The book includes Gladwell's analysis of cheetahs, Ivy League sports, Los Angeles in the 1990s, teen suicide, COVID-19, and the opioid crisis.
[5] The Associated Press described the book as fan service for readers who enjoyed The Tipping Point [6] In a review for The New York Times titled "Is Malcolm Gladwell Out of Ideas?
", author Anand Giridharadas referred to it as a "brand extension" and described the book as unambitious and outdated, comparing it to junk food.
[7] According to a review in Financial Times, many of Gladwell's theories in the book do not "pass the smell test".
[8] According to a review in Slate, the book does not examine The Tipping Point as much as it "is devoted to expounding on Gladwell’s earlier maxims.