Describing his book as "brain software" Malcolm Gladwell endeavors to define change and explain why it often happens so fast and suddenly, usually leaving its victims perplexed. Gladwell achieves this by breaking down seemingly random events that take place all of a sudden, and usually have a major impact on individuals or a society as a whole. He explains that most seemingly out-of-the-blue events are usually the product of a gradual accumulation of small minor changes that reach their 'boiling point' or 'the levels at which the momentum of change becomes unstoppable'. Gladwell argues that ideas, messages, behaviors and products are social epidemics in that they can be contagious, infecting each person they come into contact with.

However, Gladwell emphasizes that for there to be a higher probability of impact or infection, three rules of epidemics or agents of change must be in place. The first rule of epidemics is "The Laws of a Few". This rule focuses on the influence of people with "particular and rare social skills" who form the foundation of 'word of mouth' phenomena; such as connectors - persons who link and bring people together; mavens - information specialists who accumulate and effectively transmit knowledge; and finally the salesmen - who are charismatic people with effective negotiation and persuasion skills.

The second rule of epidemics is "The Stickiness Factor" which states that for a message to be effective, it must be memorable. The third and final rule of epidemics is "The Power of Context" which says that "human behavior is sensitive to and strongly influenced by the environment".

In order to get his point across, Gladwell uses fascinating illustrations such as the mid-1990s Hush Puppies fad, the dramatic crime drop in New York City, increased teenage smoking in spite of awareness on the dangers of the same, the spread of rumors and the effectiveness of the children's show Sesame Street.

Unlike the normal human perception of everything being a product of the relationship between cause and effect, this insightful book offers a fresh perspective on the world around us. Gladwell wrote The Tipping Point as a practical way to help readers learn how to decode the world and understand it better. The book also serves as a practical guide for persons wishing "to start their own epidemics. It has case studies of people who have successfully begun epidemics, which would prove useful for teachers reaching out to students, as well as businesses targeting prospective clients.