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.
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Mayank
Outliers cannot be recommended enough
Reviewed in India on August 27, 2023Verified Purchase
Mayank
Reviewed in India on August 27, 2023
Outliers ….The Story of Success
By Malcolm Gladwell
Arnold Schwarzenegger once said “I am not a self made man” a statement that not only conveys gratitude from the man but also emphasizes the pivotal role of different people in different phases - Bodybuilding, Hollywood and Politics- of his accomplishing career, people who happened to be in Arnold’s life at the right time to provide him with exactly the kind of opportunities he had been looking for. Beyond doubt, he was focused, determined to make an impact and willing to put in efforts that it needed , but the fact that he went on to become the finest Bodybuilder of his time - Total 7 Mr. Olympia titles with 6 consecutively won, and that he had an illustrious Hollywood career and that he had been the most loved and one of the most successful US Governors of all time is not because of his determination, drive and diligence alone. Talent and Success work together only up to a point , but beyond that threshold success becomes largely a function of the environment a person grows in and the opportunities- People related, and circumstances related - he / she is presented with.
In a world 🌍where we pretend Success is exclusively a function of individual merit, Outliers provides a breathtakingly fresh perspective on Success.
It is a non-negotiable read for everyone :
🔗An aspiring teenager who is raring to start college and who seeks inspiration from his / her peers . What their success should really mean to him ? and exactly what should he/ she be inspired by ?
🔗A working professional who swears by his skills and thinks what has gotten him/her this far will take him further and
🔗Parents who want to do everything possible in their capacity for their child’s bright future. This book will pose a difficult question for them - Are they doing enough? And their quest for finding an answer will reveal what no amount of education can - Cumulative advantages and opportunities that are inherent in the culture you grew and your child is growing have a subtle yet profound impact in your child’s success.
Outliers is a compelling work that will positively alter your perspective on Success. From analyzing the lives of Geniuses, Iconic Businessmen and Cultural influences To analyzing Plane crashes, Asian’s supremacy on Mathematics and Importance of consistent efforts over quick fixes, Outliers will leave you convinced that we are not self made individuals; In fact Nobody is !
All of us - in that order - are
♐️ Products of the World 🌍 in which we grew up
♐️ Successful because of several opportunities -in terms of People, Situations and Life’s experiences- that we have had and will continue to have
♐️ Are aware about a clear relationship between efforts and rewards. That we have seen our efforts produce results and recognition in the right measure motivates us to work with persistence and doggedness.
Outliers cannot be recommended enough
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Mitchell Vega
A collective sigh of relief from gifted underachievers everywhere
Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2012Verified Purchase
Seif-Eldeine
reread many times over the years
Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2023Verified Purchase
Byron P. Williams
The story of Success
Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2023Verified Purchase
Celeo Arias
amazing!
Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2023Verified Purchase
