Today I am excited to share 5 reasons why “ Outliers: The Story of Success ” by Malcolm Gladwell is such a great book. 🎁
Out·li·er:
I: something that is situated away from or classed differently from a main or related body
II: a statistical observation that is markedly different in value from the others of the sample
– Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers: The Story OfSuccess. New York : Back Bay Books, 2011. Print.
Reason #1: What is Luck? Where does it come from?
There are many characteristics and qualities one may credit his or her success to; they could be talent, discipline, persistency, optimism, kindness, intelligence, hard-working, etc. However, rarely does a successful individual not mention themselves as “lucky”; but what is it that creates the luck for success?
Using statistic approach, the author of Outliers analyzed the background, experiences and unique circumstances of each individual who outperformed in their field and finally revealed an eye-opening answer to the question: what is luck?
Reason #2: Who are the real geniuses?
“ We have seen that intellect and achievement are far from perfectly correlated. ”
Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers: The Story Of Success. New York : Back Bay Books, 2011. Print.
In chapter The Trouble with Geniuses, several interesting questions were being raised: How is genius defined? Does higher IQ ensure greater achievement? Under what circumstances will a genius unable to achieve his/ her greatest potential?
This chapter has taught me the real role of IQ in one’s success and inspired me to rediscover different forms of intelligence.
Reason #3: How did plane crashes happen?
“ The typical commercial jetliner—at this point in its stage of development—is about as dependable as a toaster…crashes are much more likely to be the result of an accumulation of minor difficulties and seemingly trivial malfunctions.”
– Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers: The Story OfSuccess. New York : Back Bay Books, 2011. Print.
To find out how catastrophes happened, the author analyzed several incidents in the aviation industry. He gave detailed explanations regarding how cultural background could significantly impact an individual’s action, mindset and way of communication; and how those characters could potentially led to disasters like a butterfly effect.
The chapter has made me realize how often I failed to recognize the real cause of an effect and how unaware I was in noticing the drive behind my own actions.
Reason #4: What is the secret to being good at math?
We often think of being good at mathematics as an innate ability; you either have “it” or you don’t.
Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers: The Story Of Success. New York : Back Bay Books, 2011. Print.
In the chapter Rice Paddies and Math Tests, it is discussed whether being good at mathematics is a talent, an attitude or even a cultural trait. Several examples and statistic researches were given in order to show the fact that many of the qualities in a person which we once may think were destined; are actually trainable and highly subject to how and where an individual was nurtured.
I find this chapter especially valuable to educators, parents, leaders or just anyone who is trying to acquire a new skill because it explains how talents are often a product of acquired factors instead of a quality that one is borned with or without.
Reason #5: It is an Intellectual Discovery
The book “ Outliers: The Story of Success ” explains a number of phenomena, incidents and human actions using statistic, social, phycological and historical approaches. The content is well structured, easy to read and full of fascinating descriptions of real events. It has made me rediscover my existing perception of this world and expanded the depth of my thinking.
Therefore, I hereby invite you to join me on a journey of intellectual discovery; to challenge your existing understanding of this world and rethink those perspectives you once thought were the truth of things.