Book Review: Outliers – The Story of Success

When we try to understand success, we normally start with the wrong question. We ask ‘what is the person like or what is his background?’ Is he born with a silver spoon? What we should really be asking his ‘where are they from?’ The real secret of success turns out is surprisingly simple, and it hinges on a few crucial twists in people life stories, on the culture they grow up in and the way they spend their time.

Outlier: The story of Success is all about above Paragraph. Gladwell doesn’t discount the necessity of innate ability, and he points to hard work as a crucial factor for success in any endeavor. But he finds in these success stories that factors such as timing, circumstance, and crucial heritage play an off-overlooked yet critical role. This book is distributed in two parts: Opportunity and Legacy.

Outlier clearly answers why do some people achieve so much more than others? Can they lie so far outside the ordinary? What is the secret of their success? In this proactive and inspiring book, Malcolm Gladwell examines everyone from Business giants to scientific geniuses, sports stars to musicians, and reveals what they have in common. The facts in the book are very interesting and clearly indicate that the author did a deep research on everything.

Outlier offers an implicit message for companies as well. There is great competitive advantage for the organization recognizing that the work environment can nurture talent and also suppress it. The best companies will not only seek to provide their employees with enrichment but will also have the insight and courage to identify and recruit exceptional though neglected talent that could flourish under the right conditions.

He examines the causes of how Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates achieved his extreme wealth, how the Beatles became one of the most successful musical acts in human history, how cultural differences play a large part in perceived intelligence and rational decision making and many others. This book really will change the way one think about their life and it will challenge one to make the most of their own potential.