10 Days of Giftmas
Day Ten: Outliers: The Story of Success

In The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell dissected the phenomena of social epidemics; and in Blink, he discussed the nature of split-second decision-making. In Outliers, Gladwell, the founding father of pop-sociology, examines high-achieving individuals and questions what makes them different from everyone else.

In debunking the Horatio Alger story, in which the disadvantaged but gifted and tenacious individual rises above his or her circumstances to achieve the American dream, Gladwell probes the social advantages, cultural influences, and auspicious timing enjoyed by those who "make it." He examines everyone - child hockey players, rock stars, and Fortune 500 executives - to illustrate that a person's success, while certainly tied to talent, owes a great deal to their circumstances.

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10 Days of Giftmas: Holiday Gift Books 2008