Outliers: The Story of Success

How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice. But that ain’t all. According to New Yorker staff writer Malcolm Gladwell, hard work is far from being the sole secret to success. So what does it take to make it? In Outliers, Gladwell introduces a number of variables into the equation of success. Cultural and historical background, race, the opportunities presented to individuals and opportunities they create for themselves, even birth dates play a part in Gladwell’s argument. He cites statistics that kids born in January have better chances of becoming pro ice-hockey players—or even just receiving a better education.

Gladwell pieces together childhood and adolescent experiences of pioneers like lawyer Joe Flom (of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, one of the largest and most powerful law firms in the world), visionaries like Bill Gates and superstars like The Beatles to deconstruct various elements of success, debunking myths and giving a fuller picture of the paths of icons. The most interesting part of Outliers just might be the epilogue, where Gladwell looks at his own family and places himself in the web of accomplishment, giving the history of his mother’s trajectory from a small Jamaican schoolhouse to the University of London in England, his grandmother’s role in getting her there and the cultural and historical climate in Jamaica at the time.

Gladwell is a gifted storyteller, turning detailed and thorough research into anecdotal evidence, creating narratives that act as supporting pillars in his overall theory of success. Whether you believe Gladwell’s science, Outliers entertains and makes readers rethink the meaning of success and what it takes to get to the top.

—Kai-Ming Cha