Initially rated this 4 stars. Went back earlier today and re-read a couple sections. Bumped it up to 5 stars.

We tend to quickly assess the data around us. This is called thin-slicing. Gladwell certainly has some faith in this ability: “Sometimes we’re better off if the mind behind the locked door makes our decisions for us.” (p.61) We run into trouble when we stop using this ability, such as in cases of extreme stress. We can stop... Take a breath... Bring down the heart rate and restore our ability to assess.

The micro-second expressions on the faces of a married couple reveal how they feel about each other enough to predict whether they will divorce. The best four are cases of defensiveness, stonewalling, criticism, and (most importantly) contempt. Expressing that someone is of lower value is the death knell.

Experience allows experts tap thin-slicing to make statements like, "It feels wrong." Later careful evaluations may reveal what the unconscious saw. Without this expertise, we solely use the conscious which doesn't normally tap the thin-slicing and fill in the understanding gap. This might be why single people consciously expressing what they want in a match say they want one thing but date people who match another criteria.

I breezed through the book. So now I look forward to reading his other work.