TOW #19

                Malcolm Gladwell, an acclaimed and renowned author, wrote a book which describes how one can overcome their obstacles and become successful. David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants is an uplifting book that employs statistical analysis and biblical allusions to inform the reader about underdogs and their favorable odds despite their countless setbacks. When discussing the probability of a weaker country winning a war, Gladwell cites a political scientist, writing, “Ivan Arrenguin-Toft did the calculations a few years ago, what he came up with was 71.5 percent. [… but] when the weak side does as David did and refuses to fight the way the bigger side wants to fight […] the weaker party’s winning percentage climbs from 28.5 percent to 63.6 percent.” (Gladwell 21-22). In order to show the reader how likely it is for the weaker party to be victorious through the use of alternative methods, Gladwell uses statistical analysis to appeal to logos. He thereby proves to the reader that it is very much possible that they can successfully use these tactics to their advantage, not just in international war, but day-to-day life as well. Gladwell also conveys this message to his readers by constantly alluding to the biblical story of David and Goliath. In the aforementioned quote, Gladwell states ‘the weak side does as David did’ as an example of how people can use different methods to win. As the story goes, Goliath was a giant who was sent by his army to fight a man from the opposing army, to which they sent David, an average Shepard’s boy. No one on either side expected David to win in hand-to-hand combat, but he surprised them by throwing a rock at Goliath instead, using the distance between them to his advantage. This took Goliath by surprise and knocked him unconscious and then David finished his job by cutting off Goliath’s head. By referencing this story often and especially by naming the book after it, Gladwell is able to remind the reader of how the underdog has been triumphant throughout history and that anyone else can be too. Therefore, Malcolm Gladwell successfully uses statistical analysis and biblical allusions to convince his reader that although the weaker side may not be expected to win, they easily can with an alternative method.