Alex a
It started well relating to success, and then after chapter 5, it goes on a rant of completely unrelated situations to success, so if you do want to buy it you would only be reading about 100 pages worth of decent material
A Google user
Once you read Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, you will never think of your life in the same way. This book is a very interesting read, as Gladwell explores why many people in fame and power came to be. His approach does not follow the traditional model of the hardest worker always wins. Gladwell states that while hard work is essential to earning ones way to fame (stated in the “10,000 hour rule” chapter), it is the opportunity to be able to work hard is what makes the greatest stand out. Gladwell then states some examples of this rare cases, or outliers (The Beatles, Bill Gates). While this is a very interesting interpretation of success, it becomes a repetitive theme in the book. Gladwell merely gives different real life stories of successful people and explains how they were lucky to get the opportunity to practice for 10,000 hours. While reading this book, I began to feel like Gladwell was discrediting all people that have success. It also encourages people not to pursue their goals, because one could feel like if they are not blessed with an extraordinary opportunity, they will never amount to anything. Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.
A Google user
What do Bill Gates, Mozart, Bill Joy and The Beatles have in common? According to Gladwell, they are all outliers. This was the first book by Gladwell that I have read, although I have watched some of his TED Talks in the past. When I started reading the book, I started to compare each of his main points to my life. His main points, points of what made someone exceptional, focused on family, generation and culture. His first chapter began with the town of Roseto. The life expectancy in the town was longer compared to the towns surrounding it, and that was due to the fact that multi-generational families lived together. As he went on, he described what made people outliers, what made them exceptional in society. It all broke down to being at the right place at the right time, oh and of course, dedicating 10,000 hours of hard practice on one's particular skill. The people mentioned in his book had an advantage, whether it was the month of birth for Canadian hockey players, or their economic status in terms of receiving a good education, etc. Gladwell's stories of success at first discouraged me because I realized I never had the cultural advantage, the family advantage, the generation advantage, or any advantage for that reason. I, however, still have confidence in myself and to all readers who feel discouraged: Don't be, create your own advantage. Although I disagreed with some of the stuff he said, I agreed that one should dedicate hours to sharpen one's skill. Readers will agree with much of what he says, or may disagree entirely, but one must give Gladwell credit that he made many valid points. Being the first book by Gladwell that I read, I would recommend it to anyone who wants to know how success is built, which is sometimes not all through effort. It's an interesting read, and I think I will give his other books a try now.