"Outliers", like other Gladwell books, is very enjoyable. It offers some interesting perspectives about what makes some people more successful than others, with particular emphasis on those who far exceed expectations. Many of the book's criticisms focus on what the book is not. I think that is a mistake. This is simply a fine book, a very thoughtful and easy read. The book goes into how one's ethnic roots and specific opportunities set the stage for dramatic success, then working hard takes over. For example:
1. An ancestral emphasis on community involvement can lead to health results which beat the odds.
2. The date of one's birth can affect athletic and academic success, as the oldest in a group of youth, will lead to the 'Matthew Effect', better coaching/teaching, more games/practice, etc. There is an accumulative advantage. On a list of the wealthiest people of all-time, besides opportunity showing up with so many from America, among that group, being born around 1835 and around 1955 stand out, to take advantage of when railroads and Wall Street emerged and when computer time-sharing emerged, respectively.
3. The 10,000 hour rule. Gladwell thinks about 10,000 hours of concentrating at a skill is necessary to excel at something.
4. Whether it is height in basketball or IQ, just being tall enough or intelligent enough is all that really matters, same with colleges as long as they are good enough. Practical intelligence, knowledge and savvy are what really counts and family background is the key to having those. Parents should be involved with their children, with lots of negotiating and expectations of child talk-back, necessary to cause a child to develop a sense of entitlement, maybe not the most moral approach, but extreme success madates that.
5. Jewish immigrants had advantage of occupational skills, like in the garment industry - enterpreneurial skills versus other immigrants like peasant farmers. Work was more meaningful. Their offspring saw this, plus NYC public schools were probably the best in the world at the time.
6. Harlan, Kentucky is an example of herdsmen settlers, with a culture of honor from Scotch-Irish ancestors, influenced descendants, Gladwell saying that crime in the South more influenced more by personal than economic reasons. Certain 'insult' words have bigger effect.
7. Plane crashes are more from human errors in teamwork and communication. Cultural respect for authority a big factor; can keep a subordinate from directing a superior in an emergency. Plus, 'mitigated speech' can be a problem. Can be remedied by training in 'Aviation English'.
8. Asians being better in Math, likely related to ancestral tradition of rice paddies, which are complicated and require hard work throughout the year. Western farming is more mechanical with usually an off-season with little work. Here again, more meaningful and hard work. Plus, Asians learn to count faster because of language differences for numbers.
9. K.I.P.P. Academy in the Bronx, charter middle school, is successful because it has long school days and short summer vacations, with students who commit to work hard. Studies have shown schools generally do well when they are in session, the problem are kids losing ground without good parental involvement during summer vacation. So, it is possible to make up for poor childhood family situations. Makes school meaningful. Incentives, rewards, fun and discipline is the formula.
A terrific book.
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Human connectivity, interrelationships are key to meaningful lives
One of my past pupils recommended that I read this study in June 2018. I picked it up from Amazon and began to read it on a journey to San Antonio, and completed it on the return trip to Berkeley.Author Malcolm Gladwell tells us that what we usually consider the heart of a success story is really off the mark. There are no self-made successes. "Outliers", people who excel, have many others to thank, including family members who lived two or three generations before their births. They have opportunities, yes, and they have hours to practice, to study, to rehearse, to experiment -- thousands of hours, in fact. In addition, they also have those who encourage them in making social contacts, in ways to best present themselves and their ideas. High IQ and native talent are not enough; being comfortable in the social context makes the great difference.Gladwell introduces his essay with an assessment of the people of Roseto (Pennsylvania) of mid-1900s - how their good health and extraordinary longevity defied American averages. What medical researchers found is that Roseto's population of Italian immigrants and their descendants spent time with each other, and resolved issues by confiding in each other. They shared their meals and never rushed Sunday dinner, which was always intergenerational. The people of Roseto did not die of heart disease or cancer. They died of old age (I relate to this because, as an Italian-American, I have been interested in the story of Roseto for decades).The essay ends with Gladwell telling the story of racial mixing in Jamaica in the 19th century, and how slavery ended there well before it did in the USA, how opportunities were offered and taken, and lives improved, racism died, solidarity became solid, and people found meaning (The Jamaican Story becomes a revelation to the reader at the end).Between these bookends, Gladwell examines the stories of hockey stars, rock stars, geniuses, inventors, tailors, lawyers, nuclear physicists, and other outliers -- and Gladwell finds patterns in their upbringing and in the mentoring that they received that made them, if not exceptional, incredibly proficient.This essay is an important contribution to the study of education, parenting and policy-making. I highly recommend "Outliers: The Story of Success".
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Justin
Author of tipping point with another great book.
Reviewed in Canada on January 24, 2024
