Outliers: The Story of Success, by Malcolm Gladwell

Outliers: The Story of Success, by Malcolm Gladwell, (New York: Little, Brown and Company; 2008), 309 pages.

Outliers is an explanation of why statistically different or statistically significant observations and results occur, in particular, super or exceptional successes. Gladwell identified some common features of successful people:

• They have about 10,000 hours of practice or experience in their chosen field that raised their skills so that they would be universally recognized as being at the top of their field.

• The successful are not the brightest or most gifted, but are those who were given opportunities, took them, and practiced (and practiced, and practice some more).

• The successful were placed in close proximity to, or in, an environment conducive to success.

Gladwell illustrates his points through case studies. Soccer and Canadian ice hockey players have a better chance at becoming all-stars if they are born in January. The Beatle’s success was, in part, due to their time working in Hamburg where they played music for at least 10 hours per day. Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder, said his success had a lot to do with being born in the 1950’s and having almost unlimited free after-hours to a university’s programmable computer, and later the gift of a computer terminal while in junior high school. Attorney Joe Flom was born at a time when people from his background were excluded by the establishment law firms from practicing commercial law. He practiced the kind of law that establishment firms tended to avoid and after 20 years dominated his field of takeover law. Conversely, Korean Air turned around its poor safety record (i.e. a polite way of saying too many crashes) by giving its pilots the opportunity to escape its cultural legacy which included subservience and deference.

This book’s strength is the case studies on what it takes to be a success. These are what make the book worth reading. None of Gladwell’s work is new or earth-shattering. While at times long winded (I found myself skimming paragraphs, and later sections and chapters), Outliers is, overall, an entertaining selection of case studies. Look at other books if you are seeking specific help on how to change your life: this book does not provide specific or personal advice. It provides great case studies on success and the common features that contribute to attaining success: commitment, opportunity, and proximity to an environment conducive to success. If we remember these things, it’s probably worth laboring through the 309 pages.