Outliers: The Story of Success
by: Malcolm Gladwell
List Price: $27.99
Prices subject to change.
Price: $14.83
You Save: $13.16 (47%)Prices subject to change.
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Amazon.com Review:
Amazon Best of the Month, November 2008: 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
Product Description:
In this stunning new book, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an intellectual journey through the world of "outliers"--the best and the brightest, the most famous and the most successful. He asks the question: what makes high-achievers different? His answer is that we pay too much attention to what successful people are like, and too little attention to where they are from: that is, their culture, their family, their generation, and the idiosyncratic experiences of their upbringing. Along the way he explains the secrets of software billionaires, what it takes to be a great soccer player, why Asians are good at math, and what made the Beatles the greatest rock band.
Brilliant and entertaining, OUTLIERS is a landmark work that will simultaneously delight and illuminate.
Amazon Best of the Month, November 2008: 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
Product Description:
In this stunning new book, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an intellectual journey through the world of "outliers"--the best and the brightest, the most famous and the most successful. He asks the question: what makes high-achievers different? His answer is that we pay too much attention to what successful people are like, and too little attention to where they are from: that is, their culture, their family, their generation, and the idiosyncratic experiences of their upbringing. Along the way he explains the secrets of software billionaires, what it takes to be a great soccer player, why Asians are good at math, and what made the Beatles the greatest rock band.
Brilliant and entertaining, OUTLIERS is a landmark work that will simultaneously delight and illuminate.
Alternate Versions:
Related Items:
- The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
- Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
- Talent Is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else
- Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution--and How It Can Renew America
- The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life
- see more
Browse for similar items by category:
- Books » Subjects » Business & Investing » General
- Books » Subjects » Business & Investing » General AAS
- Books » Subjects » Health, Mind & Body » Psychology & Counseling » Applied Psychology
- Books » Subjects » Health, Mind & Body » Psychology & Counseling » Social Psychology & Interactions
- Books » Subjects » Health, Mind & Body » Psychology & Counseling » General
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: 
- Great fast read
Similar to Gladwell's other books, it's thought provoking, interesting and fast paced. His unique and varied examples get you to think about your own potential. Definitely recommend.
Rating: 
- Definitely Not "The Tipping Point"
I've read "The Tipping Point" and "Blink," both of which did a MUCH better job than "Outliers" of actually raising interesting questions. At one point, Gladwell just recounts minute-by-minute details of plane crashes and thwarted crashes.
Gladwell is desperately trying to elicit some of those similar "very interesting" moments that come from his other books.But, unfortunately, "Outliers" is just a rushed, bloated book of stale stories and failed attempts to suggest patterns of success ... Read More
Rating: 
- Anecdotally Interesting, Predictively Useless
Overview:
This book centers on Malcolm Gladwell's attempts to understand success. It belongs in the same genre as a wide variety of books, dubbed "Infotainment" that attempt to simultaneously inform and entertain. As with crossover vehicles, all-in-one office machines, and two-in-one shampoo-conditioners, this means that it doesn't particularly succeed at any of these goals. He manages to make a few entertaining and insightful points, but the vast majority of the book is trying to do too much, ... Read More
Rating: - I smiled and nodded as I drove
This review is for the audio CD of The Outliers: The Story of Success.
My first exposure to Malcolm Gladwell was watching him lecture.I thought he was interesting to look at, more interesting to hear and most interesting when what he said hit that, "Oh yeah, I get it," in my thought process.I cannot review the words on the pages or how they were presented, but I can say that listening to him read this book was very inspiring.
I've often thought about how one's position in life ... Read More
Rating: 
- Interesting Anecdotes, Somber Lesson
I am a big Malcolm Gladwell fan, and Outliers, while an enjoyable read, was my least favorite of his books so far. Outliers has the same riveting storytelling style, and I loved the Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes and The Trouble with Geniuses story of Christopher Langan.But I was left with the somber feeling that success is a cosmic conflicting mix of random and pre-ordained, and either way, there isn't much that could be done about it.
It was the opposite feeling I had reading a similar, success ... Read More
- Great fast readSimilar to Gladwell's other books, it's thought provoking, interesting and fast paced. His unique and varied examples get you to think about your own potential. Definitely recommend.
- Definitely Not "The Tipping Point"I've read "The Tipping Point" and "Blink," both of which did a MUCH better job than "Outliers" of actually raising interesting questions. At one point, Gladwell just recounts minute-by-minute details of plane crashes and thwarted crashes.
Gladwell is desperately trying to elicit some of those similar "very interesting" moments that come from his other books.But, unfortunately, "Outliers" is just a rushed, bloated book of stale stories and failed attempts to suggest patterns of success ... Read More
- Anecdotally Interesting, Predictively UselessOverview:
This book centers on Malcolm Gladwell's attempts to understand success. It belongs in the same genre as a wide variety of books, dubbed "Infotainment" that attempt to simultaneously inform and entertain. As with crossover vehicles, all-in-one office machines, and two-in-one shampoo-conditioners, this means that it doesn't particularly succeed at any of these goals. He manages to make a few entertaining and insightful points, but the vast majority of the book is trying to do too much, ... Read More
- I smiled and nodded as I droveThis review is for the audio CD of The Outliers: The Story of Success.
My first exposure to Malcolm Gladwell was watching him lecture.I thought he was interesting to look at, more interesting to hear and most interesting when what he said hit that, "Oh yeah, I get it," in my thought process.I cannot review the words on the pages or how they were presented, but I can say that listening to him read this book was very inspiring.
I've often thought about how one's position in life ... Read More
- Interesting Anecdotes, Somber LessonI am a big Malcolm Gladwell fan, and Outliers, while an enjoyable read, was my least favorite of his books so far. Outliers has the same riveting storytelling style, and I loved the Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes and The Trouble with Geniuses story of Christopher Langan.But I was left with the somber feeling that success is a cosmic conflicting mix of random and pre-ordained, and either way, there isn't much that could be done about it.
It was the opposite feeling I had reading a similar, success ... Read More
