing, it can sometimes take months to see your effort pay off.

How does the marriage of the American reality star Kim Kardashian and rapper Kanye West hark back to the culture of that nation’s Gilded Age?

Is there anything more than has possibly be said about the Kardashians? Or Kanye West? I suspect that they are made for each other.

What is the most misunderstood or threatening element of capitalism?

Capitalism is the best way to achieve growth. It is not the best way to achieve fairness. Reconciling those two conflicting ends is the difficult part of governing.

Why is feminism still such a dirty word, even in 2014?

Because we still haven’t accepted the fact that there is nothing radical or scandalous about women asking to be treated as equals.

Social media is pop culture’s new BFF. How do you see that relationship developing over time?

I am the wrong person to ask. I have tweeted only a few dozen times in the last year. I’m still struggling to figure out how to express something valuable in 140 characters.

It is often said that Millennials will be remembered as the generation who lacked coping mechanisms due to their obsessive need for instant gratification. What’s your take?

I think it is dangerous to generalise about a given generation’s characteristics. Miillenials are still very young. Let’s revisit that question in 20 years, after they’ve gone through marriage, parenthood, careers and have mortgages and tuition to pay each month. I suspect they will have developed some pretty powerful coping mechanisms by then!

What does Malcolm Gladwell binge-watch on television?

American football and international track.

What are your style essentials?

I have no idea! I think I wear the same jeans and sneakers every day.

You’re about to jump on a flight to anywhere, what magazine titles are sure to accompany you to the airport terminal checkout counter?

The New Yorker, of course!

Where does your shopping cart stop in your local grocery store’s snack aisle?

Chocolate. Coffee. Mangoes. All good Caribbean staples.