View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. What error does Gladwell say we make about Goliath?

2. Who does Gladwell say was the ring-leader of the Impressionist group that met at Café Guerbois?

3. When do dyslexics typically get a diagnosis, according to Gladwell?

4. What percentage of wars were won by weaker countries, according to Ivan Arreguin-Toft?

5. What does Gladwell say the average class size used to be at Shepaug Valley Middle School?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what way does Gladwell say Ranadivé’s girls are similar to Lawrence of Arabia?

2. What kind of lesson does Gladwell derive from the story of Jules Holtzapffel?

3. What does Gladwell say caused the changing demographics of Shepaug Valley Middle School in Connecticut?

4. What is the moral of the parable Gladwell tells about the Impressionist painters?

5. Gladwell seems to want it both ways, valuing poverty and celebrating wealth. Does Gladwell acknowledge or try to resolve this contradiction?

6. Why does Gladwell say that Caroline Sacks should have gone to University of Maryland instead of Brown University?

7. What does Gladwell say is the conventional wisdom about class size in schools?

8. What is Vivek Ranadivé’s qualification to coach basketball?

9. How does Gladwell say dyslexia helped prepare David Boies to be a trial lawyer?

10. What are the physiological flaws Gladwell identifies in Goliath’s body type?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Gladwell frequently juxtaposes what his subjects do with what “the rest of us” do or think (273). Who are the “we” in Gladwell’s views, and what do “we” typically think? Does Gladwell define this common knowledge, or just use “us” as a straw man for his arguments? What is the real difference between “us” and his subjects?

Essay Topic 2

Evaluate your own reading of David and Goliath—did you resist it, or were you compelled by the story? What does your reading tell you about yourself and your interests? Use specific examples from the book to describe yourself as a reader.

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast Gladwell’s work with other public intellectuals like Christopher Hitchens or Chris Hedges. How are they similar, how are they different? What are the unique features of Gladwell’s book, compared to the others? What kind of public intellectual is Gladwell?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,015 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample