Chapter Two: The Law of the Few: Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen Summary and Analysis

First in the book, Gladwell explains the law of the few, which he splits further into three classes of people: connectors, mavens and salesmen. For his example, he uses Paul Rever, a man he refers to as a super connector. Before Revere's midnight ride, a stable boy overheard rumors of British troop movement. He took the information to Revere, because the locals knew Revere to be a specialist on the movements of the British troops. Revere's expertise caused people to share more information with him, thereby increasing his expertise further.

To explain connectors, the author points out examples such as chain letters or the parlor game "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon," in which a person connects any actor to Bacon within...