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As far as I can tell Gladwell has "oversimplified" nearly every subject he touches, because he is more interested in pumping up his image than in doing meaningf

As far as I can tell Gladwell has "oversimplified" nearly every subject he touches, because he is more interested in pumping up his image than in doing meaningful work. He just did a show on how going to Bowdoin instead of Vassar is eeevil because Bowdoin feeds students really well and only has 13% of students on the highest level of financial aid, whereas Vassar food (according to the show) gives students diarrhea but has a 23% number. The argument was just supremely stupid but if you don't listen too closely he sounds smart. Or I should say, he sounds smart to the naive and bad-at-math variety of socialists (a category in which I don't lump every socialist btw).

morgante 10y ago
Yes, Gladwell simplifies things. That doesn't make him wrong. I listened to the financial aid episode on Revisionist History. Why do you think it is supremely stupid? Money spent on facilities absolutely limits the financial aid budget at institutions. This has a real effect. The average debt of Vassar students is $8k lower than Bowdoin for a reason. [0] [1] [0] http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/vassar-college-2895/paying http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/... [1] http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/bowdoin-college-2038/paying http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/...
- threepipeproblm 10y ago
  Well for one, the numbers don't work. The idea that if Bowdoin just served students the same crap food as Vassar their financial aid programs would be equalized doesn't hold water. Also, the notion that cutting student services back to the point that many of Vassarh interviewees spoke of a laxative effect is somehow humanitarian doesn't hold water. The idea that if Bowdoin, which has one of the more generous financial aid systems of the elite schools, has to hit a certain percentage of aid or is somehow immoral, also doesn't hold water. They pretended to the Bowdoin interviewees -- which did not include anyone who could have rebutted -- that this was only about food, while Vassar's highest officials were interviewed about their humanitarian goals. You can see a response from Bowdoin officials here. https://www.boston.com/news/education/2016/07/15/bowdoin-college-malcolm-gladwell https://www.boston.com/news/education/2016/07/15/bowdoin-col... [FIXED LINK] Bowdoin's financial aid approach is certainly different. For instance, they tend to give 100% of the gap for any student who qualifies, and this has been going on for some time. Vassar doesn't do it this way, but increasing financial aid somewhat for students who were only partially qualifying was touted by Gladwell as some kind of revolution. By the way, the State school based in Portland, ME also gives surf and turf dinners...
  - morgante 10y ago
    > Well for one, the numbers don't work. How not? If you're claiming that the numbers don't work, please explain how reducing expenditures on luxury services couldn't free up additional money for financial aid. You're nitpicking. Obviously, by itself serving better food is not by itself exclusive evidence of "evil." Princeton serves better food than either Vassar or Bowdoin, but also does an even better job with financial aid. I don't think Bowdoin is "immoral" any more than I think someone who only donates 20% of their income (vs. 30) is "immoral." The point is that, at the margin, spending a dollar on financial aid is more moral than spending a dollar on fantastic food. The specifics of Bowdoin food vs. Vassar food really don't matter to me. The general point is totally valid though: spending on luxury services absolutely takes dollars away from financial aid. In fact, the podcast actually got me thinking about whether the most moral thing would be for super-rich universities (ex. Princeton) to switch to need-aware admissions in reverse, with a goal of 100% of students qualifying for financial aid.
    - threepipeproblm 10y ago
      I didn't say that cutting the quality of the food wouldn't "free up resources" that could go do financial aid. Did you go to Vassar or something? Are you going to ignore the various other point I made regarding the poor level of journalism here? e.g. is it "nitpicking" to point out that Gladwell gave the two college vastly different levels of research and opportunity to address his concerns? Direct quote from Gladwell. "The food at Bowdoin is actually a problem. A moral problem." I'm sorry I don't see the caveat he made about how this really wansn't his point.
      - morgante 10y ago
        It's a moral problem to spend marginal dollars on food rather than financial aid. Do you disagree? I do agree that it was sloppy of him to not include an interview with financial aid people from Bowdoin. I actually would be interested to hear them explain why they have higher indebtedness than Vassar. > I didn't say that cutting the quality of the food wouldn't "free up resources" that could go do financial aid. Did you go to Vassar or something? No, I actually went to the horrible NYU (on a full ride, though). I just feel strongly that aggressively offering outreach and financial aid to low-income students is one of the primary moral responsibilities for elite universities.
- srtjstjsj 10y ago
  https://twitter.com/Gladwell/status/753717267008020480 https://twitter.com/Gladwell/status/753717267008020480 > In retrospect this week's episode of https://t.co/2Mqc5Dwr4V https://t.co/2Mqc5Dwr4V should have included a trigger warning for Bowdoin grads. This is not the writing of someone who is honestly investigating social justice issues. This is a pot-stirring self-promoter.
- srtjstjsj 10y ago
  Per your link, The number of Vassar students in debt is twice that of Bowdoin's for ... the same reason? opposite reason?
aptwebapps 10y ago
As far as I can tell Gladwell has "oversimplified" nearly every subject he touches, because he is more interested in pumping up his image than in doing meaningful work. I'm sure he's interested in his image but I think mainly he wants to tell a good story and doesn't mind cutting some corners to do so. He's a very good story teller and naturally his priorities line up that way.
- threepipeproblm 10y ago
  I feel like we're saying the same thing with a different tone. Yes, he tells stories, i.e fictions, i.e. places entertainment and narrative qualities ahead of facts. As other have pointed out, Gladwell didn't "oversimplify" but rather seriously misconstrued the research on expertise/practice.

morgante 10y ago

Yes, Gladwell simplifies things. That doesn't make him wrong. I listened to the financial aid episode on Revisionist History. Why do you think it is supremely stupid? Money spent on facilities absolutely limits the financial aid budget at institutions. This has a real effect. The average debt of Vassar students is $8k lower than Bowdoin for a reason. [0] [1] [0] http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/vassar-college-2895/paying http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/... [1] http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/bowdoin-college-2038/paying http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/...

threepipeproblm 10y ago
Well for one, the numbers don't work. The idea that if Bowdoin just served students the same crap food as Vassar their financial aid programs would be equalized doesn't hold water. Also, the notion that cutting student services back to the point that many of Vassarh interviewees spoke of a laxative effect is somehow humanitarian doesn't hold water. The idea that if Bowdoin, which has one of the more generous financial aid systems of the elite schools, has to hit a certain percentage of aid or is somehow immoral, also doesn't hold water. They pretended to the Bowdoin interviewees -- which did not include anyone who could have rebutted -- that this was only about food, while Vassar's highest officials were interviewed about their humanitarian goals. You can see a response from Bowdoin officials here. https://www.boston.com/news/education/2016/07/15/bowdoin-college-malcolm-gladwell https://www.boston.com/news/education/2016/07/15/bowdoin-col... [FIXED LINK] Bowdoin's financial aid approach is certainly different. For instance, they tend to give 100% of the gap for any student who qualifies, and this has been going on for some time. Vassar doesn't do it this way, but increasing financial aid somewhat for students who were only partially qualifying was touted by Gladwell as some kind of revolution. By the way, the State school based in Portland, ME also gives surf and turf dinners...
- morgante 10y ago
  > Well for one, the numbers don't work. How not? If you're claiming that the numbers don't work, please explain how reducing expenditures on luxury services couldn't free up additional money for financial aid. You're nitpicking. Obviously, by itself serving better food is not by itself exclusive evidence of "evil." Princeton serves better food than either Vassar or Bowdoin, but also does an even better job with financial aid. I don't think Bowdoin is "immoral" any more than I think someone who only donates 20% of their income (vs. 30) is "immoral." The point is that, at the margin, spending a dollar on financial aid is more moral than spending a dollar on fantastic food. The specifics of Bowdoin food vs. Vassar food really don't matter to me. The general point is totally valid though: spending on luxury services absolutely takes dollars away from financial aid. In fact, the podcast actually got me thinking about whether the most moral thing would be for super-rich universities (ex. Princeton) to switch to need-aware admissions in reverse, with a goal of 100% of students qualifying for financial aid.
  - threepipeproblm 10y ago
    I didn't say that cutting the quality of the food wouldn't "free up resources" that could go do financial aid. Did you go to Vassar or something? Are you going to ignore the various other point I made regarding the poor level of journalism here? e.g. is it "nitpicking" to point out that Gladwell gave the two college vastly different levels of research and opportunity to address his concerns? Direct quote from Gladwell. "The food at Bowdoin is actually a problem. A moral problem." I'm sorry I don't see the caveat he made about how this really wansn't his point.
    - morgante 10y ago
      It's a moral problem to spend marginal dollars on food rather than financial aid. Do you disagree? I do agree that it was sloppy of him to not include an interview with financial aid people from Bowdoin. I actually would be interested to hear them explain why they have higher indebtedness than Vassar. > I didn't say that cutting the quality of the food wouldn't "free up resources" that could go do financial aid. Did you go to Vassar or something? No, I actually went to the horrible NYU (on a full ride, though). I just feel strongly that aggressively offering outreach and financial aid to low-income students is one of the primary moral responsibilities for elite universities.
srtjstjsj 10y ago
https://twitter.com/Gladwell/status/753717267008020480 https://twitter.com/Gladwell/status/753717267008020480 > In retrospect this week's episode of https://t.co/2Mqc5Dwr4V https://t.co/2Mqc5Dwr4V should have included a trigger warning for Bowdoin grads. This is not the writing of someone who is honestly investigating social justice issues. This is a pot-stirring self-promoter.
srtjstjsj 10y ago
Per your link, The number of Vassar students in debt is twice that of Bowdoin's for ... the same reason? opposite reason?

aptwebapps 10y ago

As far as I can tell Gladwell has "oversimplified" nearly every subject he touches, because he is more interested in pumping up his image than in doing meaningful work. I'm sure he's interested in his image but I think mainly he wants to tell a good story and doesn't mind cutting some corners to do so. He's a very good story teller and naturally his priorities line up that way.

threepipeproblm 10y ago
I feel like we're saying the same thing with a different tone. Yes, he tells stories, i.e fictions, i.e. places entertainment and narrative qualities ahead of facts. As other have pointed out, Gladwell didn't "oversimplify" but rather seriously misconstrued the research on expertise/practice.