There is a story that is usually told about extremely successful people, a story that focuses on intelligence and ambition. In Outliers Malcolm Gladwell argues that the true story of success is very different, and that if we want to understand how some people thrive, we should spend more time looking around them - at such things as their family, their birthplace, or even their birth date. The story of success is more complex - and a lot more interesting - than it initially appears.
Outliers explains what the Beatles and Bill Gates have in common, the extraordinary success of Asians at math, the hidden advantages of star athletes, why all top New York lawyers have the same resume, and the reason you've never heard of the world's smartest man - all in terms of generation, family culture, and class. It matters what year you were born if you want to be a Silicon Valley billionaire, Gladwell argues, and it matters where you were born if you want to be a successful pilot. The lives of outliers - those people whose achievements fall outside normal experience - follow a peculiar blueprint for making the most of human potential.
In The Tipping Point Malcolm Gladwell changed the way we understand the world. In Blink he changed the way we think about thinking. Outliers will transform the way we understand success.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
OUTLIERS
Author: Malcolm Gladwell
Genre: Non-Fiction
Published: 2008
Personal Rating: 4.25/5
Yearly Count: 165
From the back:
Outliers is a great book that supports what I have thought all along - people who become successful have not done it on their own. There is always something or someone that has contributed to their success. The cliches "It's who you know, not what you know." and "Being in the right place at the right time." are prime examples of what Gladwell brings to light in this book. He gives fabulous examples to support his theories and explains them in detail (sometimes too much). Even though I already subscribe to Gladwell's theory, it was great to listen to the real evidence that supports it.
Thank you, Anna, from Hachette Audio. I appreciate your generosity!
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Joy,I'm glad to hear that you liked this one. The theory makes sense and it sounds like an interesting read.
ReplyDeleteI saw Malcolm Gladwell on the Today Show promoting this book. I thought it looked really interesting. I will have to check into it.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Love your header!
I have had Tipping Point on my iPod for awhile. I can tell from your review that I need to listen to it, to Blink and to Outliers.
ReplyDeleteI need. . . more time! And a smaller house!
It looks like you've been a reading machine. I'm hearing lots of good things about Outliers.
ReplyDeleteBonnie ~ It was very interesting. There was only one part that I thought dragged on a little too long.
ReplyDeleteAmy ~ Thank you. :) I'm trying to make a new one, but I haven't had the time. I still plan on using the book, but not so massive! lol
Booklogged ~ I listened to Blink and this one, but have The Tipping Point as a paperback. I enjoy listening to these type of books more so than reading them. That's why The Tipping Point hasn't been read yet.
Bermudaonion ~ I was on vacation, so I was backlogged on posting them - that's all. :)
Thank you for reviewing this book. We can't keep it on the shelves at work, it's so popular. Probably in our Top Ten for sales this past month. It sounds interesting, but I'm with you. It's probably one to listen to rather than read. Thanks, Joy.
ReplyDeleteLes ~ It's really no revelation, but the examples are very interesting. I learned some good stuff. :) Do you know how the Chinese learn to count?
ReplyDeleteLes ~ No research allowed before answering the above question. *grin* (I'm an educator and I didn't know!)
ReplyDeleteI haven't a clue!
ReplyDeleteLes ~ Do you want to know or would you rather read/listen to it yourself?
ReplyDeleteOh, it may be a while before I get to it. Go ahead and tell me. :)
ReplyDeleteI don't care what Les says...I want to know!
ReplyDeleteLes & Debi ~ (LOL at Debi) Okay, here are two bits of information. First, their numbers in words are very, very short; therefore, they are able to remember more numbers. We all have a capacity to remember a certain amount of numbers in a certain amount of seconds. They are able to do this much better than us because of their short words. Second, they count differently than we do. As you know, we count 1, 2, 3 . . . 10, 11, 12 . . . 20, 21, 22, etc. They count 1, 2, 3 . . . 1 ten, 1 ten 1, 1 ten 2 . . . 2 ten 1, 2 ten 2, 2 ten 3, etc. There are other rules when getting to the hundreds. There's a decent explanation at this site. I, personally, found it very fascinating, but I'm a math person. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the explanation, Joy. I'm not a math person, but this sounds interesting!
ReplyDeleteLes ~ Usually readers aren't math people, so that's not a surprise. :) I hope you enjoy Outliers when you get a chance.
ReplyDelete