• David and Goliath

  • Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants
  • By: Malcolm Gladwell
  • Narrated by: Malcolm Gladwell
  • Length: 7 hrs and 1 min
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (24,264 ratings)

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David and Goliath

By: Malcolm Gladwell
Narrated by: Malcolm Gladwell
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Editorial reviews

Editors Select, October 2013 - Get ready to have your view of the world turned upside down. Malcolm Gladwell - best-selling author of Blink, The Tipping Point, and Outliers - returns to present new ways of looking at why being among the advantaged is not always advantageous. David & Goliath explores the \"art of battling giants\" through the personal accounts of underdogs and misfits whose wild success stories are often falsely considered flukes. This is not a sentimental celebration of good things happening to good people. In true Gladwellian fashion, the real reasons behind so many pull-from-behind wins are completely unexpected. And if you've ever heard any of the author's many speaking engagements you know to expect a lively listening experience with Gladwell narrating the book himself. (Tricia, Audible Editor)

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Winner, Nonfiction, 2014

Explore the power of the underdog in Malcolm Gladwell's dazzling examination of success, motivation, and the role of adversity in shaping our lives, from the best-selling author of The Bomber Mafia.

Three thousand years ago on a battlefield in ancient Palestine, a shepherd boy felled a mighty warrior with nothing more than a stone and a sling, and ever since then the names of David and Goliath have stood for battles between underdogs and giants. David's victory was improbable and miraculous. He shouldn't have won.

Or should he have?

In David and Goliath, Malcolm Gladwellchallenges how we think about obstacles and disadvantages, offering a new interpretation of what it means to be discriminated against, or cope with a disability, or lose a parent, or attend a mediocre school, or suffer from any number of other apparent setbacks.

Gladwell begins with the real story of what happened between the giant and the shepherd boy those many years ago. From there, David and Goliath examines Northern Ireland's Troubles, the minds of cancer researchers and civil rights leaders, murder and the high costs of revenge, and the dynamics of successful and unsuccessful classrooms - all to demonstrate how much of what is beautiful and important in the world arises from what looks like suffering and adversity.

In the tradition of Gladwell's previous best-sellers - The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, and What the Dog Saw - David and Goliath draws upon history, psychology, and powerful storytelling to reshape the way we think of the world around us.

©2013 Malcolm Gladwell (P)2013 Hachette Audio

What listeners say about David and Goliath

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Malcolm Gladwell is the best

The way he delves into history, psyche, and humanity is amazing :)))) thank you. About to read another Malcom Gladwell piece

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good

i read this book and it is important to know that the best way to get some of the most important things in life is going to try something new.

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Jennifer

this is a wonderful book! wonderful, wonderful narration. i will be listening to it again!

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AMAZING! INSPIRING! EYE OPENING!

The book blew me away! It alsohelped me see how normal I am in my thinking. At the same time, I see insecurities and faults in our life as stepping stones, not tomb stones.

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Advantages or Disadvantages

Would you consider the audio edition of David and Goliath to be better than the print version?

I did not read the print version.

Any additional comments?

Loved this book. It really puts some things into perspective. Things you believe are advantages may not be and things you believe are disadvantages may not be.

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Exceptional ... As always

I am yet to find a bad book from Malcolm Gladwell. This book is excellent; the concepts are simply explained yet well elaborated and documented.

The only issue with this book is the same than for any Malcolm Gladwell book ... is that it has to stop

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enlightening as always

Malcolm Gladwell never fails to present information in a great aspect. This truly opens your mind that having difficulty in life sometimes creates a stronger person

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Another hit.

Malcolm Gladwell is simply amazing. Not one book or video or podcast with him ever disappoints me.

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Makes you think about challenges differently

Like all his books I didn't necessarily agree with all of his conclusions. But the stories he tells to get his point across are compelling and deeply thought provoking.

The David and Goliath part was interesting but his evidence that Goliath had acromegaly was pretty weak.
-"What am I a dog that you come at me with staves", that is supposed to mean he had double vision, or poor vision. Uh sure.
-The fact that he had a shield bearer is supposed to mean that he couldn't carry his own shield, cause a foot soldier would've carried his own shield. Or maybe he was kinda special and they treated him a little different than your average foot soldier... cause he was freaking huge.

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Gladwell does it again!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. As a sociologist, I love listening to Gladwell's books. I often reference the studies citied in his work, but on a different level, his books are inspiring, funny, informative and well researched.

What other book might you compare David and Goliath to and why?

Outliers by the same author. I love how Gladwell provides a wide variety of examples that span across history.

Which scene was your favorite?

There were no scenes, since it's non-fiction, but there are countless examples that illustrate his point.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I wouldn't say extreme, but I had to bookmark several sections in order to reference the studies cited in order to help facilitate my own work!

Any additional comments?

Brilliant author!

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