Upvoted. Its easy to forget, he is a journalist, albeit a very glorified one - not a scientist, although it's easy to see how he is often confused as one.
http://www.alternet.org/story/155770/is_malcolm_gladwell_ame...
At the end of the day it's up to you to determine if what you are reading is accurate. And if you don't have the tools, resources, or time to do so, you trust in experts at your own risk.