Gladwell exposes something I've long held to be true myself: great success requires great luck. It also requires great talent and effort to capitalize on that luck, but luck is just as necessary. For example, if you're not born in the first few months of the year, your chances of being a pro-hockey player are dramatically reduced. Based on your astrological sign! That's not because of astrology, its because kids are ranked by year of birth, and those born earlier in the year are bigger, faster, and more coordinated on average because they're just older. And that means they're more likely to be chosen on special teams, where they get special coaching, further emphasizing their initial difference. That continues over the years until there's a tremendous gap between them and other, later-born children. Is that fair? No. It's just luck and the way the system is currently set up. Intriguingly, Gladwell suggests that these kinds of systems essentially miss 50% of a population's talent because they shunt out all those born in the later part of the year. That's a really interesting idea- a population could increase its pool of elite athletes (or students) by breaking them into 6-month groups, rather than 1-year groups.
For other kinds of success, especially financial, its often a matter of being at the right place, at the right time, with the right skills, to catch and ride an emerging trend in the financial world (e.g., railroads in 1850, clothing in 1930, software 1970, hostile take-overs 1980, etc.). Gladwell is clear that the leaders in these areas were all talented, driven people. But that doesn't change the fact that born five years earlier or later, they'd probably be nowhere near as successful as they are today. While he doesn't mention him, I like Darwin as an example. He was brilliant and hard working, but Alfred Wallace came up with (virtually) the same idea of evolution as he did. And Darwin was big enough at that time that Wallace sent him a draft copy to review. If Darwin had come along later, he would have been scooped. If he hadn't been as big as he was in biology then (thanks to non-evolutionary work), he would never have seen the manuscript. As it turned out, he gave Wallace co-credit, but that's another story. The point is that coincidental circumstance played as big a role in who published the theory of evolution by natural selection, and when it was published, as the characteristics of Darwin himself.
For me, the bottom line is that hard work and talent are very important, but so is looking out for those unique trends that might allow you to catch a wave and do something extraordinary with your life. Whether or not that will happen is a function of luck, but it's certainly important to be prepared should you ever get the chance. Overall, the book is very easy to read, and full of really good ideas. I found the last couple of chapters on math to be the weakest, but it's still a great book to read. Highly recommended.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet or computer – no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera, scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Great on Kindle
Great Experience. Great Value.
Putting our best book forward
Each Great on Kindle book offers a great reading experience, at a better value than print to keep your wallet happy.
Explore your book, then jump right back to where you left off with Page Flip.
View high quality images that let you zoom in to take a closer look.
Enjoy features only possible in digital – start reading right away, carry your library with you, adjust the font, create shareable notes and highlights, and more.
Discover additional details about the events, people, and places in your book, with Wikipedia integration.
Get the free Kindle app:
Enjoy a great reading experience when you buy the Kindle edition of this book. Learn more about Great on Kindle, available in select categories.
Frequently bought together
This item: Outliers: The Story of Success
$38.00
Get it by Saturday, Sep 28
In Stock
+
$27.59
Only 10 left in stock (more on the way).
+
$37.00
Get it by Saturday, Sep 28
Only 5 left in stock.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Choose items to buy together.
Customers who bought this item also bought
Page 1 of 1 Start againPage 1 of 1
Popular Highlights in this book
Success is the result of what sociologists like to call “accumulative advantage.”Highlighted by 12,594 Kindle readers- Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good. It’s the thing you do that makes you good.Highlighted by 10,443 Kindle readers
- But what truly distinguishes their histories is not their extraordinary talent but their extraordinary opportunities.Highlighted by 8,851 Kindle readers
About the author
Practical and always good for a second read!
Malcom Gladwell’s style of writing and practical creative example is what made me read this book again. Its just tickle some thoughts, memories or failure where it boost you for a forward and positive thinking. Love it! All the respect . Namaste
Top reviews from other countries
Steve Garfield
Interesting
Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2024Verified Purchase
Victor y Nabila F
Perfection
Reviewed in Mexico on June 2, 2024Verified Purchase
Victor y Nabila F
Reviewed in Mexico on June 2, 2024
Images in this review
Renata P.
Entrega ótima. Produto perfeito.
Reviewed in Brazil on November 5, 2023Verified Purchase
Kenda
الكتاب صغير حجمه
Reviewed in Saudi Arabia on September 14, 2024Verified Purchase
Amazon Customer
Really enjoyable and thought provoking read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 31, 2024Verified Purchase
Amazon Customer
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 31, 2024
We often hear the stories of really successful/ influential/ famous people and how they "did it themselves " - and are under impression that their success is due to their talents and effords.
While talents and effords have their super important role, this book shows, in a way of telling life stories and analysing the impact on different factors, that it is not as simple. It shows that without other "hidden" factors, even with high IQ, talent and effords, success would not be so remarkable or even possible.
The hidden factors/ hidden advantages could be opportunities the person had in their life, where they live, how they are raised, cultural backgrounds, what was economics and demographic were like when they were of the certain age and even the date of birth (don't worry it is not about horoscopes).
I still have a lot of questions and would like to challange some of the statements in the book, but this is why I rate it so high. It is written in a way that gives you knowledge, things to think and digest, and triggers further curiosity.
It is written in a way that is easily and enjoyable to read - it has been a while since I enjoyed reading book as much as this one.
Images in this review
