NYC Crime Drop

Summary: Malcolm Gladwell recounts his experience moving to NYC in 1993 when it was considered dangerous, only to witness a dramatic drop in crime a few years later. This unexplained shift led him to Jonathan Crane's 'Epidemic Theory of Ghetto Life,' which posits that social problems behave like viruses. This theory inspired Gladwell's 'The Tipping Point' article and subsequent book, launching his career.

Insights:

• The sudden drop in crime in 1990s NYC was a tangible, lived experience for Gladwell, deeply affecting his daily life and prompting him to investigate.
• Crane's theory provided a novel framework for understanding social change, framing issues like crime not as static problems but as dynamic processes with tipping points.
• This anecdote demonstrates how a personal observation can spark intellectual curiosity, leading to significant professional breakthroughs.

Proper Nouns:

• NYC: The setting of the story and the subject of Gladwell's investigation into the crime drop.
• Jonathan Crane: Sociologist whose 'Epidemic Theory of Ghetto Life' provided the theoretical framework for Gladwell's work.
• The Tipping Point: Gladwell's first book, inspired by his experience in NYC and Crane's theory.