Top positive review
54 people found this helpful
5.0 out of 5 starsOverall I enjoyed reading Outliers and I would definitely recommend it to ...
ByOlivia Filicettion November 28, 2016
Have you ever wondered why some people prevail and live remarkably successful lives while others fail to reach their full potential?
Malcolm Gladwell explores the different factors that decide the difference between successful and unsuccessful people. We learn what rock stars, geniuses and computer programmers have in common. He explains that success is not just a matter of IQ, but a combination of hard work and opportunity. In Outliers, Gladwell hooks the reader by first providing an anecdote and explaining the common misconceptions that people have about that situation and then completely turns our understanding of how they got to be successful on its head.
This book includes stories of why January first is the ideal birthday for a hockey player, how the work ethic determined by Jewish immigrants making clothes lead to them becoming successful lawyers, how Asians working in rice paddies has developed a culture which excels at math, and how performing for 10,000 hours in Hamburg decided the Beatles’ rise to fame. While this book was enjoyable for this trivia alone, Gladwell manages to change our perception of success entirely, because timing, circumstance, and even luck are major factors that decide a person’s success. Sometimes the disadvantaged actually have all the advantages in the world just because they happened to be born in the right place at the right time. We have to examine all the factors surrounding a successful individual which all had to come together in order for him or her to be an outlier.
Gladwell bases most of his anecdotes and explanations on research conducted by others and I wish he would have gone into more detail about how these studies were conducted and how reliable they actually are but this is the only complaint I have about this book. He is a very charming and enthusiastic story teller, he thoroughly explains his thought process without rambling and kept me interested and engaged throughout the whole book. Overall I enjoyed reading Outliers and I would definitely recommend it to others.
Malcolm Gladwell explores the different factors that decide the difference between successful and unsuccessful people. We learn what rock stars, geniuses and computer programmers have in common. He explains that success is not just a matter of IQ, but a combination of hard work and opportunity. In Outliers, Gladwell hooks the reader by first providing an anecdote and explaining the common misconceptions that people have about that situation and then completely turns our understanding of how they got to be successful on its head.
This book includes stories of why January first is the ideal birthday for a hockey player, how the work ethic determined by Jewish immigrants making clothes lead to them becoming successful lawyers, how Asians working in rice paddies has developed a culture which excels at math, and how performing for 10,000 hours in Hamburg decided the Beatles’ rise to fame. While this book was enjoyable for this trivia alone, Gladwell manages to change our perception of success entirely, because timing, circumstance, and even luck are major factors that decide a person’s success. Sometimes the disadvantaged actually have all the advantages in the world just because they happened to be born in the right place at the right time. We have to examine all the factors surrounding a successful individual which all had to come together in order for him or her to be an outlier.
Gladwell bases most of his anecdotes and explanations on research conducted by others and I wish he would have gone into more detail about how these studies were conducted and how reliable they actually are but this is the only complaint I have about this book. He is a very charming and enthusiastic story teller, he thoroughly explains his thought process without rambling and kept me interested and engaged throughout the whole book. Overall I enjoyed reading Outliers and I would definitely recommend it to others.
Top critical review
4 people found this helpful
3.0 out of 5 starsOK Read/ AWESOME Message of Hope
ByTiffanny NNon November 9, 2017
I received the book in the mail yesterday, and I'm almost done. It's a very easy read. The author proves, through a series of logical examples, that those that our society deem "the great ones", have more to do with a series of lucky breaks meeting preparation than some innate ability. That being said, the book gave me hope. It is definitely NOT written in a hopeful or inspirational tone. Its redundant points are presented very logically and matter-of-fact (other reviewers say "boring"). Potato/po-tah-to... Example after example....after example, the pattern that emerged for me was destiny is real, that even as early as our birth, the universe is conspiring to lead us in the direction of our purpose. We each have a series of "lucky" breaks as well as unfortunate events that are directing our paths. We can chose to lean in and pursue or be crushed by the redirection. Once I shifted my focus, the authors examples were exciting and eye-opening. As I said, I've not yet completed the book. Gladwell may very well bring it together in this way by the end (fingers crossed), but regardless, reading it from that aspect makes it much more of a page turner.
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ByMaverick Dicksonon August 25, 2018
I listened to this book on one of my trips, and it was amazing. Gladwell uses the book to make the argument for why outliers come to be in a very compelling way. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in discovering what makes people like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, etc., great, why someone is more likely to become a great athlete, and more. It’s all in this book.
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ByZ. DINGon August 24, 2018
Lots of insights into successful people like Bill Gates, Beatles. Success is the accumulative advantage, so having 10,000 hours' practice early will give you the head start to become outliers. Last but not the least, working really hard, harder than your peers is still the most important factor.
ByScotty954on August 24, 2018
This great read makes one point clear - there are several ingredients that will need to come together to drive success. While not a “self help” book, this for me opened my mind to opportunities that - with my special set of “ingredients” - I am in the right place and time to pursue. There are a massive number of takeaways we should consider as a society in USA, particularly in my opinion in suggestions (studies) done on primary education styles.
ByAnita Merritton August 23, 2018
Very interesting points. Well written and something to think about
ByJaleesaon August 22, 2018
Such a drag, some parts picked up, others just boring.
Bykevin haunon August 22, 2018
Another great read from Gladwell. If you like the podcast you’ll like the book, guaranteed.
ByT.M.D.on August 22, 2018
I really enjoyed all the data the author provided to prove this theory about the factors that goes into extraordinary success. It gives me hope as well as an excuse as to why most of us aren't wildly successful. Most of the time hard work and intelligence are not enough, we need luck and timing. Still wildly entertaining and thoughtful read.
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