The Tipping Point was an interesting look at how epidemics begin... whether its a disease, a crime wave, or a new fashion trend, there are many factors in common. When it comes to trends, these rely a lot on the actions of three types of people:

• Mavens, who obsessively gather new information about products and services, whether it be cars, cheap groceries, or fashion.
• Salesmen, who are genuinely interested in solving people problems, so they look for the best product/service fit for their client, and
• Connectors, the networking masters, who connect mavens to salesmen

There are also very subtle things that effect trends... like how graffitti directly affects criminal behavior. This is also called the broken window theory: if you see a house with a broken window, you assume nobody is in charge, and there are no penalties for criminal behavior. This will trigger people with a tendency towards crime to engage in criminal acts.

Some of the subtle effects in the book call into question the nature of human free will... I've never been a huge advocate of free will, so these theories never bugged me. However, if you feel that you are always in control of your brain and your behavior, this book might shock you a little.

Overall, it was an interesting read. I'd also recommend Made To Stick for a more practical guide at making your idea spread like an epidemic.