by Vinny Knowles

Created on: September 24, 2009

Malcolm Gladwell's book Outliers: The Story of Success is a 2008 publication by Little, Brown and Company. This 309 page book sells for $27.99 in the United States or $30.99 in Canada. Though the book was given to me, I think that you would find the book a worthwhile investment.

Gladwell's 10 pages of notes and credits at the end of the book point to the fact that his topic was well researched. But, do not conclude that this is such a scholarly book that it is difficult to read- on the contrary. When I had to put it down, I was anxious to resume my reading. I found myself chuckling at the conclusions he drew from his research; His findings were not what you would expect. That is what makes the book so powerful.

Personally, I found the book to be very inspirational. Having taken up piano as an adult, this book has challenged me to continue practicing in a goal to reach my ten thousand hours. Because as the studies in the book reflect,It seems that it takes the brain this long to assimilate all that it needs to achieve true mastery.

His down to earth illustrations and writing style powerfully brings out the point that hard work, diligence, and much practice in any field can bring about success.

Gladwell first looks at people who we would all presume to be highly intelligent people because of their great success in their given fields. He sites examples such as computer tycoon Bill Gates and the legendary music group The Beatles. He looks at their early years to determine what brought about their success. His studies conclude that their expertise in their fields can be directly attributed to the amount of time that they were afforded to practice their skills.

This brilliant Author further builds on this premise through examining the lives of highly intelligent people who never seemed to realize their greatest potential. He shows that their lack of success can be directly contributed to the fact that they did not get the opportunity to develop their abilities.

Gladwell presented a powerful argument that by understanding our backgrounds and heritage, we can better understand ourselves and why we react the way we do in given situations. He shows how this understanding has helped professionals overcome obstacles to success in their lives.

Gladwell has written two other books that were credited on the back cover: The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference and Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. After reading this book, I am anxious to read these other works as well.

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