May 2018 Book, Outliers
Malcolm Gladwell writes about singularities. In his first book, Tipping Point, it's singular events; in his second book, Blink, it's singular moments, and in this book, Outliers: the Story of Success, it's about singular people. Gladwell looks for research which makes claims contrary to conventionally held beliefs. Then he offers up, startlingly, the flaws in the success stories we tell ourselves. “It is not the brightest who succeed,” Gladwell writes. “Nor is success simply the sum of the decisions and efforts we make on our own behalf. It is, rather, a gift. Outliers are those who have been given opportunities — and who have had the strength and presence of mind to seize them.” He starts with a tale of individual greatness, about the Beatles or the titans of Silicon Valley or the enormously successful generation of New York Jews born in the early 20th century. Then he adds details that undercut those tales. So Bill Gates is introduced as a young computer pr