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David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants 1st Edition

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Malcolm Gladwell (Author)
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Malcolm Gladwell (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars 2,994 customer reviews
ISBN-13: 978-0316204378
ISBN-10: 0316204374
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Frequently Bought Together

  • David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Back Bay Books; 1 edition (April 7, 2015)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0316204374
  • ISBN-13: 978-0316204378
  • Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2,994 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,221 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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3.0 out of 5 starsEntertaining but Lacking Scientific Rigor
By Book Shark TOP 1000 REVIEWER on October 3, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants by Malcolm Gladwell

"David and Goliath" is an interesting yet somewhat disappointing book about what happens when ordinary people confront giants. Best-selling author, Malcolm Gladwell provides many examples that range from the compelling to the dare I say feeble. That being said, the book is stimulating and it's never boring, it just lacked the brilliance that a book like his very own "Outliers" has. This provocative 320-page book is broken out into the following three parts: 1. The Advantages of Disadvantages (and Disadvantages of Advantages), 2. The Theory of Desirable Difficulty, and 3. The Limits of Power.

Positives:
1. Always engaging, provocative and a page turner. Gladwell is a gifted narrator.
2. Interesting subject, never boring. You never know what you are going to get from Gladwell. A great premise and title for a book, "David and Goliath".
3. Gladwell explores two main ideas through stories and keen observations. "What we consider valuable in our world arises out of these kinds of lopsided conflicts, because the act of facing overwhelming odds produces greatness and beauty. And second, that we consistently get these kinds of conflicts wrong."
4. A recurring theme that resonates throughout the book, "There is an important lesson in that for battles with all kinds of giants. The powerful and the strong are not always what they seem."
5. I absolutely loved the story of Vivek Ranadive's basketball team and where Pitino's trademark strategy came from. "The whole Redwood City philosophy was based on a willingness to try harder than anyone else."
6. The provocative discussion on the correlation of class sizes and educational success.Read more ›
17 Comments 511 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...
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5.0 out of 5 starsGladwell did it again.
By Derek Halpern on October 2, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
You might read some reviews that hate on this book.

They'll say they don't like his pseudo-scientific claims. They'll say he oversimplifies everything. They might even mention some "incidents" where they witnessed a deluge of "random" people who hated on this book... just a day after it's released.

But I believe those people have an agenda. An agenda where they decided they were going to hate this book before they even read it.

I'll explain.

When I buy a Malcolm Gladwell book, I don't expect in-depth analysis of hundreds of research studies. For that, I'll turn to someone like Eliot Aronson, Dan Ariely, or some new blood like Adam Grant. When I buy a Malcolm Gladwell book I expect to read compelling stories that bring a few pieces of key research to life. I also expect to be inspired by these stories. And in that regard, David and Goliath OVER DELIVERS.

#1 I loved the story of the impressionists

I won't ruin the story for you because I think you should buy the book and read it. But the short of it is this: When the impressionists were shunned from the high art society in France, they created their own art show. And their art became more popular. And today, their art is essentially priceless since the art they were showing in their 'offsite' art show totaled more than billion dollars worth of art.

What's funny about this story is the connection to Gladwell and today. Gladwell might get shunned by some nitpicking academics, and that's fine. He's not trying to break into the world of academia. He created his own world, and he's the guy selling millions of books.

This doesn't mean I hate academia though. I run a website called Social Triggers, and a podcast called Social Triggers Insider. My goal?Read more ›
10 Comments 518 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...
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3.0 out of 5 starsThe Slipping Point
By Jim Muccio on March 8, 2014
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
David and Goliath, the Tortoise and the Hair, The Little Engine that Could... these are the stories we grew up with that spoke to us about overcoming the odds. As if somehow learning as a child that overcoming the odds was not only possible it was a good thing. When you're a kid with nothing to lose you might dream big…”This only goes to show what little people can do” to quote from the Musical Les Miserables. As we grew older we understood more deeply just how impossible overcoming the odds can be. To truly overcome the odds the reality of the “Kobayashi Maru Scenario” sets in. From Star Trek the Kobyashi Maru Scenario is the no-win scenario that cadets going through Starfleet Academy must face. Only one cadet ever won the Kobayashi Maru Scenario. That’s would be Captain James T. Kirk. How did he win? He cheated.

OK, for the most part, these “David and Goliath” tales of youth are fictional. Enter Malcolm Gladwell and his his forth is a series of winning titles starting with “The Tipping Point”, “Blink”, and then “Outliers”. Now Mr. Gladwell brings us “David and Goliath -- Underdogs, Misfits, and the art of Battling Giants”. He’s not coining a new phrase as he did with his other books. We all know the story of David and Goliath and we all know it’s about doing something that ought not be possible. Except instead of fiction, Mr. Gladwell brings us a series of real life accounts of underdogs prevailing against the mountain of odds stacked against them. These are real life David and Goliath stories as only Mr. Gladwell can tell them... deep, compelling, and poignant...his trademark. How did these underdogs prevail? In some sense they cheated. As Capt Kirk would say, “He changed the rules”.Read more ›
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsGreat read!

Enjoyed reading this book so much, I finished it in a day and a half! So many wonderful ideas and new ways to see things.

Published 20 hours ago by Skipper Scooper
5.0 out of 5 starsWhether you are a David or a Goliath in your world, this book will...

I gave this book five stars because it was entertaining, informative, and thought provoking. I would recommend this book to everyone. but the closed minded.

Published 2 days ago by S. Bor
4.0 out of 5 starsGood book from a great author

This is another great book from Malcolm Gladwell. Although I like his other works better, this is worth your time. Read more

Published 3 days ago by Christopher F.
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

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Published 8 days ago by Toni Davidson
4.0 out of 5 starsGladwell's a master at combining anecdote and social science and...

The subtitle of this book, Gladwell’s fifth, is “Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants. Read more

Published 8 days ago by Victoria Weisfeld
5.0 out of 5 starsIf we do not understand history we are doomed to repeat it.

I wish George Bush had read this book. His Vice-President lead him down the path of repeating a mistake from the past.

Published 10 days ago
5.0 out of 5 starsGood read

I loved this book. It makes you think how to handle day to day situations to come out the "David" in tough situations. Read more

Published 10 days ago by Emilee
5.0 out of 5 starsGladwell Makes Me Mad

Gladwell can be harsh, especially about the south. But, I keep buying his books because they make me think about things in a new way. Lighten up on Bubba you don't get it.

Published 15 days ago by Jack Walden
5.0 out of 5 starsAnother masterpiece by my now favorite author

Insightful. Mind opening. Great stories. Great. narrative. From David and Goliath to the US and Vietnam. And many more examples. Must read.

Published 16 days ago by Jamie O.
2.0 out of 5 starsTwo issues from one who has enjoyed Mr Gladwell's previous book

Two issues from one who has enjoyed Mr Gladwell's previous book.
1. Starts off with a great premise and probably valuable life lessens. Read more

Published 18 days ago by David Levine

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