Jenny Phillips
asked:
Interesting anecdotes, and I'll give some credit to anyone who challenges the myth of self-determination. But the research is sloppy and never engages meaningfully with criticisms or counter-arguments. Also, what are we to do with this analysis? The prescriptive component is notably absent.
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Outliers: The Story of Success,
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Aurélien Thomas
Well, there's no prescriptive component because, that's not the point of the author to provide one. What he is doing here is, trying to find out what differentiate great successes ('outliers') from other successful endeavours. His argument might seem naïve at first (I had a bit of a trouble swallowing it) but, his multiple examples are quite convincing in the end. Actually, keeping with that line of thinking that is, hard work and golden opportunities -helping to work even harder- serving people coming out of age right at the time when a society is ripe for their so hardly won skills, we can find even more examples. What about the astronauts having pioneered the space age? Same pattern. I am sure we can find more!
Andrés Freddy II
This is a very late answer as I am only reading the book now. From my take , the prescriptive answer/s is/are:
1. Look around what you have, where you have come from and try to analyse if you've been set-up for something. (Basically, find your luck. Are you now in your dream job/business by some kind of luck of fluke? If yes then you're no different from some of the characters in the book.)
2. Having realised this opportunity that you have, which I think is the most critical step in everyone's life, seize it and runaway with it. Make the best out of it and get your 10,000 hours in.
3. On your way to 10,000 hours you might actually reach your peak. However, chances are that you'll need more experience and if what you really love has a positive contribution to humanity you'll never regret being a master at it.
My opinion.
1. Look around what you have, where you have come from and try to analyse if you've been set-up for something. (Basically, find your luck. Are you now in your dream job/business by some kind of luck of fluke? If yes then you're no different from some of the characters in the book.)
2. Having realised this opportunity that you have, which I think is the most critical step in everyone's life, seize it and runaway with it. Make the best out of it and get your 10,000 hours in.
3. On your way to 10,000 hours you might actually reach your peak. However, chances are that you'll need more experience and if what you really love has a positive contribution to humanity you'll never regret being a master at it.
My opinion.
David Finney
I'm really glad you wrote his here Jennifer - I had the exact same reaction. There are only really two useful spots in the book, the first about communication types (command down to hint) and the second about needing to spend 10,000 hours to be an expert. I feel like I don't know what to do with the rest of this book, as much of the content revolves around people being successful because yes they are driven, but more importantly they were lucky enough to be placed in an environment to nurture that drive. Basically what I took away from this book is that if you are driven individual but are not lucky enough to be in the right environment, or have the right upbringing, or born in the right time period - all things well outside your control - you are basically SOL. I completely agree and am a little frustrated as this is the first Malcom Gladwell book I have read after everyone raves about his work. I too found no engagement of meaningful criticisms or counter arguments to any of the material found in this book, or even the basic steps one should take to follow up even if the material in this book were true. It's like Malcom is saying "houses with chimneys tend to catch fire more than houses without chimneys". Ok great - statistically that may be true, but what are we supposed to do about it? Without that critical follow up step, I found this book to unfortunately be quite worthless.
John
The book is about the disproportionate sway luck has over our fortunes. What prescriptive component would you have Gladwell offer; be lucky! have richer parents! He does tell the story about the KIPP school in NYC, that is prescriptive surely. If the research is sloppy you should make a citation to back that up.
Lorri
I just read this book and my 'prescriptive' take on the insights the author provided is very practical: I will no longer allow my child to loaf throughout summer vacation but will, instead, seek out enrichment opportunities. And kudos to Mr. Gladwell for this very credible refutation of that old, entrenched notion that all a person has to do to be successful is pull themselves up by their bootstraps--an assumption which causes harm, politically and socially, and denies the complexities involved in escaping poverty.
Előd Szabó
Good point. In the meantime, there is some criticism about it and real life examples (!), watch here: . But the major message is still not questioned. I think it was a inspiring starting point for further ideas, like Daniel Coyle's Talent Code (/book/show/5...)
Shoaib Rehman
Not an answer, but I would like to ask the people and Jennifer on what would be a good book to read to set a baseline "engages meaningfully with criticisms or counter-arguments."?
Jinglei Cui
I asked my parents this question too. I already have a mediocre background, what should I do?
Jagjot Singh
I read this and a newer book titled "peak" at about the same time. I think both these books kind of answer the questions that the other raises. Peak is the prescriptive component this book was waiting for.
Alex Shrugged
Well... I saw a prescriptive component in the book, but it wasn't particularly useful. For example: his prescription for having year-round school in the United States would solve a lot of problems between the rich and poor kids learning patterns, but he acknowledges that this won't happen, and illustrates why. However, the reader can make it happen locally by opening a private school or a free summer camp for poor kids. He doesn't say that but the reader can infer it.
Please note: I was not reading this book for any prescription for life.
I think some of his suggestions are simply misguided... like changing the way that children are grouped together for sports teams. The coaches are looking for early talent, but kids born in January have a distinct advantage over kids born in September of the same year. On the same team the January kid will more likely be noticed by the coach because he has had 7 more months to grow. By changing the way the kids are grouped, the September kid might stand out more, but there are only so many slots to be filled. If the September kid fills that slot then others do not. That might appeal to a sense of fairness, but it doesn't necessarily get you better sports teams. They would be simply different.
Please note: I was not reading this book for any prescription for life.
I think some of his suggestions are simply misguided... like changing the way that children are grouped together for sports teams. The coaches are looking for early talent, but kids born in January have a distinct advantage over kids born in September of the same year. On the same team the January kid will more likely be noticed by the coach because he has had 7 more months to grow. By changing the way the kids are grouped, the September kid might stand out more, but there are only so many slots to be filled. If the September kid fills that slot then others do not. That might appeal to a sense of fairness, but it doesn't necessarily get you better sports teams. They would be simply different.
Chandan
Someone told me it's a great book. After reading couple of chapters same question popped up in my mind. Thanks for asking this question.
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