Outliers

We all want to know why success happens in the hope that we will be able to avoid the pitfalls that make it fail to materialize. This book suggests that those who succeed have an advantage that is circumstantial. This seems discouraging, but it is also empowering.

When circumstances and the environment create such a compelling case for success, we can better understand what to do to succeed in life. This book has popularized the 10,000-hours ‘rule’ where expertise in anything can be achieved by that number of hours of practice. Ignore that advice.

There are real caveats behind it… show more.

Gladwell is a master storyteller who is especially gifted at weaving an interesting narrative around what might otherwise be banal research evidence and facts. 

In this book, he challenges our thinking about what contributes to individuals’ success; our over emphasis on individual merit, innate talent, and ambition and under emphasis on the role of context, opportunities, and preparation. Gladwell uses engaging and relevant stories (about hockey players, geniuses, plane crashes, his own family) to make his points in powerful ways.  

Malcolm Gladwell is an exceptional storyteller, and Outliers is no exception. Like his other popular works, The Tipping Point and Blink, it delves into the intricacies of human behavior and encourages readers to explore the stories behind success.

This book offers a unique perspective on success, emphasizing the journey rather than just the end result. It highlights the significance of the smaller, ancillary activities surrounding any situation, which are often overlooked.

Outliers provides insight into the mindset required for success. It challenges readers to think outside of the box and consider new possibilities. As someone who prides myself on… show more.

This book is a thought-provoking examination of success and achievement, revealing the factors that contribute to extraordinary success.

Gladwell argues that success is not solely the result of individual talent and effort, but also depends on a range of external factors such as culture, family background, and opportunity. His insights into the 10,000-hour rule and the importance of deliberate practice have motivated me to pursue my own goals with renewed vigor.

I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking inspiration and practical advice on how to achieve their full potential.

This is a well-researched and though provoking insight into why and how many of the super-successful founders of mega companies achieved what they did.

It gives a different spin on things and besides finding Gladwell’s research fascinating, it answered many questions for me. I feel that if more people read this book, they would be more accepting of themselves and realise that through the research of Gladwell and his sharing of it with the reader, that the importance of timing and fate plays more of a role than most of us will ever realise.

Bottom line… after reading this book… show more.

Malcolm Gladwell is my favorite author, his ability to keep the reader engage is second to none. This book helps us understand what makes the spectacular spectacular all while creating the knowledge and understanding that anyone is capable of greatness if you're willing to take the time to work on your craft. 

Gladwell observes coherent insights and delivers answers as to what made an extraordinarily successful person. Outliers, as I now understand them, are not entirely self-made, but the product of a few lucky circumstances, ethnicity, genetics, family background, and breaks combined with 10,000 hours of practice and hard work in their field. My perceptions of success and being successful have changed. If you work that hard at anything, I believe the luck and the breaks will ultimately find their way to your door.

Well, apart from the fact that he is a genius, and this is one of his most celebrated books, Outliers is a brilliant reference read for anyone interested in how and why people become the successes they are. Gladwell intertwines peer-reviewed research with contemporary interviews to explore the secrets of success. The core insight is that people who dare to think or do different things – becoming ‘outliers’ – can become outsized success stories. Don’t follow the herd, be yourself, be weird…all of these things he celebrates in this fantastic book. For those interested in the shaping of opinions, this… show more.

This is Gladwell’s best book. He tries to explain why and how people move to the far-right side of the excellence curve. The book is filled with examples that make the ideas accessible. He invites the reader to see patterns that are contrary to conventional thinking.