So when I picked this book up, I don’t think I knew exactly what I was getting into. Covering recent high-profile events of violence, rape, pedophilia, and torture in detail—this is a stomach-turning and uncomfortable read.

And though the accounts Gladwell brings to the table are interesting, for the first 95% of this book, I didn’t actually know what the punchline was or how these topics connected.

At first this seemed to be a book about how difficult it is to actually detect when someone is lying. But then we also delved into topics of both coupling and alcohol. Disparate strands that I’m still having trouble trying together into the final conclusion.

Which (I think) is that in 99% of cases it doesn’t pay off to expect the worst of people, and we cannot turn murky grays into black and white. Honestly, I’m still chewing it all over. But if you’re looking for a different perspective to provoke thought (and you don’t mind dark topics), you might try this one. Though I do believe you have to read to the very end to see what he’s trying to get at.

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Watch those content warnings, my friends.

Thanks for reading!