Tag Archives: Malcolm Gladwell

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

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I have really wanted to get back into non-fiction texts and Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, did that for me. I actually had to read some chapters of this book for my AP English class but I ended up just reading the entire book to get a full understanding of Gladwell’s interpretation of success is.

There is no clear “main-character” or “plot” but rather simply stories of those that garnered success with their different life stories. Gladwell touches on people like the Beatles or Bill Gates and expands on how they were able to reach the level of success that they got. I would say that the chapters build off of one another so reading the entire book is great but also reading certain chapters is fine because Gladwell typically has a vocal person he talks about in each individual chapter.

Gladwell’s overarching idea of success is illustrated through other people’s experiences and he tells it in a way that shows not a certain factor contributes to becoming successful. Factors such as socioeconomic status, race, IQ, all play parts in success but can’t be done alone but rather a unity of parts will create a successful person.

I’ve read non-fiction texts more related to us as individuals and more about self-growth but reading about experiences from other people was truly awakening because it allowed a new perspective for me to indulge in. Seeing the stories that got other people successful was in a way motivating and I felt a growth of determination to reach these same levels.

I would recommend this book to anyone trying to get into non-fiction texts or just interested in the idea of success. Also, since it’s a relatively short book it good for readers getting into non-fiction and I would say that the topics Gladwell presents are pretty interesting and insightful.

-Madison C.

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Book Review: Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

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Recently, I read Outliers, a book explaining success and the reasons behind it, as well as delving deeper into the factors that cause success, such as background, family, and other factors. This book was definitely an interesting read, as it unpacked the causes of success, which is the central ambition of many people.

Gladwell introduces the book with the phenomenon of the Roseto effect, named after a study on the town done in the 1950s. During this study, the doctors performing it were shocked to realize that the people living in the town had the lowest rate of heart disease, and the lack of any heart conditions in general, leading to the discovery of the phenomenon that living together in a tightly-knit community indirectly contributes to less heart disease. The author then explains how Roseto was an outlier and the factors that contributed to it, looking beyond the general assumptions.

After the introduction, Gladwell proceeds to go on to explain several different phenomenons, such as the common belief and stereotype of Asians being good at math, by looking at cultural and linguistic factors, as well as the rise of Joe Flom, a takeover lawyer during a period of time when companies did not do many cases such as those. These are the two most interesting “outlier” cases he went over in my opinion, but he went over a handful of other ones that are just as interesting.

Overall, I think this was a great read, as it went over several interesting topics, analyzing them beyond the surface details, and teaching us to look at the other side of things. I would recommend this book for anybody who is interested in sociology, or success stories in general.

The Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.