"Outliers" isn't a book that i would normally pick up and read so it's a good thing it was chosen by my bookclub. I started out dreading reading it, wondering if i even wanted to know about those factors that have to do with success. And so i began reading....

This is how Malcolm Gladwell defines an outlier: "Outlier" is a scientific term to describe things or phenomena that lie outside normal experience. In the summer, in Paris, we expect most days to be somewhere between warm and very hot. But imagine if you had a day in the middle of August where the temperature fell below freezing. That day would be outlier. And while we have a very good understanding of why summer days in Paris are warm or hot, we know a good deal less about why a summer day in Paris might be freezing cold. In this book I'm interested in people who are outliers-in men and women who, for one reason or another, are so accomplished and so extraordinary and so outside of ordinary experience that they are as puzzling to the rest of us as a cold day in August."

....and i kept on reading...until about two-thirds of the way through the book it clicked for me there somewhere inside my head....i understood those factors that make some people so extraordinarily successful. Gladwell does a great job of breaking down and explaining those factors so that i had no choice but to take a good look at my connection to my own culture, to where i come from.

Perhaps the most interesting chapter in the book was the one about plane where Gladwell shows the clear connection between culture, authority, and plane crashes.

A new way of looking at what factors determine future success.

Gladwell is a very good writer who presents a very compelling thesis, which becomes incredibly personal (for him) in the final chapters. If there is a challenge--flaw is too harsh--to his thesis, however, it is that there seems to be little anyone can do to influence these factors. In other words, this concept only works in retrospect.

Thus, anyone picking up this book to learn how to be more successful will be sadly disappointed. By the time you read it, it will probably already be too late to change the factors."

Once again, Malcolm Gladwell attacks conventional wisdom and common sense.
Gladwell once again uses anecdotal evidence as he demonstrates that success is not necessarily attained as we think it is. While not as conclusive as a pure scientific exercise, Outliers does force us to question our preconceived notions about success.

If you enjoyed The Tipping Point you will enjoy this one. Again, Gladwell gets you thinking.

I like everything Malcolm Gladwell writes . I have read The Tipping Point and Blink and enjoyed them immensely so when I saw this book with my buddy Bob I grabbed it right away.

The book talks about how people become successful and how much effort a person needs to put into something to become great.

The whole idea of this book is that , although you also need to put in a lot of work to actually become successful , turned out the magic number is 10,000 hours which is the equivalent of doing something obsessively everyday for 10 years, you also need lucky breaks and people connections.

Gladwell used Bill Gates as a study case to show how he managed to get where he is today; with hard work, 10,000 hours worth of it, family connections and luck; he happened to be born in the right year, go to the right school and get involved in the right thing at the right time.

Fascinating stuff really.

The book also discussed athletes , specifically hockey and soccer players and how their birth month played a big role to them being recruited in the professional leagues.

Tons and tons of interesting information.

Totally enjoyed it as I expected and I look forward to more work from Gladwell.

Another excellent book by Malcolm Gladwell. Listened to the audiobook. Really interesting points are presented to the reader.

There are no woman in this book!!

Dude - you've left out half the population!

I can think of many female outliers:

ROSALIND FRANKLIN discovered DNA
Vandana shiva - Physicist
Arundati roy
Hilary Clinton,
Amelia Earhart
bell hooks
MARIE CURIE
Coco Chanel

Malcolm, could you not think of even one????

VERY DISAPPOINTED.

Another great book by Canadian Malcolm Gladwell. His account on airplane crashes and why Asian goods excel in math are amazing. From start to finish, the book gets you within its hooks on the issue of why some people become successful and others do not. A fun well researched book.

The shallow character of this book is refelected in the notes or lack there of. It could be better documented with respect to sources. It is a very entertaining read that actually demonstrates very little that we didn't already know from better sources.

I'm disappointed I wasn't born in January - otherwise, I would be the 1st female Wayne Gretzky!! I enjoyed the book and the statistics --- Malcolm makes the book interesting (although a bit repetitive). I would definitely pick up his other books.

After "Blink" (his past book) I never thought he could improve that! Leave aside the fascinating stories about famous people and the correspondant explanations of their success, brilliantly described in this masterpiece (Bill Gates, The Beatles, Hockey players, etc.)... or the wonderful description of why high IQ's mean little more than nothing in predicting anyone's success... or the delicious interpretation of why Asian students stand out in math at school... Mr. Gladwell, IMHO, really becomes one of my top 5 favorite contemporary writters by giving us the formula (yes, a kind of a method!) to become "experts" in any given filed of our choice... the "10,000 hours" element...

Want to find out what it means? don't think twice... make yourself a favor (and to your children!) and buy this book. Guaranteed.

I like books that make you think rather than follow conventional thought of the day. The strongest point on a positive side, is his numbers are available and correct. Anyone can look them up and see the data is right. This will not be popular with school systems or teachers that believe the student is overworked. North America has lost the hard work ethic once taught by our parents. This book should be read by anyone thinking about having kids. Outliers will have far more impact than his other books. Read this book! and give it to your kids, as I have done.

Malcom Gladwell's newest book, Outliers: The Story of Success, confirms what I've believed all along and that is that great athletes, musicians, artists, teachers, etc., aren't born; they are made. Success, in any undertaking, has more to do with your attitude than with your aptitude. There are even times when you're too smart for your own good. According to Gladwell, success and being successful has more to do with being in the right place, at the right time, and under the right set of circumstances than it does with your gene pool. Success has everthing to do with your ability to hang in there and put in the hard work. Gladwell refers to this "stick-to-it-ness" as the 10,000 hour rule: basically practicing something over and over and over again until your practicing has perfected it.

Reading Outliers, you begin to understand why the likes of a Bill Gates or a Bill Joy, or The Beatles for that matter, became successful. You begin to understand that anything is possible, as long as you work and long for it. You begin to realize that if "they" can do it, so can you. However, Gladwell also points out that a little luck on your side doesn't hurt, either. And, in most cases, a little luck was the deciding factor in the success of many of the people he profiles in his book. Gladwell believes that "Outliers" are those who have been given opportunities - and who have had the strength and presence of mind to seize them. In Gladwell's case, it began with his grandmother, Daisy, whose spirit was passed on to his mother, and through her to him.

Being in the right place at the right time can also mean being born in the right year. Aspiring hockey players should take note and read chapter one, "The Matthew Effect". Statistics suggest that you are going to have to work harder and practice longer if you happen to be born in the wrong year. And, according to Gladwell, being born on the right side of the tracks doesn't guarrantee that you will be successful either; although it does apparently help if your parents can afford to send you to a study camp during summer vacations.

How much does intelligence play in your success? How smart do you have to be, to be a successful lawyer, doctor, or a successful business person? Can people be too smart for their own good? Gladwell suggests there is "smart", and then there is "too smart". You'll have to read chapters three and four to find out more.

I am a huge fan of Malcolm Gladwell, partly because he grew up in Ontario, Canada, but mostly because he's a terrific writer. If you haven't read any of his earlier works - The Tipping Point or Blink - you should. You won't be disappointed. Gladwell has an uncanny ability to take a complex subject and write about it in a language that even a layman like myself can understand.

I wonder what journey Gladwell is going to take us on next. I can hardly wait to tag along.

Such an interesting read! Full of neat facts, and covering topics that you would never even find yourself thinking about as areas where luck/opportunity/pure chance affect how successful you become. For instance, who knew that culture played such a big role in which airlines crash more often? I found myself continually telling my boyfriend about my latest learnings, to the point that he was saying "read your book so you can tell me more interesting facts!".

It's a parent's and educator's dream come true! Someone who proves that hard work is the key to success. Yes, there is luck, circumstances, timing and culture involved, too, but hard work is always a good thing. Gladwell, has been accused of not doing any original research, but I appreciate someone who goes and collects all the research that's out there (and there is a lot!) and puts it in a tidy package for me. He also draws connections between things that one wouldn't ordinarily see, and he has an international reach. Plus, he's so easy to read! I'm hoping my kids will read this book before they're much older.

I abslutely love Malcolm Gladwell's books. He always has the most interesting twist on the world around us. For my full review, click here:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1788156/book_review_outliers_by_malcolm_gladwell.html?cat=2

Outliers sets out to prove that success is not solely based on a person's inherent knowledge, power, or drive, but is (collectively) a factor of these and many other variables which may not be so apparent. These factors include the fortuity of opportunities (including both spatial and temporal), methods of parental upbringing, social-economic status and cultural legacies. Not only are these factors unapparent, they are commonly overlooked in favor of the popular notion that success is solely the outcome of a person's intelligence and determination. Gladwell argues against the notion of the "self-made man" and sets to prove that the "self-made man" does not exist; that only through opportunities, a cummulation of personal interactions, cultural legacies and pure providence can a person truly achieve success.

Although Outliers may not be directly built on science, it cannot be disputed that Gladwell's ideas are truly fascinating and provocative. If nothing else it certainly inspires the body, mind, and soul to work hard(er) to achieve the most out of life.

If you've read Blink and the Tipping Point, you won't want to leave out Malcolm Gladwell's newest contribution, the "Outliers". It's a fantastic read, written in the same manner as Blink with supporting facts and interesting background stories.

I thought this book was really well written. Malcolm investigates reasons behind an individual becoming successful. Through looking at different socio-economic, demographic, geographic and a multitude of other factors he examines what determines one's level of success in life. Whether it is the date/month/year/era we were born in, our family's social standing, our upbringing, family income class, amount of time spent on a given activity, our personalities, opportunities we are presented with and where in the world we come from, Malcolm has his audience re-considering whether or not success is something that is pre-determined or something that is worked at from the time we are young.

As with his others, I found this book incredibly insightful, educational and inspiring.

I would recommend this book to anyone who believes or is interested in the reasons that the world goes round.

You always learn something when reading Malcom Gladweel. Hope he comtinues to write!