Why are there dozens of varieties of mustard but only one sort of ketchup? What do football players teach us about how to hire teachers? And what does hair dye reveal about the history of the 20th century? In this collection of memorable columns from The New Yorker, Malcolm Gladwell gives us the saga of the quest to create the perfect cookie, a dissection of Ivy League admissions, a visit with kitchen gadget king Ron Popeil, and the title piece: a profile of "dog whisperer" Cesar Millan, who calms savage animals with the touch of his hand.