The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

I'm currently enjoying Malcom Gladwell's thought provoking read, Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking.  Gladwell writes about the human ability to subconsciously "thin slice" during first impressions and every day dealings.  This theory attempts to explain that feeling we all get when we are exposed to something and maybe don't feel quite right about it.  Or when we make a snap decision that turns out to be exactly what was necessary despite not taking the time to perform a thorough analysis.  Gladwell postulates that there is some innate ability of the human mind to quickly run through our past experiences and beliefs resulting in conclusions that happen in microseconds and help guide our decisions.

What do you think?  Do our brains have the ability to "cache" information and have it readily available for accurate split-second decisions?  Or are most important decisions better made after extended time for analysis?