Recommended Ages: Published for adults, appropriate for interested YAs

Plot Summary: Outline

Introduction "The Roseto Mystery"
People from Roseto, Italy immigrated to the United States (Pennsylvania) and were found to be incredibly healthy until late in life, despite their eating exercise habits. Conclusion: They were healthy because they "stopped to talk to each other on the street and had three generations living in one home." Point: author wants reader to think about things in a new way, just like the researchers did.

Part One

Chapter One "The Matthew Affect"
Canadian Hockey players born in January, February, or March composed over 40% of the winning teams. Conclusion: The cutoff date for hockey was Jan 1, so the oldest kids, and therefore the most physically mature, were chosen to be part of the better teams in the better leagues, which then had more practice, which made them better players. Same is true in education and honors classes. Point: Being born at the right time is important. Keyword: Relative age

Chapter Two "The 10,000 Hour Rule"
"Geniuses" such as the Beatles, Bill Joy, Bill Gates, and Mozart put in about 10,000 hours of work before becoming truly successful. Conclusion: They were lucky enough to be given opportunities to practice that much. Point: It helps to have lucky opportunities and be born at the right time (most big-wigs in the computer programming industry were born in 1955).

Chapter Three "The Trouble With Geniuses, Part 1"
An average IQ is 100. Conclusion: But once an IQ is higher than 120, success and high IQs are no longer necessarily linked. Point: Imagination and the ability to think in many directions are also possible. Keyword: divergence test (ex: List as many uses as possible for a brick and for a blanket.)

Chapter Four "The Trouble With Geniuses, Part 2"
Compares Chris Langan and Robert Oppenheimer, two geniuses, one of which succeeded and the other which lives a quiet life in rural Missouri. Conclusion: Langan didn't know how to fight when he was told he lost his college scholarship, but Oppenheimer knew how to fight for himself when faced with obstacles. Point: Practical intelligence and entitlement are important for success.
Keyword: practical intelligence (knowing what to say to whom, knowing when to say it, and knowing how to say it for maximum effect), analytical intelligence (IQ), entitlement (act as though you have a right to pursue individual preferences and to actively manage interactions in institutional settings, but in a good way)

Chapter Five "The Three Lessons of Joe Flom"
Joe Flom became a successful lawyer because of three reasons: 1. He was Jewish and wasn't hired by WASPy law firms which allowed him to do litigation law which blossomed in the 70s. 2. Demographic luck: he was born in the 1930s, got through college when he could get many jobs to help pay for it and graduated when jobs were available. 3. His parents worked in the garment industry, which taught him to value hard work, do market research, negotiation skills. Conclusion: Culture, generation, and family history gave them opportunities. Sidenote: 3 qualities work must have for it to be satisfying: autonomy, complexity, and a connection between effort and reward

Part Two

Chapter Six "Harlan, Kentucky"
Appalachia is violent because of the culture of honor. Conclusion: People who settled in Appalachia mostly came from places in Europe where they were herdsmen, and therefore very aggressive and individualistic to make sure they made money. Point: Cultural legacies last generations, even if the social, economic, and demographic conditions are different. Keyword: culture of honor (willing to fight for even the slightest challenge to his reputation)

Chapter Seven "The Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes"
There was a period of time when plane crashes on Korean Air happened more frequently than other airlines. Conclusion: The copilots of crashed planes were afraid to tell the captain what to do or when something was wrong. Point: Countries which work as teams rather than in ranked order have less plane crashes (but now communication is a big part of flight school). Keyword: PDI (Power Distance Index - measures how much a culture respects authority)

Chapter Eight "Rice Paddies and Math Tests"
It doesn't take as long to say numbers in many Asian languages as it does in English, which makes it easier to memorize. The English language, especially with numbers, is very confusing because it's not consistent in how you say them outloud (twenty two versus two tens and two) which makes is more difficult to learn them as a child and more difficult to do the math. Farming a rice paddy is hard work all year round, and there is a connection between effort and reward. Conclusion: Asians better at math because they innately value hard work, persistence, and attention to detail and because it's easier for them to do math because of the language differences. Point: Some studies show Americans have a higher IQ than Asians, but they succeed because of their values.

Chapter Nine "Marita's Bargain"
Poor kids are at a disadvantage because they forget more information over the summer than rich kids, who are more likely to have books at home and do cultural activities. Conclusion: KIPP schools in inner-city areas serve primarily underprivileged students, but they have an enormous success rate because students have a long school day (7:25-5, plus after school clubs), and 2-3 hours of homework. Point: Outliers took an opportunity, just like Marita did when she was accepted to KIPP school.

Setting: different time periods and countries, varying from aboriginal to 1990s and the United States to China

Characters: Chris Langan (ch 3 & 4) - IQ of 195
Robert Oppenheimer (ch 4) - physicist, developed nuclear bomb
Louis and Regina Borgenicht - Jews who immigrated to the states and found a niche, worked hard to create aprons which started their garment business
Mort Janklow - lawyer who succeeded because he was born at the right time
Maurice Janklow - Mort's brother, didn't succeed because of historical events
Marita (ch 9) - student at KIPP school who describes her long day of learning

Recurring Themes: success, IQ, intelligence, hard work, coincidences, luck, communication, background, immigration, values, education, cultural differences

Controversial Issues: a few swears here and there, mostly in the second half of the book, and all in quotations taken from other sources

Personal Thoughts: I suggested this book to the anti-bullying committee at our school as an idea of a staff book club book that wasn't depressing. It turns out there isn't much to advice to help teachers help students succeed in their day-to-day. It may be informational to administrators who have the powers to do something about the discrepancies between school in the US and Asia, but it's probably more helpful to the government agencies in charge of education. As a teacher, I did learn that family life and values are more important than intelligence, but I already kinda knew that. Overall, I hoped to learn more practical things I could use right away, but instead I just found a bunch of fascinating conversation starters.

For a non-fiction book published for adults, I read this quite quickly. Gladwell is an excellent storyteller. Each chapter starts with a story, then the chapter picks apart the story. which is an effective method of keeping interest. ( )

Disclaimer: Gladwell is my favorite writer, especially his New Yorker pieces. So I was predisposed to like this. But I was still pleasantly surprised by the subject matter being more interesting than I expected. I'm not very ambitious, so learning about how people succeed isn't nearly as catchy as learning about, say, how people make decisions. But there were plenty of fascinating random tidbits to chew on. Again. His stuff is great for making conversation at parties. But, as with Blink, you don't really come away with any sort of action plan. There were a few references to ways of giving more people the opportunities for success, but they weren't very practical (more hockey leagues, for example). ( )

This guy can write! He starts with the ideas that aren't even his original ideas. They are usually very interesting ideas, but not always. But then he starts to tell the story of the ideas, and leads you to conclusions you would never have reached alone. He just flows from point to point, and it is always a pleasure to go for the ride. This book has some wonderful take-away ideas - the 10,000 hours rule, which shows that the truly gifted work their butts off to appear to be naturally talented; the cultural implications of cockpit interpersonal relations - it doesn't pay to defer to the captain when he is heading for a crash; and the impact of cultural norms on behaviour after generations in a new environment. Great stuff. Read December 2009. ( )

interesting but does he try to hard? look how clever i am! ( )

Professional social scientists will likely bemoan the lack of statistical rigor. But that misses the point entirely. Gladwell may be a story-telling popularizer but he does most of us an invaluable service by combing through the research and presenting the fruits in such a compelling fashion. His conclusions & arguments are far from airtight, but the journey through his countless fascinating narratives is always worth taking. ( )

Malcolm Gladwell has uncovered the secret to success.Except it's not what you think.Recall the stereotypical story of the American dream - a self made man who by hard work and pluck ended up making millions and changing the world. Think he just got lucky? Well, no. Gladwell postulates that his millions and fame came from one source: good old fashioned hard work. Lots of hard work that is. In this fascinating book, Gladwell picks apart, case by case, some of the most successful people (outliers) in our society to truly discover the story of their success. Bill Gates, the Beatles, and Canadian hockey players to name a few. Gladwell's main thesis is that yes, these people are smart and talented enough to go far, but it was/is due to their extreme hard work that brought them to the pinnacle of their profession. He seems to believe that 10,000 hours is the magic number and most likely anyone who puts in that amount of time will become a master at what they do.Some of his ideas I already agree with: that genius (having a coveted high IQ) doesn't necessarily equate results. Someone can be brilliant and never do anything significant with their life. Also, the idea that culture plays a large role in how you identify with success: the whole idea that Americans believe they are 'entitled' to better jobs, education, etc. simply becuase they are American. And lastly, the notion that no matter how hard you work at something, unless you are in the right time, at the right place, surrounded by the right connections then your achievement will go unappreciated. Sad, yet true - a large portion of your success depends largely on circumstances.This book was highly fascinating and a very quick read. I only wish he had left off the last chapter which describes his family history. I know he was illustrating a point, but I felt like it could have been easily left out and the book itself might have ended a little better.The main thing I took from this book? If you want something bad enough, you better be willing to put in the time to become the best...and then hope you are born at the right time when your skill will be the most sought-after. ( )

I was assigned to read certain chapters of this book for a teaching seminar that I recently attended, but since I liked Gladwell's Tipping Point I read the whole thing.

Gladwell has an interesting way of making sense of the strange and seemingly inexplicable things that occur in our world. Oftentimes they are things that we don't notice or wouldn't otherwise think about, but he has a way of seeing patterns where most of us don't. I'm never sure how accurate his theories are, and there is probably no way to really determine, but he does his research and his theories are as plausible as any other behavioral theories.

As a teacher, I was particularly interested in the chapters on intelligence and opportunity, and the Asian math aptitude and rice patties. However, I enjoyed the one about how it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert in something and how those that we think are geniuses or athletic stars with just outrageous raw talent are really just those that were lucky enough to get in their 10,000 hours of practice. And because I have a friend who is currently in pilot training, I was especially interested in the chapter about plane crashes and the culturally differences in foreign countries.
I also loved the fact that Gladwell ended the book with a chapter about the extraordinary circumstances that contributed to the good fortune of his own family. One might think it is egotistical that he would include that, but I felt like it was really him being very humble to say that he was simply lucky to have the wonderful family that helped him to achieve his success.

Check out his books! One of these days, I'll get around to reading Blink as well.

Another fascinating read from Gladwell. ( )

Interesting stuff. All about how successful people are not just successful because of who they are but because of where they are from and when. Liked the stories about the Canadian hockey team all being born in Jan, Feb, Mar and Bill Gates and the Beatles putting in 10,000 hours of practice before getting a chance to make it big. Now i want to look at myself and see what circumstances got me to where i am today... ( )

I picked this one up at the Bangkok airport and haven't been able to put it down! ( )

This is a study of how people achieve success across all spectrums of life.

The inner flap starts with the question "Why do some people succeed far more than others?" and follows with the statment that to understand hos some people thrive, we should spend more time looking around them.

There were a number of interesting examples presented such as how kids who were the oldest by a number of months were the "best" when being considered for the next level of hockey and how individuals susch as Bill Gates were at the happy intersection of the PC coming to be and having passion in programming.

While these are legitimate lines of thought, there are just as many exceptions. The title of Outliers is really mis-leading the individuals portrayed were more a function of their environment and part of the "masses." Better subject matter would be of the indviduals who were contrary to the "trend."

Lastly, a good percentage of those portrayed were household names -- Bill Joy, Bill Gates, etc. I would have been more interested in reading about successful individuals who weren't so well known. ( )

We are all looking for the formula to success...Gladwell let's you in on a secret in this book...there is a formula...but you have a limited hand in manipulating it to your advantage... ( )

I found Gladwell's premise to be intriguing, and his stories engaging. However, I think that in the end, he proves to his reader that he has proven nothing. How so? Well, he sets out to prove that Outliers are not people of great stature or skill, but that they have been given great opportunities to work hard. He sets about explaining the circumstances behind a whole set of success stories. When it comes down to it, it leaves me thinking... 'Okay, everything happens for a reason. Did you think that I though anything in this world was truly random and without cause?' In a way, he discredits his reader. Obviously, even a great genius or an outstanding person needs some sort of opportunity to open up to prove themselves. Yes, great people had mothers and fathers and grew up at particular times in history. Yes, it is no surprise that all the great lawyers of this era all were born around the same time. And it isn't much of a surprise that all the leaders of Silicon Valley up to this point were about the same age. Great. And? So his next book will be about the second generation of Silicon Valley greats or great lawyers of a new era and they'll all be about the same age too. Fascinating.

All this being said, he is an engaging writer and some of the stories really are fascinating, so it might be worth a read anyway. Just nothing all that earth shattering in the philosophy/sociology department. ( )

A remarkably easy book to read, it definitely makes you think. It adds a new dimension to the old genetics vs. cultural debate, bringing in the element of luck. If you're a determinist you'll like it, but it's definitely also a proponent of hard work. ( )

It was quite enlightening. He looks at things from a different perspective which is kinda fun. I did learn a lot from this book - I never knew how much more impact hard work had on one's success than did innate talent. I didn't realize that the fact that Western languages named numbers differently actually puts speakers of these languages at a Math disadvantage. I didn't realize that cultural behavior patterns can play such a major role in one's success.

Anyway, it makes me want to go put my 10,000 hours in and see just how successful I could be. Or maybe it makes me regret that I haven't already put in my hours because now it's too late for me to be a 'genius' at anything. ( )

I enjoyed this book. I have always been fascinated by outliers - those people, or data points, that don't fit the trends. Why are they so different from others? Gladwell does a good job making a compelling case that no one's success is solely by their own efforts - they were lucky, and stood on the shoulders of giants (or their parents were lucky). As a psychologist I might fault his reliance on anecdotes - but, the point is often unseen except in anecdotes. The last chapter, about the details that made his own family successful, is particularly moving. ( )

'The Tipping Point' and 'Blink' are both marvellous; however, I've spent the last three years working as a teacher, and although both books were illuminating they weren't especially directed at me. 'Outliers', a book about what makes some people successful and others not, was just the book I've been waiting for. I devoured it in a day and a half, and I know that I'll return to it many times in the future, because it's literally packed with incredible information and world-changing ideas (not necessarily Gladwell's own, mind you - and that's an important caveat. Gladwell is a very skilled disseminator of information to the public, and without him these ideas might not get the wide readership they deserve. However, the credit for the content of this book really belongs to the originators of the ideas themselves, and thankfully Gladwell includes pages upon pages at the end of detailed notes so that you can, if you wish, look up the originals). ( )

This is an interesting book, and for the most part well writen. It shows success in a light; that of chance based on being at the right "place" at the right time (or the wrong place at the wrong time for non-success). The middle section of the book did not hold my attention as much as the begining and end, and I felt the twinges of boredom when reading this bit. ( )

well researched and thought-out, outliers teaches the reader about the success stories of many people and cultures. gladwell offers the conclusion that the people he examines as "successful" are not so because of inherent reasons but rather they have access to certain opportunities or values that make them stand out. ( )

Fantastic, inspiring, interesting, absorbing. ( )

he makes a very persuasive arguement that success isnot due to ability, but being at the right place at the right time. does it mean all those motivation gurus have to give up their day jobs?
it must make depressing reading for them. their whole livelihood is at stake. if u r in the wrong time, all ur hard work and striving will be no use. so who needs these motivation gurus advising on how to be a success.

Great book for all to try. I have referred many people to this one. I think it can help folks look at achievement a different way. ( )

Outliers explains what factors come together to make some people successful when others aren't. Gladwell discusses time of birth, ethnic and cultural legacies, parenting differences between those in the middle and lower classes, and the 10,000 hour rule. While he doesn't make recommendations for overcoming factors that may hinder success, his insights should help those who are looking to improve schools, businesses, and others who see stumbling blocks in the way of success. Gladwell's writing grips and holds the reader to the end of the book. - CKL