Are You an Outlier?

[Kelly Leonard O'Keefe]

Malcolm Gladwell's upcoming new book Outliers: The Story of Success (November 18, Little Brown and Company) takes readers on an intellectual journey through the world of "outliers" -- the best and the brightest, the most famous and the most successful. Gladwell asks the question: what makes high-achievers different?

His answer is that we pay too much attention to what successful people are like, and too little attention to where they are from: that is, their culture, their family, their generation, and the idiosyncratic experiences of their upbringing.

Along the way he explains the secrets of software billionaires, what it takes to be a great soccer player, why Asians are good at math, and what made the Beatles the greatest rock band. Watch/Hear Malcolm describe the phenomenon in Video.

For participating early adopters of social media, like the Book Blogs community here on Ning, I think in our own way each of us are Outliers (well, maybe not in the Bill Gates or Hillary Clinton mode of Outliers but still, our friends and families think we're pretty hip, right?)

I'd love hearing how you're an Outlier in your life. If you post a comment to this thread, I'll send you a copy of the book as a thank you for contributing to the conversation :-)

Or if you're just interested in receiving a review copy w/o commenting, please email me your name, blog URL, and postal address. Thanks!

[Ignacio]

Hi Kelly,

Just writing to say thank you so much. I really appreciate it and am looking forward to writing a review about it.

[Melanie]

This sounds fascinating; I really like Gladwell. His concepts are always thought-provoking and I am sure that "outliers" will become as common a phrase as "the tipping point". I'd love to read this. The idea that it takes 10.000 hours to become an expert at something is both reassuring (it is possible!) and daunting.
I don't think I've spent 10,000 hours doing anything! Except reading of course. But can you be an expert reader? :)

[Kelly Leonard O'Keefe]

Hi Melanie,

Thanks for posting! Please email your postal address to me a copy of OUTLIERS will be on its way to you. My email address is [e-mail]

Thanks!

[Stacey @ book:thirty]

This might seem very random, especially since the term "outlier" seem to skew towards success in business or tangible skills. But honestly, I think I'm an "outlier" as a mother. I feel I've been extremely successful in raising 5 strong, powerful, fascinating children who are full of faith and a will of their own to succeed. They are the greatest accomplishments of my life.

Stacey @ book:thirty
http://book-thirty.blogspot.com

[Kelly Leonard O'Keefe]

Stacey - Not random at all! An Outlier can be anyone who pushes the boundaries of success be it a business person, an athlete, or a parent. (Personally, I think Outlier parents are most important of all for without them there'd probably be fewer Outlier business persons and athletes, right?). Congratulations on raising 5 children, that's a major life accomplishment. I am raising one child and am in awe of parents who raise multiple children.

Please email your postal address to me; a copy of OUTLIERS will be on its way to you. My email address is [e-mail]

Thanks!

[Nicole]

I loved Malcolm Gladwell's book The Tipping Point. I first read it for my book club and we had such an interesting discussion. I know several people who have tried to apply thse principles to their own lives, and it's interesting to see then in action in my life too. Two separate guys in bands who were tying to make their bands "sticky".

I would think at this point that I may have spent about 10,000 hours reading. I wish I had logged as many hours writing; but it makes me uncomfortable so I do it a lot less, even though I really like it too. And eating! I know I have logged 10,000 hours of that.

[cait]

"I'd love hearing how you're an Outlier in your life."
That assumes that we all are and I don't think we are. Which would sort of me the point in reading the book,no? I would agree that we should all strive excellence and I would be very curious to read this book and see Gladwell's take on what makes some people strive for that and why others don't.

[Tricia]

I loved this book Kelly! My review is here.Thank you so much!

[Judi - Sidhe Vicious]

This sounds like a really interesting read! If reading counted I'd be an expert! :)

[Chrysene]

I'm an attorney in NYC, selected the path of three Ivy schools, ran a marathon, another marathon from Amman to the Dead Sea, swam from San Francisco Bay to Alcatraz and back, climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, went to flight school for a pilot's license, but I still don't think I am the type of Outlier Gladwell writes about. I am more of an "A-" in a wide range of things. But, I haven't read the book yet, so I don't know. I am looking for something worthy of my 10,000 hours (that's millions in billing...hehe).

[Michele]

I wish I had seen this thread earlier. My husband was talking about this book just last night and now I'm fascinated. As airline pilots, we are expected to be absolute experts at what we do --- I'm not sure if we are or are not, but it's drilled into us. And of course, as pilots, our actual time flying airplanes is logged, so we have something solid to compare Gladwell's theory to. After discussing it with my husband last evening, we agreed that neither one of us felt like an Outlier in our professional lives -- we're good at what we do, but I certainly wouldn't consider us "experts."

But I find the premise regarding a person's background immensely interesting and have always somewhat agreed with that theory.

I've emailed you, Kelly, on the off-chance you still have a copy available. Both my husband and I would love to read the book.

Michele Jacobsen
http://readersrespite.blogspot.com

[Laza]

I reviewed this book here. I'd never read anything by Gladwell before, and I don't really read books like this often, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I though it was really interesting.