Social science · Psychology
Talking to Strangers
Gladwell uses real cases of misjudged people, from spies to campus assault trials, to ask why we are so poor at reading strangers and why we default to trusting them.
Facts last checked 2026-10-17
- First published
- 2019
- Pace
- Medium
- Length
- Medium
- Pages
- 304
- Format
- Standalone
Read this if you enjoy case-driven pop social science that questions everyday assumptions.
Skip this if you want rigorous academic argument rather than story-led persuasion.
The feel
Content warnings
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Quick answers about Talking to Strangers
- What is Talking to Strangers about?
- Gladwell uses real cases of misjudged people, from spies to campus assault trials, to ask why we are so poor at reading strangers and why we default to trusting them.
- Who should read Talking to Strangers?
- Read it if you enjoy case-driven pop social science that questions everyday assumptions. Skip it if you want rigorous academic argument rather than story-led persuasion.
- How long and how fast is Talking to Strangers?
- It is a medium-paced, medium read of about 304 pages, first published in 2019.
- Does Talking to Strangers have content warnings?
- Content we flag: Sexual assault, Suicide.
- Can I borrow Talking to Strangers for free?
- Often, yes. Check Libby (OverDrive) to see whether your library lends Talking to Strangers; the borrow button above searches it for you.
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|---|---|---|
| Borrow free | ||
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| Print, new | ||
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