outliers the story of success by malcolm gladwell

Gladwell often relies on circumstantial and anecdotal evidence that is presented as more substantial than it is, and in some cases, conclusions are made with almost no solid evidence behind them. The number of studies cited in the book are too few to make concrete assumptions, and in some cases, the authors of the studies have stated that their research was misinterpreted by the author either accidentally or deliberately to support his point of view.

When viewing it from a more critical lens, these issues become apparent. The book suffers from major oversimplification and generalization of the studies that it is based on. The way in which this idea is presented may be questionable, but rings true nonetheless.

Language often reflects on the society that uses it, focusing the thinking process of the user towards specific cultural ideas. His ideas on how language affects human perception are also not without merit. His call for people to recognize the potential of those who are being overlooked due to their socio-economic status or for any other reason is genuinely inspiring and elicits frustration due to the lack of government programs that would allow such students, workers, and artists to utilize the skills they have cultivated over the years. This is a highly optimistic message to which the author dedicates a large portion of the book. Gladwell believes that all that is truly required for success is hard work and that anyone can achieve greatness despite lacking innate talent. However, perhaps the most positive aspect of the book lies in one of the ideas expressed by the author. Gladwell’s writing is easy to read, and all the primary ideas are memorable. It is well structured and fast paced, especially for a non-fiction book filled with statistics and relatively complex ideas. The style of the book expresses a certain charisma that pushes the reader toward believing the ideas expressed in the text. The high sales of the book and the popularity of its ideas have shown that his writing was convincing to a large number of people who often choose to ignore the criticism of the book from outside sources. The positive message of the book is also worthy of note as it emphasizes the value of equal opportunity in work. He took a variety of research articles on sociology and constructed a believable set of factors that may lead to success. Perhaps the most impressive part of the book is the way that Gladwell captivates the reader by making complex ideas more palatable to the general audience. After reading the book, its positive and negative aspects have become apparent and will be discussed in this review. Malcolm Gladwell examined a variety of factors for success including language, the time dedicated to the craft and even the date of a person’s birth. “Outliers” has become a highly influential book since its publication in 2008.

Outliers the story of success by malcolm gladwell