Gladwell, M.  (2008) Outliers (New York: Little Brown & Co.) 309 pages.

Joe Smith is now a famous household name, but Joe had to overcome tremendous obstacles to reach the top. This is his story.

According to Gladwell, there is nothing wrong with the above statement except that it is not complete. Even those at the top, they are not markedly different from the rest of us. However, the do have a lot of talent and and an impressive amount of experience before they hit the top. How they get fame is the best surprise in reading for 2008.

Gladwell author of two other international best sellers Tipping Point and Blink now introduces us to the world of legitimate success. There is a little town in Pennsylvania where everyone was from the same village in Italy. Most everyone got along and enjoyed very happy lives. They violate most of the rules of good health and live for long, long time periods. Why? The researchers discovered an “outlier”. The subculture and the life style were very supportive, but not utopian. Everything else was ruled out. The good society was also a good place to live a full life. An “outlier” is that which is deemed dramatically different from the rest of a sample. 

Geniuses or very talented individuals in a certain endeavor do not automatically move to the top. Other variables include when you were born, roughly how many hours you practice to be prepared for your journey upwards, and others around you that gave you advice. They opened doors and they nudged you. For one genius who was dramatically smarter than Einstein, a missing signature on a contract left him out. Further, Terman a psychological educator measured the results of child geniuses. They grew up and generally had comfortable mid-level jobs. They were not at the top.

Nobel Prize winners attended good schools, but only a few attended elite schools. Roughly the talented have about an IQ of 115 or above. However, without tenacity and social skills, they fall into the middle. Those at the top have others that help them get there particularly in parenting styles. Further, those at the top are more likely to be poised, moderately attractive, and well dressed. They also have good judgment and may jump into areas that are not popular at the time, but they catch the wave of opportunity. They like what they are doing.

For Americans growing up in certain areas are more prone to violence. They demand “respect.” All of this is a drag on their upward climb. They also know how to talk directly without irritation during an emergency, and how to tolerate ambiguity. Schools and curriculum also count.

The last example is a situation where a group of slaves are being evaluated and sold. A white “gentleman” picks an attractive young female slave. She becomes his concubine. They have children and they are light. One child marries a white and their children live in a big house on the hill. The father is a university professor the mother is a counselor and an author. One of their children is Malcolm Gladwell.

The book is a great contribution to the field of upward mobility in sociology and related areas. As usual, the book is very complicated but surrounded by a smooth butter like writing style. We need from others a discussion of females, those who are infamous, and those who were legends in their time, but wediscover that they are frauds after death.

However, Gladwell has done the heavy lifting. Buy the book.