Outliers

The Story of Success

By: Malcolm Gladwell

Narrated by: Malcolm Gladwell

Length: 7 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

From the best-selling author of The Bomber Mafia, learn what sets high achievers apart - from Bill Gates to the Beatles - in this seminal work from "a singular talent" (New York Times Book Review).

In this stunning audiobook, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an intellectual journey through the world of "outliers" - the best and the brightest, the most famous, and the most successful. He asks the question: What makes high-achievers different?

His answer is that we pay too much attention to what successful people are like, and too little attention to where they are from: That is, their culture, their family, their generation, and the idiosyncratic experiences of their upbringing. Along the way he explains the secrets of software billionaires, what it takes to be a great soccer player, why Asians are good at math, and what made the Beatles the greatest rock band.

Brilliant and entertaining, Outliers is a landmark work that will simultaneously delight and illuminate.

©2008 Malcom Gladwell (P)2008 Hachette Audio

I really love Malcolm’s perspective.

Thank you for this wonderful listen! I believe that communication and paying attention are key contributors to the success you speak of!

Extremely easy to follow and understand

Can’t remember my reference to get this book but I’m adding it to my list to recommend to others. I was a huge fan of Blink and Mr. Gladwell did another fantastic job. Worth the time!

Satisfying work

Autonomy, complexity and connection between effort and reward are the 3 qualities that work has to have to be satisfying. This was such a profound statement I have been thinking about it ever since I read it!

PLEASE READ THIS BOOK!

This book is a must read for every educator, administrator, politician, or parent.

In "Outliers", Malcolm Gladwell writes a compelling book that everyone in anyway connected to the education of our children needs to read.

For too long, education has been stagnant; floundering in a system that continues to cling to outdated policies and practices. Through out this book, Gladwell provides solid reasons for restructuring while pointing out concrete changes that if made could provide higher levels of success for many more student than the current system provides.

It is NOT about haves or have nots. We all have, but we are not all given the opportunities needed to succeed. Our education system has got to change.

The Power of Audiobooks

Outliers is a great listen! But it's gotten some mixed reviews and I've spoken to one colleague--who READ it--and said he didn't like it that much. All of which leads to a Gladwellian hypothesis: one's enjoyment of Outliers says as much about context(listening vs. reading) as it does about the book itself. Gladwell's message--that success is more about nurture than nature; along with importance of being in the right place at the right time--these are not new conclusions. Instead, it's the fascinating stories underlying his conclusions along with the command that Gladwell, as narrator, has of his material, that makes this such a great experience.

Brilliant -Thinking out of the box

This is Gladwell's best book. Wiped out my flawed assumptions on various aspects of success. His obsevation that the upper classes of society teach their kids to be assertive was an "ah ha" moment for me.
I am telling my friends about this earth shaking book and recommending to all.

Meritocracy: The Great American Myth?

Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers" attempts to shatter the American Dream, portraying it as a convenient myth that anybody in America, through hard work and brains, can enjoy a successful career and perhaps a life well outside the normal bell-curve. It is opportunity of circumstance that first sets the stage so hard work can really pay off: Without it, your swimming upstream or in the wrong river altogether.

I tend to believe the premise of "Outliers", but was somewhat disappointed in the depth of the book. The book's premise is so provocative, it requires more proof than what Gladwell has given us. The book gives detailed accounts of traditional American icons like Gates & Rockefeller to show us how to see where their fates were forged rather than self-created.

If you love to have your assumptions shaken like I do, this book will deliver. At the same time the book may either depress you that you have missed opportunities in the past, but should open your eyes to the serendipity of the future.

Still 5 stars.

Outside the paradigm

An original piece of work. Will get you to look at some of your own cherished and well-ingrained assumptions differently. The last section of the book is riveting, a perfect coda to a thoughtful book.

Some interesting thoughts to ponder

This is a well-written book that brings up some important things to think about. Gladwell's conclusion that you need to be lucky as well smart and hardworking to be hugely successful is probably true. To get really far out on the bell curve you need for everything to go right, or wrong, depending on which side of the curve. Still it is dangerous to draw too many conclusions from extreme outliers, at least when dealing with a standard bell curve. If you are interested in what makes rich people rich read "The Millionaire Next Door", it deals with the more applicable part of the curve for most of us. Drawing conclusions from relatively few data points is always risky but Gladwell shows clearly the a small head start can get you far ahead.

Interesting

Yep. I enjoyed the book and thought it was a good listen. I was expecting some new information, not more of the same "successful people are successful because of their circumstances in life." I was hoping to learn something about what sets outliers apart from other people who were born into similar circumstances and never become successful. It didn't serve the purpose that I was hoping it would.

All of that said, I thought that the stories were interesting and compelling, if not altogether inspiring or motivating. As usual, Gladwell's ability to story-tell makes this a fun, easy book to read.