Outliers is a book that can change your ideas about success. That being said, it can also dash your hopes about getting super lucky.
Author of The Tipping Point and Blink, Malcolm Gladwell starts most of his chapters by telling a traditional story of success. A bright young person pulls themselves up by their boot straps and conquers their world. Basically, he tells the American Dream story about fabulously wealthy and socially privileged people. Then he stands those stories on their heads by taking you through meticulously researched backgrounds that explain exactly how this "outlier" was helped to rocket to the top of their game.
Gladwell tells us that our heritage matters, when we were born, how our parents raised us, and what opportunities we were exposed to, they all play a part in whether we will be cut from the kind of cloth that can lead to an extraordinary life.
Halfway through this book, I felt kind of gloomy. I can't go back and change my childhood and I'm not even sure what my heritage has prepared me for. So what does this mean for me? If luck and hard work aren't enough, then how does a girl from a working class family achieve her lofty dreams?
Ultimately, though, I think Gladwell's book is about being aware of how communities and opportunities shape us and our families. None of us makes it alone. If you are a doctor, it may be because two generations of your ancestors sacrificed to get you there. That also means that the future of all our children depends on how much effort we are willing to expend for them now.
Reading Outliers has deeply affected the way I think about "getting to the top". If you are a person who wants to get things done or you want to help others get ahead, I strongly recommend sitting down and exploring the theories Malcolm Gladwell has set out for us all.
