In Outliers Malcolm Gladwell provides many fascinating and surprising facts. The book is interesting and clearly written and the argument is logically presented and also well-supported. The main message of the book is that brain power, character, and motivation are overrated and not the only factors that influence whether you will become successful or not. He shares an example of two very smart men with very high IQs, but their stories are very different. A man by the name of Chris Langa with probably one of the highest IQs in the world never was able to finish college or become a published author because of his attitude. On the other hand, J. Robert Oppenheimer had a very successful career and achieved almost everything he wanted, but unlike Chris, he had a positive attitude. Or as the author says he had “practical intelligence” – knowing what to say to whom, knowing when to say it, and knowing how to say it for maximum effect while Chris did not. In one chapter Malcolm Gladwell also shares his finding on how culture dictates how we act in private and public. Malcolm tries to show the effect of historical legacies on why Chinese students work so hard. His theory is that because in the past Chinese rice farmers had to work really hard and smart to get the most out of their fields, they developed a mentality of a hard worker. Thus came the mentality in Asia that you make your luck by working hard, while in some other parts of the world, you might get lucky or might not – it is not up to you. A great point the author makes right at the start of the book is that people master a craft after putting in at least 10.000 hours of practice or work. And the sooner you get those hours in, the sooner you can become successful. It all starts with children. The ones that practice more become better sooner and because resources in schools are limited teachers always pick the best and dedicate a lot more time and knowledge to those who are the best.

The real secret of success turns out to be surprisingly simple, and it hinges on a few crucial twists in people’s life stories – on the culture they grow up in and the way they spend their time. The people we surround ourselves with have a profound effect on who we are.

If you picked up this book please let me know what you think about it in the comment section.