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Outliers: The Story of Success |  | Author: Malcolm Gladwell
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Category: Book
List Price: CDN$ 30.99
Buy New: CDN$ 15.49
as of 3/10/2010 22:37 CST details
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Seller: Amazon.ca
Rating:  36 reviews
Sales Rank: 43
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Pages: 309
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 8.1 x 5.6 x 1.2
ISBN: 0316017922
Dewey Decimal Number: 302
EAN: 9780316017923
ASIN: 0316017922
Publication Date: November 18, 2008
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Amazon.ca
Now that he's gotten us talking about the viral life of ideas and the power of gut reactions, Malcolm Gladwell poses a more provocative question in Outliers: why do some people succeed, living remarkably productive and impactful lives, while so many more never reach their potential? Challenging our cherished belief of the "self-made man," he makes the democratic assertion that superstars don't arise out of nowhere, propelled by genius and talent: "they are invariably the beneficiaries of hidden advantages and extraordinary opportunities and cultural legacies that allow them to learn and work hard and make sense of the world in ways others cannot." Examining the lives of outliers from Mozart to Bill Gates, he builds a convincing case for how successful people rise on a tide of advantages, "some deserved, some not, some earned, some just plain lucky."
Outliers can be enjoyed for its bits of trivia, like why most pro hockey players were born in January, how many hours of practice it takes to master a skill, why the descendents of Jewish immigrant garment workers became the most powerful lawyers in New York, how a pilots' culture impacts their crash record, how a centuries-old culture of rice farming helps Asian kids master math. But there's more to it than that. Throughout all of these examples--and in more that delve into the social benefits of lighter skin color, and the reasons for school achievement gaps--Gladwell invites conversations about the complex ways privilege manifests in our culture. He leaves us pondering the gifts of our own history, and how the world could benefit if more of our kids were granted the opportunities to fulfill their remarkable potential. --Mari Malcolm
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 36
 Don't waste your time March 3, 2010
M. Weedmark (Ontario CANADA)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
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????
This book captures the the subtitle of his previous book: The power of thinking without thinking.
VERY DISAPPOINTED.
 Reserve a parking spot for this book in your library January 31, 2010
N. Khan (Toronto, CA)
After reading the audio book, I had to get this book in hard copy. Malcolm Gladwell's way of writing will keep you thinking. Going from one topic to another he discusses the stories of various successful people and how its wasn't only their hard work but also their events in their life that changed them to become Outliers. A book to get if your searching you success broken down.
Explaining Success January 6, 2010
A. Baldi
I guess I am like many people when I hear of a success story and wonder why I did not think of something myself, especially when some of it seems obvious after the fact. This books presents some things which are common to successful people, which also includes some luck along the way of course.
This is a very well written book that is easy to read and follow for the most part and I finished it fairly quickly. Definately shows that people make their own luck (in a good way to put themselves to be at the right place at the right time) and see opportunity when it arises.
 Interesting, but I didn't completely buy it January 3, 2010
Andrea (Ontario, Canada)
In Outliers, Gladwell contends that the people and situations we consider to be outliers may not be so unique after all once all of the factors that went into making them outliers are taken into consideration.
Gladwell makes many valid points: many hours must be put into a skill before it can be mastered and that people need certain opportunities to develop their talents. Where Gladwell lost me, however, was that he seemed to be arguing that given the same opportunities and the time to practice, anyone can become an outlier. I dont think enough credit was given to individual work ethic and the abilitiy recognize or seize those opportunities. And what about innate personality or behavioural characteristics that predispose someone to be good at something? Gladwell doesnt really acknowledge that either.
My favourite chapter was the one on the ethnic theory of plane crashes. It was very eye-opening, but also quite frightening and sad to think that so many lives could have been spared had people just communicated better! I think that if the whole book had been like that chapter, Id have come away from it more satisfied and more sold on Gladwells premise. As it is, Id recommend Blink over this one.
Engaging and insightful November 14, 2009
Andrew Hodgson (Calgary Canada)
This book is well-written and contains innumerable fascinating insights into the human condition...debunking more than a few myths along the way.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 36
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