Outliers: The Story of Success

by Malcolm Gladwell

Overview

From the bestselling author of The Bomber Mafia, learn what sets high achievers apart—from Bill Gates to the Beatles—in this seminal work from "a singular talent" (New York Times Book Review).

In this stunning book, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an intellectual journey through the world of "outliers"—the best and the brightest, the most famous and the most successful. He asks the question: what makes high-achievers different?

His answer is that we pay too much attention to what successful people are like, and too little attention to where they are from: that is, their culture, their family, their generation, and the idiosyncratic experiences of their upbringing. Along the way he explains the secrets of software billionaires, what it takes to be a great soccer player, why Asians are good at math, and what made the Beatles the greatest rock band.

Brilliant and entertaining, Outliers is a landmark work that will simultaneously delight and illuminate.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316017930
Publisher:	Little, Brown and Company
Publication date:	06/07/2011
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	86
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.00(d)
Lexile:	1080L (what's this?)

About the Author

Malcolm Gladwell is the author of five New York Times bestsellers: The Tipping Point,Blink, Outliers,What the Dog Saw, and David and Goliath. He is also the co-founder of Pushkin Industries, an audio content company that produces the podcasts Revisionist History, which reconsiders things both overlooked and misunderstood, and Broken Record, where he, Rick Rubin, and Bruce Headlam interview musicians across a wide range of genres. Gladwell has been included in the Time 100 Most Influential People list and touted as one of Foreign Policy'sTop Global Thinkers.

Hometown:

New York, NY

Date of Birth:

September 3, 1963

Place of Birth:

England, U.K.

Education:

University of Toronto, History degree, 1984

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Roseto Mystery "These people were dying of old age. That's it." 3

Part 1 Opportunity

1 The Matthew Effect "For unto everyone that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance. But from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath." - Matthew 25:29 15

2 The 10,000-Hour Rule "In Hamburg, we had to play for eight hours." 35

3 The Trouble with Geniuses, Part 1 "Knowledge of a boy's IQ is of little help if you are faced with a formful of clever boys." 69

4 The Trouble with Geniuses, Part 2 "After protracted negotiations, it was agreed that Robert would be put on probation," 91

5 The Three Lessons of Joe Flom "Mary got a quarter." 116

Part 2 Legacy

6 Harlan, Kentucky "Die like a man, like your brother did!" 161

7 The Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes "Captain, the weather radar has helped us a lot." 177

8 Rice Paddies and Math Tests "No one who can rise before dawn three hundred sixty days a year fails to make his family rich." 224

9 Marita's Bargain "All my friends now are from KIPP." 250

Epilogue

A Jamaican Story "If a progeny of young colored children is brought forth, these are emancipated." 270

Notes 287

Acknowledgments 297

Index 301

Reading Group Guide 311

Editorial Reviews

"In the vast world of nonfiction writing, Malcolm Gladwell is as close to a singular talent as exists today...Outliers is a pleasure to read and leaves you mulling over its inventive theories for days afterward."—David Leonhardt, New York Times Book Review

"The explosively entertaining Outliers might be Gladwell's best and most useful work yet...There are both brilliant yarns and life lessons here: Outliers is riveting science, self-help, and entertainment, all in one book."—Gregory Kirschling, Entertainment Weekly

"No other book I read this year combines such a distinctive prose style with truly thought-provoking content. Gladwell writes with a high degree of dazzle but at the same time remains as clear and direct as even Strunk or White could hope for."—Atlanta Journal Constitution

From the Publisher

"No other book I read this year combines such a distinctive prose style with truly thought-provoking content. Gladwell writes with a high degree of dazzle but at the same time remains as clear and direct as even Strunk or White could hope for."

Atlanta Journal Constitution

"The explosively entertaining Outliers might be Gladwell's best and most useful work yet...There are both brilliant yarns and life lessons here: Outliers is riveting science, self-help, and entertainment, all in one book."

Gregory Kirschling - Entertainment Weekly

"In the vast world of nonfiction writing, Malcolm Gladwell is as close to a singular talent as exists today...Outliers is a pleasure to read and leaves you mulling over its inventive theories for days afterward."

David Leonhardt - New York Times Book Review

The explosively entertaining Outliers might be Gladwell's best and most useful work yet...There are both brilliant yarns and life lessons here: Outliers is riveting science, self-help, and entertainment, all in one book.
— Entertainment Weekly

Gregory Kirschling

In the vast world of nonfiction writing, Malcolm Gladwell is as close to a singular talent as exists today...Outliers is a pleasure to read and leaves you mulling over its inventive theories for days afterward.
— New York Times Book Review

David Leonhardt

What makes the best, the brightest, the most famous, and the most successful excel? The answer to the question, Malcolm Gladwell insists, resides in the culture, family, and upbringing of these high achievers. To demonstrate his point, he delves into the backgrounds of soccer players, mathematicians, software billionaires, and even John, Paul, George, and Ringo. A super stimulating read; a buoyant Barnes & Noble Bestseller, now in paperback and NOOKbook editions. (Sidebar seminar: In statistics, an outlier is an observation numerical distant and unrepresentative of the remaining data.)

Journalist Gladwell has established himself on the nonfiction bestseller lists by breaking down complex social science research into approachable concepts that can spark discussion around water coolers and cafe tables. Some of Gladwell's critics fault him for zeroing in on compelling anecdotes that may not consistently add up to empirical proof, but his flair for narrative serves him well as a reader. Gladwell builds dramatic tension into his storytelling-from the unique childhood of software tycoon Bill Gates to the secrets of success found along the rice fields of ancient China and Japan-making for an engaging listening experience even though the threads may not always tie together into a seamless package. The bonus author interview features some entertaining insights, including Canadian Gladwell's explanation for why so many comedy superstars hail from America's northern neighbor. A Little, Brown hardcover (Reviews, Sept. 22). (Nov.)

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Publishers Weekly

Internationally best-selling author Gladwell (The Tipping Point) presents a fascinating analysis of the factors that lead to success, delving into the backgrounds of business leaders, athletes, artists, and musicians to reveal how their culture, circumstance, timing, birth, and luck have all played a key role in their success. While listeners may need some time to adjust to the author's gravelly, breaking-voice narration, this popular analysis geared toward the mass market nevertheless provides an important contribution to the factors impacting human potential. Recommended for academic psychology collections and larger public libraries. [The review of the Little, Brown hc said that "libraries will need to acquire it," LJ10/1/08.-Ed.]
—Dale Farris

Library Journal

There is a logic behind why some people become successful, and it has more to do with legacy and opportunity than high IQ. In his latest book, New Yorker contributor Gladwell (Blink, 2005, etc.) casts his inquisitive eye on those who have risen meteorically to the top of their fields, analyzing developmental patterns and searching for a common thread. The author asserts that there is no such thing as a self-made man, that "the true origins of high achievement" lie instead in the circumstances and influences of one's upbringing, combined with excellent timing. The Beatles had Hamburg in 1960-62; Bill Gates had access to an ASR-33 Teletype in 1968. Both put in thousands of hours-Gladwell posits that 10,000 is the magic number-on their craft at a young age, resulting in an above-average head start. The author makes sure to note that to begin with, these individuals possessed once-in-a-generation talent in their fields. He simply makes the point that both encountered the kind of "right place at the right time" opportunity that allowed them to capitalize on their talent, a delineation that often separates moderate from extraordinary success. This is also why Asians excel at mathematics-their culture demands it. If other countries schooled their children as rigorously, the author argues, scores would even out. Gladwell also looks at "demographic luck," the effect of one's birth date. He demonstrates how being born in the decades of the 1830s or 1930s proved an enormous advantage for any future entrepreneur, as both saw economic booms and demographic troughs, meaning that class sizes were small, teachers were overqualified, universities were looking to enroll and companies were looking foremployees. In short, possibility comes "from the particular opportunities that our particular place in history presents us with." This theme appears throughout the varied anecdotes, but is it groundbreaking information? At times it seems an exercise in repackaged carpe diem, especially from a mind as attuned as Gladwell's. Nonetheless, the author's lively storytelling and infectious enthusiasm make it an engaging, perhaps even inspiring, read. Sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

Kirkus Reviews