Outliers

I recently finished Outliers: The Story of Success, by Malcolm Gladwell. I thoroughly enjoyed it and learned a lot along the way. Gladwell challenges many deeply rooted assumptions about success, most notably the belief that successful people got where they are today by nothing more than hard work and innate talent. Instead, factors like your date of birth, family, birthplace, and sometimes random opportunities exert more influence than we like to admit.

Did you know that your month of birth can profoundly impact on the rest of your life? An incredible number of elite Canadian hockey players were born in January, February, and March. Why? Read the book to find out. Hint: this information may also help you decide to hold your child back rather than enroll them in Kindergarten early.

Other things I learned…

• How rice paddies affect math test scores.
• How summer vacation disproportionally harms poor students.
• Why airline pilots from some cultures crash more often.
• Perhaps “prodigies” aren’t so special after all.

I suppose Outliers will frustrate some readers. After all, if you were born in the wrong month, or year, or to the wrong parents, then how can you succeed?

I saved the best for last, the 10,000 hour rule. Gladwell argues that to become a master, whether it’s in computer programming, sports, or playing music, you need to practice around 10,000 hours. He backs this up with several case studies. This is fascinating, because it means any of us can choose to become masters at something.

Perhaps I can be a great comic artist after all. I need to spend more time practicing, that’s all. I don’t know if I can hit 10,000 hours, but I now know that my success is possible. I was not born with innate artistic skills, nor were other great artists. They paid their dues, and so can I. This is why I recommend Outliers.

Posted on Monday, February 2nd, 2009 at 1:22 pm in Reviews.