Why are people successful? For centuries, humankind has grappled with this question, searching for the secret to accomplishing great things. In this stunning new book, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an invigorating intellectual journey to show us what makes an extreme overachiever. He reveals that we pay far too much attention to what successful people are like, and too little attention to where successful people are from. Gladwell examines how the careers of Bill Gates and the performance of world-class football players are alike; why so many top lawyers are Jewish; why Asians are good at maths and why it is correct to say that the mathematician who solved Fermat's Theorem is not a genius. Like Blink, this is a landmark work that will simultaneously delight and illuminate.

Great read! According to Gladwell, it isn't all about luck and talent. ( )

Fascinating. ( )

I found the book a very readable collection of extremely interesting facts proving that background (generations back), social class, time of birth, help from others, and luck are crucial to success. Hard work and innate talent matter but no more than all these other factors. It's what I've always believed but it was great to have evidence to back it up. I wish I could remember all the corroborating evidence but, sadly, I'll probably forget some of it. ( )

An interesting look at all the factors that lead to an individual's success. The stories were very fascinating and the book kept me hooked. I did feel, however, that there weren't a whole lot of statistics to back up his claims. One can pick any situation and with loose logic make it fit a given theory. Would have liked to have seen more statistical proof. ( )