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Outliers: The Story of Success Paperback – June 7, 2011

by Malcolm Gladwell (Author)

4.6 37,768 ratings

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In this stunning new 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.

Print length

336 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Back Bay Books
Publication date

June 7, 2011
Dimensions

5.45 x 1.15 x 8.25 inches
ISBN-10

0316017930
ISBN-13

978-0316017930
Lexile measure

1080L
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"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

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.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Back Bay Books; Reprint edition (June 7, 2011)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0316017930
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316017930
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1080L
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.45 x 1.15 x 8.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #864 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3 in Business Decision Making
- #6 in Decision-Making & Problem Solving
- #17 in Popular Social Psychology & Interactions

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4.6 37,768 ratings

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Malcolm Gladwell

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Malcolm Gladwell has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1996. He is the author of The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, and What the Dog Saw. Prior to joining The New Yorker, he was a reporter at the Washington Post. Gladwell was born in England and grew up in rural Ontario. He now lives in New York.

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Customers find the book interesting to read and engaging. They say it's insightful, fascinating, and illustrative. Readers also appreciate the well-presented, specific examples. They describe the book as worth the price and a great buy.

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2,376 customers mention "Readability"2,298 positive78 negative

Customers find the book interesting, engaging, and easy to read. They say the content is exactly what they want and the book is good for airplanes. Readers also mention the book is incredible in its deep dive through history and society.

"...Gladwell’s writing is both engaging and thought-provoking, offering fresh perspectives on why some people achieve greatness while others don’t...." Read more

"...I think that is a mistake. This is simply a fine book, a very thoughtful and easy read...." Read more

"...It is interesting, clearly written, and the argument is logically presented and, for the most part, well supported...." Read more

"...In conclusion, a highly entertaining and informative book." Read more

1,479 customers mention "Thought provoking"1,390 positive89 negative

Customers find the book insightful, illustrative, and fascinating. They say it contains interesting and provocative ideas. Readers also mention the examples are inspiring and well-researched. Additionally, they say the information in the book is tremendous for parents.

"...Gladwell’s writing is both engaging and thought-provoking, offering fresh perspectives on why some people achieve greatness while others don’t...." Read more

"...It offers some interesting perspectives about what makes some people more successful than others, with particular emphasis on those who far exceed..." Read more

"...It is interesting, clearly written, and the argument is logically presented and, for the most part, well supported...." Read more

"...It offers fascinating perspectives and ideas that I would have never thought of, which is why I love reading books like this...." Read more

107 customers mention "Presentation"104 positive3 negative

Customers find the information well-presented, reasoned, and full of thoughtful imagery. They also describe the style as casual and narrative, yet constructed with precision. Readers mention the book gives an exceptional view of the exceptional.

"...I think that is a mistake. This is simply a fine book, a very thoughtful and easy read...." Read more

"...I’m absolutely loving it. This book is so unique, from the beginning up to where I am now...." Read more

"...That said, I enjoyed Gladwell's easy style and sales pitch." Read more

"...Overall a great read that gives one an exceptional view of the exceptional." Read more

78 customers mention "Value for money"78 positive0 negative

Customers find the book to be a great buy. They say it's worth the price of purchase, and it makes them appreciate the value of hard work. Readers also mention the book did a great deal to inform their thinking.

"Outliers made it to the #1 spot as a national bestseller, and it's well deserved...." Read more

"...Great buy!" Read more

"...The stories are well written and easy to read. It's definitely worth the Kindle price I paid. I am now a fan of this author." Read more

"...This is an interesting and inspiring book, high recommended." Read more

76 customers mention "Interest"76 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging, entertaining, and full of interesting information. They say it's lively, provocative, insightful, and fun. Readers also mention the book captures their attention from the very first chapter.

"...with Gladwell's other books, it's written in a manner that keeps the reader interested and moving through it quickly...." Read more

"...explains his thought process without rambling and kept me interested and engaged throughout the whole book...." Read more

"...I couldn't put Outliers down. It's riveting.Here's the chapter list:Introduction: The Roseta Mystery..." Read more

"Fun, insightful nugs of knowledge, wisdom, and not-so-common sense wrapped up in phenomenal storytelling...." Read more

49 customers mention "Examples"49 positive0 negative

Customers find the examples in the book great, diverse, and interesting. They say it covers many factors that can cause a person to make it big. Readers also appreciate the practical sections and different characters that give the book more variety. Additionally, they mention the suggestions for equalizing opportunity are interesting.

"...It covers a great many factors that can cause a person to "make it big" from the effect that birthdays can have on sports players as well as the..." Read more

"...there were different stories and different characters which gave the book more variety...." Read more

"...The suggestions for equalizing opportunity are interesting, as they call not for reducing someone else's opportunity but simply for some..." Read more

"...He picks great examples and this really helps the book...." Read more

36 customers mention "Length"13 positive23 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the length of the book. Some mention it's not long in pages, while others say some chapters are too lengthy and repetitive.

"...Despite its relatively short length, it is a book packed with interesting and unusual information...." Read more

"Life is not fair. This small, fascinating book proves that it is not really a pick-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps world...." Read more

"...But first, let's have some fun.The book IS a little short on conclusions, which is ok by me. I'd rather draw my own...." Read more

"...It is too bad the last 150 pages were fillers...." Read more

65 customers mention "Boredom"0 positive65 negative

Customers find the book not interesting, a waste of time, and dull. They say the sports examples get boring after a while and there's a lack of research in some areas. Readers mention that the book is educational but not inspirational.

"...There's such an obsession with death and negativity that I found the book difficult to digest and follow without compartmentalizing large chunks...." Read more

"...are obviously cherry-picked and, frankly, some of it is just a waste of time...." Read more

"...The one thing I feel that I struggle against daily is a lack of interest in learning on the part of students and their families...." Read more

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A Fascinating Exploration of the Hidden Factors Behind Success

Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2024

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I have read this book twice now and sometimes flip through it

In Outliers: The Story of Success, Malcolm Gladwell masterfully uncovers the often-overlooked factors that contribute to extraordinary success. From the “10,000-hour rule” to the impact of cultural background and timing, each chapter is clearly structured and builds upon the previous one, making complex ideas easy to understand. Gladwell’s writing is both engaging and thought-provoking, offering fresh perspectives on why some people achieve greatness while others don’t. If you're interested in the unseen patterns behind success, this book is a must-read!

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Joseph

Another terrific book from Gladwell

Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2008

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"Outliers", like other Gladwell books, is very enjoyable. It offers some interesting perspectives about what makes some people more successful than others, with particular emphasis on those who far exceed expectations. Many of the book's criticisms focus on what the book is not. I think that is a mistake. This is simply a fine book, a very thoughtful and easy read. The book goes into how one's ethnic roots and specific opportunities set the stage for dramatic success, then working hard takes over. For example:

1. An ancestral emphasis on community involvement can lead to health results which beat the odds.

2. The date of one's birth can affect athletic and academic success, as the oldest in a group of youth, will lead to the 'Matthew Effect', better coaching/teaching, more games/practice, etc. There is an accumulative advantage. On a list of the wealthiest people of all-time, besides opportunity showing up with so many from America, among that group, being born around 1835 and around 1955 stand out, to take advantage of when railroads and Wall Street emerged and when computer time-sharing emerged, respectively.

3. The 10,000 hour rule. Gladwell thinks about 10,000 hours of concentrating at a skill is necessary to excel at something.

4. Whether it is height in basketball or IQ, just being tall enough or intelligent enough is all that really matters, same with colleges as long as they are good enough. Practical intelligence, knowledge and savvy are what really counts and family background is the key to having those. Parents should be involved with their children, with lots of negotiating and expectations of child talk-back, necessary to cause a child to develop a sense of entitlement, maybe not the most moral approach, but extreme success madates that.

5. Jewish immigrants had advantage of occupational skills, like in the garment industry - enterpreneurial skills versus other immigrants like peasant farmers. Work was more meaningful. Their offspring saw this, plus NYC public schools were probably the best in the world at the time.

6. Harlan, Kentucky is an example of herdsmen settlers, with a culture of honor from Scotch-Irish ancestors, influenced descendants, Gladwell saying that crime in the South more influenced more by personal than economic reasons. Certain 'insult' words have bigger effect.

7. Plane crashes are more from human errors in teamwork and communication. Cultural respect for authority a big factor; can keep a subordinate from directing a superior in an emergency. Plus, 'mitigated speech' can be a problem. Can be remedied by training in 'Aviation English'.

8. Asians being better in Math, likely related to ancestral tradition of rice paddies, which are complicated and require hard work throughout the year. Western farming is more mechanical with usually an off-season with little work. Here again, more meaningful and hard work. Plus, Asians learn to count faster because of language differences for numbers.

9. K.I.P.P. Academy in the Bronx, charter middle school, is successful because it has long school days and short summer vacations, with students who commit to work hard. Studies have shown schools generally do well when they are in session, the problem are kids losing ground without good parental involvement during summer vacation. So, it is possible to make up for poor childhood family situations. Makes school meaningful. Incentives, rewards, fun and discipline is the formula.

A terrific book.

23 people found this helpful

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Roberto J. Herrera

Worth the Investment

Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2014

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Outliers made it to the #1 spot as a national bestseller, and it's well deserved. It is interesting, clearly written, and the argument is logically presented and, for the most part, well supported. The book's central ideas are 1) that brain power, character, and motivation are overrated; 2) other factors—often not easily recognized or not given enough significance—such as where and when a person was born, his or her family history, and the particular twists of fate and coincidences in a life story, are integral to the success (or failure) of an individual.

While his second premise makes sense to most of us, it is frequently downplayed in favor of intelligence, desire, ambition, and other character traits when analyzing the achievements of the famous and highly successful. No one, no matter how smart and driven, can do it alone, says Gladwell. And he insists that enough favorable factors must come together to clear the path and propel the individual to become a winner. For example, Bill Gates was born at the right time (computers coming into their own), to wealthy parents, and through various fortuitous events ended up in a situation that gave him unprecedented access to computers in the late 1960's when he was only an eighth grader. Various individuals acted as facilitators to make it possible for him to continue his programming work through high school and into college. In Gates words, "I was very lucky."

Gladwell recognizes that Gates was brilliant and driven, and those faculties no doubt played in his favor, but the author maintains that the right circumstances—the precise state of technology when he was just the right age, the financial means, the mentors and coincidences—had to be there. He supports the argument by using contrast, including examples of extremely intelligent individuals, geniuses in fact, who were also highly motivated, but whose life circumstances did not favor them, and thus failed to achieve their enormous potential. In fact, he shows that high intelligence is an advantageous factor in achieving success only to a point beyond which it does not matter how many more IQ points you register.

Curiously, Gladwell misses an opportunity to advance more of his basic premises when analyzing the success of the Beatles, instead narrowing his focus on the break the band got by accepting a gig in Hamburg, Germany, which forced them to play a variety of music genres many hours daily, seven days a week before they took America by storm. His emphasis here is the number of hours the Beatles played during that time, which made them much better musicians, but he does not highlight that the turbulent 1960's were ripe for radical change in various areas of society, music being one. One of the author's main points in other parts of the book is that the period in which a person happens to be alive has an enormous influence on his or her personal life outcome, and the Beatles are a perfect example of that. And yet, Gladwell does not seize the opportunity to emphasize this. Quite odd, really.

The influence of culture in determining success or failure in specific fields is interestingly illustrated in Gladwell's analysis of airplane crashes. Until recently, Korean Air had a relatively high number of accidents, and it was discovered that this was largely due to their culture, which frowns upon the questioning of authority. It was found that Korean co-pilots and flight engineers were extremely hesitant to question the Captain's actions and decisions, much less clearly convey their concerns, when they detected potential problems.

A similar situation resulted in an Avianca (a Colombian airline) crash in New York in January 1990. In that incident, the factors of bad weather, a very tired flight captain, and a malfunctioning auto-pilot were exacerbated by their being on a holding pattern over the city while running out of fuel and the first officer's reluctance to convey the gravity of the situation forcefully enough to the very busy and commanding New York air traffic controllers. He did not want to anger the "authorities," so the exchanges via radio maintained a business-as-usual tone until the plane eventually ran out of fuel and crashed.

Gladwell offers many other fascinating and surprising facts in Outliers, such as the odd relationship between successful hockey players and their birth month, why the 1930's was the perfect time for New York Jewish lawyers to be born, why the 1950's residents of Roseto, Pennsylvania seemed immune to heart disease even though their diet was loaded with fat, few were committed to exercise, and many smoked heavily and struggled with obesity.

If you find these extraordinary social phenomena interesting, you will like this book.

10 people found this helpful

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Marc M. Sager

Gladwell is the best!

Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2024

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An amazing mind who sees the world in new and unique ways. I've read them all and enjoyed each one.

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Camden B

Loving this book so far!

Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2024

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I’m currently in the middle of this book, and I had to post a review already! I’m absolutely loving it. This book is so unique, from the beginning up to where I am now. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll just say—go get this book! It offers fascinating perspectives and ideas that I would have never thought of, which is why I love reading books like this.

10/10—highly recommend!

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Victor y Nabila F

Perfection

Reviewed in Mexico on June 2, 2024

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This is the one book that got me hooked on reading as a habit. I love Malcolm and this book arrived in perfect conditions on the same day I ordered it. Amazon is simply magical.

Renata P.

Entrega ótima. Produto perfeito.

Reviewed in Brazil on November 5, 2023

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Entrega ótima e produto perfeito.

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Kenda

الكتاب صغير حجمه

Reviewed in Saudi Arabia on September 14, 2024

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احب الكتب المتوسطه ماتناسبني القراءة بكتاب صغير خصوصا بلغة اخرى - النسخة سليمة لكن الحجم صغير

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Amazon Customer

Really enjoyable and thought provoking read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 31, 2024

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The book challenge your perception (or at least I can positively say it about mine) about what makes out of ordinary success, and why one person achieves it and others do not.
We often hear the stories of really successful/ influential/ famous people and how they "did it themselves " - and are under impression that their success is due to their talents and effords.
While talents and effords have their super important role, this book shows, in a way of telling life stories and analysing the impact on different factors, that it is not as simple. It shows that without other "hidden" factors, even with high IQ, talent and effords, success would not be so remarkable or even possible.
The hidden factors/ hidden advantages could be opportunities the person had in their life, where they live, how they are raised, cultural backgrounds, what was economics and demographic were like when they were of the certain age and even the date of birth (don't worry it is not about horoscopes).

I still have a lot of questions and would like to challange some of the statements in the book, but this is why I rate it so high. It is written in a way that gives you knowledge, things to think and digest, and triggers further curiosity.

It is written in a way that is easily and enjoyable to read - it has been a while since I enjoyed reading book as much as this one.

renato

Valido

Reviewed in Italy on July 20, 2024

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