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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. In concluding Chapter 4, Gladwell states that what affects a person's reactions to a given situation more than parental wishes or guidance?

2. What refers to the displeasing feeling of fear and concern?

3. The first bestseller list on which Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood appeared was what?

4. Philip Zimbardo instructed the mock guards in his prison study to do what?

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. How does the author describe New York City crime when Bernie Goetz’s case took place?

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

3. How does the author describe the obstacle in anti-smoking campaigns with teens?

4. What are the roles of connectors, mavens and salesmen, according to the author in Chapter 6?

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

6. How does the author describe the work of Robin Dunbar in Chapter 5?

7. What key figures in trends does the author describe in Chapter 6?

8. How does the author describe the incident that made Bernie Goetz famous?

9. What is channel capacity, and what importance does it have, according to the author?

10. What example does the author present from Micronesia in the beginning of Chapter 7?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Describe Howard Levanthal and the study conducted at Yale University. When did the study take place? How were the results perceived? What does the author perceive the results to indicate? What contemporary examples reflect Levanthal’s results?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the crime statistics in New York City and their dramatic drop from the 1980s to today. When did crime begin to decline? What experts cite changes in crack use, age and economy? When was crime at its highest point?

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