In his incredibly amazing book, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an intellectual journey into the world of “outliers” – the most brilliant, well-known, and prosperous people. He is interested in what sets exceptional achievers apart from others.
His response is that we pay too much attention to the traits of successful individuals and not enough to where those people come from in terms of culture, family, generational, and upbringing. Along the way, he looks into the strategies used by software billionaires, the qualities of a great soccer player, the reasons why Asians are so good at math, and the rise of the Beatles to the top of the music world.
Outliers is a study of individuals whose achievements in mathematics, sports, the law, or any other field defy the odds. Success can also be significantly influenced by family, culture, and birthdates.
The book Outliers is a fantastic and fascinating study that both entertains and educates.
Key ideas in this book:
- Our society values the myth of the “self-made man.”
- When a certain point is achieved, improved powers are no longer useful.
- It takes roughly 10,000 hours of work to reach the highest level of mastery in any field, which is no easy feat.
- A person’s achievement may be significantly impacted by the month of their birth.
- Your early life can have a significant impact on your success.
- Your success or failure may be influenced by your birth year.
- Your accomplishments may be significantly impacted by your regional and cultural ancestry.
- If we are aware of the importance of cultural inheritance, we will be better able to help more people succeed and avoid failure.
- If we take responsibility for creating unfair playing conditions, we can give more people the chance to succeed.
About the Author:
Malcolm Gladwell is a regular contributor and writer for The New Yorker. He started off as a science and business writer for the Washington Post. He was included among Time’s 100 Most Influential People in 2005. Other works by Gladwell that have achieved widespread acclaim include The Tipping Point and Blink, both of which explore the importance of taking in the world around you without analyzing it too much.
