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Article: Book Review: Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

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  1. grapsfan grapsfan is offline Head Curmudgeon

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    Jan 23rd, 2009 (1/23/2009 10:14pm)

     
  2. Bong BrOke Bong BrOke is offline need new bong

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    Jan 24th, 2009 (1/24/2009 12:00am) in reply to grapsfan

    <p>So you're saying what I knew all along...that my life is rigged.</p>
  3. Frictionless Frictionless is offline

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    Jan 24th, 2009 (1/24/2009 3:20am) in reply to grapsfan

    <p>So you're saying there's a chance???</p>
  4. jimmydewrag1 jimmydewrag1 is offline

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    Jan 24th, 2009 (1/24/2009 7:37am) in reply to grapsfan

    <p>Nice read and truth in tons,but, I believe you are accepting middle ground and seeing no further improvement. I say keep plugging and improving and maybe a bigger breakthrough will come. My thoughts only. Thanx.</p>
  5. The Universe The Universe is offline

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    Jan 24th, 2009 (1/24/2009 9:52am) in reply to grapsfan

    <p>I think you miss the most pivotal point of Gladwell's argument, namely that effort not only counts but that effort can in many ways shape who we are. His basic point from the Hockey players to Bill Gates is that even the most talented among us are, at a fundamental genetic level, not that much better "naturally" than we are. Gladwell instead suggests that success is derived from some arbitrary luck like Bill Gates' school having a computer when only 10(or so) existed in the country but more importantly from personal will to succeed and love for the area in which one is trying to succeed. What you neglect to mention about the computer at Washington University is that it was only available for programming from 2-6AM and therefore Bill Gates was sneaking out of his house every night of the week in order to program.(Without his parents knowledge mind you) It was not only the availability of the resources but his desire to utilize them that made him who he is. All of you who belong to forums and are trying to improve have attained incredible resources, it's up to you to do the rest. </p>
    <p>Nice article though graps and im glad to see such a great book get some play in the poker world.</p>
     
  6. grapsfan grapsfan is offline Head Curmudgeon

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    Jan 24th, 2009 (1/24/2009 1:05pm) in reply to grapsfan

    <p>Universe, it's certainly a combination of the two.  Gates' computer club probably had dozens of teenage members when they bought the new terminals which could connect to the UW mainframe.  Gates was one of the few with the desire and determination to bust his ass and put in the 10k hours (and almost assuredly more).</p>
    <p>The examples which best exemplify the combination of work + Fortune are the NHL hockey players, the U.S. industrialists and his own grandmother's story from the end of the book.   Unfortunately, none of those were as directly obviously as Gates, and not as name-recognizable...so I used the example I did.</p>
    <p>I hope nobody thinks I'm trying to say it's OK to be mediocre.  Far from it.  The lesson which applies most directly to my life is an understanding of how many things have to go exactly right, but earned & stumbled upon, for someone to become one of society's outliers.  If I focus on the successes I can achieve, rather than the outliers, I am more likely to achieve them, and less likely to get burned out and disgusted when I don't.</p>
     
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  7. aholthaus33 aholthaus33 is offline

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    Jan 24th, 2009 (1/24/2009 2:58pm) in reply to grapsfan

    <p>Thanks Graps, I did not know Gladwell had a new one out.  </p>
    <p>Sounds extremely interesting.  Blink kinda changed my life in a way and have Tipping Point on the shelf here and on the list.</p>
    <p>Everyone has a true potential in what they are doing but not everyone, knowingly or otherwise, has the proper resources and timing to actually optimize their potential.  Maybe if we know that we can be more centered and happy either way.</p>
    <p>I'll check it out!</p>
    <p>Thanks again.</p>
  8. Tim Lock Tim Lock is offline

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    Jan 24th, 2009 (1/24/2009 4:04pm) in reply to grapsfan

    <p>I would like to extend to you an invitation to the pants party.</p>
  9. dgillis dgillis is offline Moderator

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    Jan 25th, 2009 (1/25/2009 7:51am) in reply to grapsfan

    <p>man I love these conversations and i'm pumped to see such a philosophical tone, so here's my thought. is it perhaps how we define our goal that determines success? for instance, if my goal is to be the best poker player in the world, and i need 10k hours plus the right set of circumstances then realizing my goal would largely depend on the "chance" factor in being in the right place at the right time. BUT if my goal is to become an "outlier" then wouldn't it be a matter of simply finding the right activity that presented the right set of circumstances and then committing myself to mastery of that activity? then luck would take a much less prominent roll in my success since I should be presented with more than one opportunity to have that "right time right place" event occur. Anyway great article and I will probably have to to buy this book now.</p>
     
  10. Micdiddy Micdiddy is offline

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    Jan 25th, 2009 (1/25/2009 11:47am) in reply to grapsfan

    <p>Great article grapsfan. </p>
  11. pkb6786 pkb6786 is offline

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    Jan 26th, 2009 (1/26/2009 6:12pm) in reply to grapsfan

    <p>Thanks for the review, I actually received "Blink" and "The Tipping Point" as gifts over the summer and have not come around to reading them yet.  I think I will check them out now, and hopefully buy this one too soon.</p>
     
  12. adeniximus adeniximus is offline

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    Jan 31st, 2009 (1/31/2009 2:09pm) in reply to grapsfan

    <p>Defo sounds like a good read. Much in line with biblical musings of King Solomon: "race is not always to the swift, nor battle to the strong, nor riches to men of wisdom ... but that time and chance happeneth to them all". A fair summation?</p>
  13. StudentOfBlaze StudentOfBlaze is offline

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    Feb 9th, 2009 (2/9/2009 4:15am) in reply to grapsfan

    <p>I'm reading Dexter in the Dark, Devious dexter pwns sunlight and lolipops.</p>
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