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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Between 1966 and 1981, violent crime rates in NYC had gone from 325 violent crimes per 100,000 to approximately how many crimes per 100,000 people?

2. Tom Gau, according to the author in Chapter 6, is the ultimate what?

3. According to the author in Chapter 7, it typically takes how long for a person to become addicted to cigarettes when that person starts in his/her teen years?

4. Gladwell proposes that if tobacco companies would only lower what, it would lower the likelihood that a social smoker would become a regular smoker in their teen years?

5. One of the reasons Gladwell attributes to the success of Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood is that the author is also what?

Short Essay Questions

1. What theory does Gladwell introduce to explain the change in New York City crime in Chapter 4?

2. What have researchers discovered regarding news coverage on suicide?

3. What, according to the author, gives teens “psychological permission” to smoke?

4. How does the author describe the importance of groups in Chapter 5?

5. Who took over as director of the New York City Subway during the 1980s? What was first on his agenda?

6. How did crime in New York change in the decade after the Bernie Goetz case? Why do most people believe this change happened?

7. How does the author describe the success of Minister John Wesley in Chapter 5?

8. What has been the failure of many anti-smoking campaigns, according to the author? Why?

9. What do innovators and early adapters represent to the author? What is the early majority?

10. Who did Airwalk employ as a connector, according to the author in Chapter 6? Why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the role of mavens in epidemics, be them diseases or trends. How do mavens serve to keep the market honest? How do mavens relate to connectors and salesmen? Who does the author cite as a prototypical maven who is "almost pathologically helpful"? Why does he say this?

Essay Topic 2

Define and discuss the Law of the Few, the Stickiness Factor and the Power of Context. How do these rules apply to different situations than disease? How does the author use the three rules to explain the resurgence of Hush Puppies shoes?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the Law of the Few as it applies to Darnell McGee and Gaeton Dugas. When were McGee and Dugas infected with HIV? Where and how did they contribute to the spread of the disease? If connectors such as McGee and Dugas had not existed, would AIDS and HIV be as prevalent as it is today? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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