As a big Malcolm Gladwell fan, I appreciated this very thoughtful critique by Steven Pinker in the NYTBR–it’s so good it makes you wish it was longer. This is a takedown piece, but one with an important difference. Gladwell’s obviously not perfect, as Pinker demonstrates ably, but Pinker also gives him his due, and does so upfront, rather than in the backhanded fashion common in most such pieces. (On his blog, Gladwell has posted an equally civilized rebuttal.)
Plus–ladies and gentleman, what we have here is a good old-fashioned fro-down!