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I might be a bit biased since I do like Malcolm Gladwell's book, but this seem to be his best so far. A focus on learning year round does explain the success of some children and the failure of others. The stories and research expose new ways of thinking about success and failure. Practice does seem to be more important than talent. The answers might see to be common sense in nature, but they do expose elements that are seldom considered. This is a fun and informative read.Elisa Robyn, author of Pirate Wisdom
Or the REAL reason Asians do better than everyone else in math and on standardized tests. Often, this results in looking at the world in new and different ways. Malcolm Gladwell has become famous for his ability to take something that people assume is true and recast the facts in a different light. Or, my favorite, why some people experience unprecedented success in business though clearly handicapped by race, upbringing, or other important factors. Gladwell doesn't disappoint, and, this newest installment is, to me, his most intriguing. He grapples with baffling phenomena, like why some people in certain pockets of our country outlive everyone else, even in surrounding areas, while eating whatever they want and living what is considered an unhealthy lifestyle. Buy the Outliers, and read it for a truly awakening experience. Gladwell is still a master at shifting paradigms.
All parents of young children should read this book to get a new perspective on factors that truly affect their children's development. Thought-provoking and exciting. De-bunks many of the paradigms of success. I rank this book way up there on the influence scale, on a par with "The Naked Ape", "The Third Wave", and other books that shape thinking in a profound way. A must-read.
Gladwell is generally hailed as one of the great seers of this age, but I've always found that most of his books never really point out the way to go. Examples gleaned from such diverse anecdotes as hockey, slavery, Bill Gates, and one of the smartest men in the world show that true greatness is a combination of effort and fortune. He seems to have solved this problem in spades with his newest text in spades, as Gladwell points out that success comes from work, and LOTS of it. Neither money nor inherent advantages are enough on their own to ensure greatness--that comes from effort.At the same time, Gladwell notes that being in the right place or being the right person at the right time can assist the effectiveness of the effort. We can (and should) look to try to make up for barriers of success created by random, controllable factors; however, nothing can make up for time and sweat. Gladwell's text is a fascinating read, and its insight makes it one of the best works of the year.
While I found it interesting, I can't make much practical use of the book, because I cannot change my cultural background, for better or worse, and probably am not wise enough to do so if I could. I liked it. I can try to leverage my culture's strengths and guard against its weaknesses, which Gladwell advises, but I endeavor to do that already. I try to read each of Gladwell's new books, and so each new one doesn't seem like a new book per se, but a continuation of a saga of learning. In this book, Gladwell mainly addresses the influence of culture on performance. So, while I liked the book, I don't see much potential for impact to my life, beyond making me better-read. In contrast, "Talent is Overrated," by Geoff Colvin, addresses the `IQ problem,' and from Colvin's book I could see some life applications - - in terms of implementing `deliberate practice.' So, as a long-time Gladwell fan, my advice is: read "Outliers," but after reading "Talent is Overrated," by Geoff Colvin.
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