I've read all of Mr. Gladwell's books and if you're only going to read one, IMO, this is his most important, and at the risk of hyperbole, I'll call it brilliant. He argues, and supports with substantial evidence, the idea that sheer luck plays an enormous role in how our lives turn out. He stops short of taking the extreme deterministic position agreed upon by, oh, Einstein, Freud, and BF Skinner, to name a few of the 20th centuries most influential thinkers, but many readers will have their minds opened to consider that possibility more seriously. The book is also the story of failure. I guess if that had been incorporated into the title it would have been less appealing. And although examples of failure due to bad luck are no doubt far more common than The Beatles or Steve Jobs, thus who experience failure, also because of (bad) luck, don't stick out to be studies and included. If there's a weakness it's that examples that con't support his thesis are ignored. On the other hand. if his thesis is correct, and I think it is, there are no contradictory example. Outliers is, IMO, a truly great book. I can't thin of a book I'd recommend more highly.

For a supposed scientific out-of-box thinker, Im surprised at Gladwell for more than one mischaracterization. First he posits Josephs success as strictly based on self-determination and individual effort, which begs the question, Have you critically read Genesis? Two, he takes observations of a bona fide genius on the corporate, self-serving Harvard culture and dismisses it as a function of defensive thinking based on poverty and lack of self-confidence. Perhaps this was published prior to the Harvard grade inflation scandal? He states a desire to show that social milieu affects success, just to meander his way toward implying that wealthy kids grow up socially privileged because theyre sheltered and supported like little orchids. Im starting to think theres merit to critics who say that Gladwells insights have more to do with preconceptions masking as wisdom than real observations.

I loved it because it opens up perspectives to what success is. Success is a result of multiple factors and all of them are very relevant.

Each chapter talks about one of these things and ends on a note that, yes xyz is important but was it only because of xyz? And the answer to that is in next chapter...

Success. Is a very simple and easy word but it is a combination of many derivatives

Practice skills
Luck
Timing
Networking (very important in the US)
Culture
Routines
Energy
Presence of mind
Persistence
Hardworking
Reinforcement learning

Some of my favorite picks from this book:

1. Practice, hardwork and persistence makes individuals grow and reach tippy top of their fields. Chapter 2 talks about this with examples of Bill gates and computer industry. He also talks about the 10,000 hr rule

2. A community helps build an environment which is constructive for development. So the environment around us matters a lot

3. Grit and the spirit of never giving up leads you to success. People who have average skills outperform others with higher IQ by working up and enhancing themselves by practice n putting extra hours.

4. IQ is important but only till a certain point. Most people think high IQ makes people successful, but it is only applicable to a certain amount of IQ

5. Our cultural heritage also plays an important role in our success. This is very elegantly described by the rice paddies case study towards the end of the book. This is also described in the Jewish immigrants case study

These were some of the most important things I could write down at the back of my mind. There are many more amazing lessons in the book

Suitability:💯

Excellent quality books with pleasing elegant cover, nice paper, & clear print.
Almost perfect.
Sana lahat bigger-clear-print sa next order ko now... Thanks