Adam Gopnik vs. Malcolm Gladwell
On March 30th, two great journalists—with deep Canadian connections—faced-off over the importance and relevance of a Canadian identity in the world.
Macleans.ca staff | Apr 1, 2008 | 18:54:17
VIDEO: The Arguments | The Debate | The Reaction
OPINION: Andrew Coyne gets the last word
THE ARGUMENTS
THE DEBATE
THE REACTION
Continued Below
Adam Gopnik - The French Connection
Paris to the Moon, which chronicled Adam Gopnik's love/hate relationship with French life and culture, solidified his growing reputation as one of the premier essayists in the U.S. - the French daily Le Monde favourably compared his work to that of Voltaire - and established him as the one of the most perceptive interpreters of French culture to his primarily American audience. [More]
Malcolm Gladwell - The Guru
Malcolm Gladwell rose to international prominence with his 2000 book The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, which investigated why “social epidemics”—quick and unexpected changes like the dramatic drop in crime in 1990s New York City, or the sudden elevation to bestseller status of an unknown book by an unknown author—happen the way they do. [More]
The last time they met: The 2000 health care debate | Gopnik and Gladwell went head-to-head in 2000 over an issue that is still very much relevant to Canadians today
What's needed, Gopnik argued, is a system that can care for the most people, most effectively. Gopnik emphasized that, "no one in Canada, no one in France, no one even in Britain would touch [their respective health care systems]." Even years later, this debate remains an important one—although Gladwell, the acclaimed author of Blink and The Tipping Point, admits he has since changed his mind. "That was six years ago!" Gladwell wrote on his blog in 2006. "I've now changed my mind. I now agree with virtually everything Adam said and disagree with virtually everything I said." [More]
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