Outliers: The Story of Success

#Week19 #Book19 Outliers ….The Story of Success By Malcolm Gladwell Arnold Schwarzenegger once said “I am not a self made man” a statement that not only conveys gratitude from the man but also emphasizes the pivotal role of different people in different phases - Bodybuilding, Hollywood and Politics- of his accomplishing career, people who happened to be in Arnold’s life at the right time to provide him with exactly the kind of opportunities he had been looking for. Beyond doubt, he was focused, determined to make an impact and willing to put in efforts that it needed , but the fact that he went on to become the finest Bodybuilder of his time - Total 7 Mr. Olympia titles with 6 consecutively won, and that he had an illustrious Hollywood career and that he had been the most loved and one of the most successful US Governors of all time is not because of his determination, drive and diligence alone. Talent and Success work together only up to a point , but beyond that threshold success becomes largely a function of the environment a person grows in and the opportunities- People related, and circumstances related - he / she is presented with. In a world 🌍where we pretend Success is exclusively a function of individual merit, Outliers provides a breathtakingly fresh perspective on Success. It is a non-negotiable read for everyone : 🔗An aspiring teenager who is raring to start college and who seeks inspiration from his / her peers . What their success should really mean to him ? and exactly what should he/ she be inspired by ? 🔗A working professional who swears by his skills and thinks what has gotten him/her this far will take him further and 🔗Parents who want to do everything possible in their capacity for their child’s bright future. This book will pose a difficult question for them - Are they doing enough? And their quest for finding an answer will reveal what no amount of education can - Cumulative advantages and opportunities that are inherent in the culture you grew and your child is growing have a subtle yet profound impact in your child’s success. Outliers is a compelling work that will positively alter your perspective on Success. From analyzing the lives of Geniuses, Iconic Businessmen and Cultural influences To analyzing Plane crashes, Asian’s supremacy on Mathematics and Importance of consistent efforts over quick fixes, Outliers will leave you convinced that we are not self made individuals; In fact Nobody is ! All of us - in that order - are ♐️ Products of the World 🌍 in which we grew up ♐️ Successful because of several opportunities -in terms of People, Situations and Life’s experiences- that we have had and will continue to have ♐️ Are aware about a clear relationship between efforts and rewards. That we have seen our efforts produce results and recognition in the right measure motivates us to work with persistence and doggedness. Outliers cannot be recommended enough

The book explains why some people achieve things extra ordinary, when properly scrutinised it results that they have practiced on things for a longer duration, this is what which sets them apart. This book is filled with examples of Bill Gates- how he was able to pull off the foundation of Microsoft. Similarly this book highlights various other personalities who have worked their way across through grit and perseverance. Overall this is a nice read to know how successful people reached their goals.

As someone new to this genre, Outliers was a fascinating read. Malcolm Gladwell breaks down the myth of individual success and shows how hidden factors like privilege, timing, and sheer luck often play a bigger role than talent alone. It was eye-opening to see how even the most admired people benefited from circumstances beyond their control—be it their birth date, cultural background, or early opportunities. Gladwell doesn’t ignore hard work, but he puts it in a much broader context. A thought-provoking and refreshing take on what truly drives success.

This book genuinely opened my mind to the many invisible forces that shape success. In an era dominated by science, data, and individual achievement, we often focus only on personal traits namely hard work, intelligence, discipline, and end up indulging in hero worship. Outliers challenges this narrow view. Malcolm Gladwell compellingly shows that success is also deeply influenced by environmental factors such as family background, culture, timing, opportunity, and historical context. This perspective was both refreshing and unsettling, because it forces you to question how merit truly works in the real world. The book doesn’t deny individual effort, but it powerfully argues that effort alone is never enough without the right conditions. It’s a thought-provoking read, and I’m genuinely glad I picked it up. It changed how I look at success, failure, and even my own journey.

There seems to be a pattern with Gladwell's writing and a brilliant one too for sales or becoming the next 'bestseller' - Find an idea that already exists, coin an intriguing title, write and explain the idea with case studies. Though, the case studies seem well written, when it comes to proving the point, the author has cherry-picked stories that perfectly fit the situation. This is the second book from Malcolm Gladwell that I've read after The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference . After reading Outliers, I am not entirely sure if the three hours of my time were well spent because while I was reading, parts of it seemed very entertaining while in the back of my mind, I was wondering how true can these case studies be. Then I started my research on topics that were covered through the case studies. After spending more time on my research, I can easily say there are 'issues' to say the least. In fact I can point out and criticize the lack of research done with each case study, but I will just take one for now. ' The author talks about how 10,000 hours of practice in any field makes a person world class expert in that field by using Bill Gates and The Beatles personal stories implying success. The author writes in a way to prove this 10,000 hour rule proves with every successful individual on the planet. But on the contrary, academic journal published in July 2014 by Princeton University suggests otherwise saying becoming an expert takes more than practice - ' We conclude that deliberate practice is important, but not as important as has been argued.' Google '10,000 hours rule Princeton' for the article. The biggest let down is the story lies upon one's luck, apparently being born at the right time and the right place happens to be a major criteria for success according to the author. The conclusion is with the history of Gladwell's own Jamaican family and how its circumstances shaped him. How is that even relevant? Are we to consider Gladwell to be an outlier too? It is absolutely discouraging for the less-privileged or the unlucky ones looking for inspiration through this book as Gladwell's core belief system defines luck (born at the right time, in the right place, with the right ethnic background, and the right social class) to the primary cause for success. Insightful to a small extent but it's illogical and very tedious nonsense. Are there no un-lucky, less privileged people out there who happened to become world wide success stories? Answer that question yourself, but remember - where there is a will, there is a way.

Some of the facts shared were an eye opener. The book is a good read for all age groups. The author is articulate in putting forth his points.

Malcolm Gladwell is an author who have a very unique perspective of our world, and outliers by him will definitely help you see the success of others through a different lens

This is my 3rd Malcolm Gladwell book and I would recommend this to be ready by everyone. His style of articulation makes reading so easy and it should be emulated by all authors

one of the least books i read till the end

Malcolm Gladwell is an excellent writer. Once I started reading I have not been able to put this book down. It is telling the succes story of different people : from hockeyplayers to lawyers, Bill Gates, children from poor families in NY suburbs and explains why airplane crashes happen. Everybody can be an outlier if life 's opportunities are lined up in the right way.

It’s a short and sweet explainer for our perception of outliers in terms of people’s success and the reality of their background, circumstances and historical context being supremely pivotal to that success, rather than the traditional “self-made” widely perpetuated story. Negatives: it’s quite short (which is also good), and it’s a little loose and inconsistent with the level of statistical rigour under which the points are made (which also makes it much more accessible as an entertaining read rather than scholarly text). And, as some reviewers are noting, perhaps unfairly, it it not a self-help book. This book will help people understand some of the key not so intuitive mechanics behind success or failure at a population level. It won’t necessarily give you a large list of actionable items as an individual, although I think parents in particular of young children will be very interested in the read. The most direct “takeaways” from the book are more for educational ministers and policy makers in terms of what they can do to improve the opportunities and outcomes for their populations.

This book has an insightful perspective to the various factors of how people become smart. I recommend this book to those who are searching for an answer of how different cultures produce different levels of human ability to thinking.

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.