“Outliers: The Story of Success” by Malcolm Gladwell
Abstract:
Gladwell, M. (2008). Outliers: The story of success. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.
Outliers is a well written, fun, and easy to read book overall about success, and how particular factors can lend to one being successful. It details the success stories of many individuals such as The Beatles, Bill Gates, and Canadian Ice hockey players to name a few. The non-fiction book does an awesome job at detailing some of the author’s personal story as well. Multiple factors are identified that contributes to success. It points out the importance of realizing one 's own potential to be successful. In addition, the "10,000 hour-rule" is …show more content…
It has an introduction, part 1: opportunity, part 2: legacy, and an epilogue. Outliers examine the lives of extremely successful people, and the factors that got them there. The individuals discussed and/or interviewed are wildly successful (outliers) outside of the human norm of successful standards. In the examination of the wildly successful individuals lives Gladwell states how family, friendship, and culture play a part in one 's success. Gladwell causes the reader to poise the following question: if successful people actually deserve the praise some give them since they had particular factors that ensured their …show more content…
It is, rather, a gift. Outliers are those who have been given opportunities — and who have had the strength and presence of mind to seize them” (Gladwell, 2008). Gladwell manages to challenge the readers mind on what actually lends to one being successful. If everyone was afforded the same opportunities, environments, and attention it may affect the amount of wildly successful people we have in the world. Simply put certain factors like race, educational opportunities, and one’s home environment can make a huge difference between being wildly successful (an outlier) or just average. The theories and principles proposed in Outliers can easily be compared and contrasted to DuBrin’s text. DuBrin presents information that can be applied for one to be a successful leader. While Gladwell challenges the concept of one’s success just being a matter of luck and web of inherit advantages. Is your personal success a factor of your own hard work or is it just a number of factors that leant to you being successful, just