New Scientist reviews Malcolm Gladwell's memetic epidemic book
The Tipping Point, a book which looks very interesting: (via RobotWisdom)
Gladwell outlines a three-point plan for engineering your own social epidemic
in The Tipping Point. First, do not waste time marketing your idea to the
masses: focus your energies on the trendsetters, the socially promiscuous and
those with the power to influence... Tweaking your idea or product to make it
more infectious or "sticky" (Gladwell's preference) is the second step.
The final chapter, which outlines Gladwell's own master plan to engineer a
massive reduction in cigarette smoking, quite frankly scared me with its Brave
New Worldesque cocktail of drug therapy and informational warfare. This is
the social Darwinism of ideas--ideational eugenics. And if it works, it will
provide the doctors of spin and hype with a very dangerous new toy.