Any student who has ever taken any type of high school English class, has likely read books like Lord of the Files, To Kill a Mockingbird, Romeo and Juliet, Animal Farm, or The Great Gatsby. Most of these books are read in 9th and 10th grade as a basic introduction to powerful, complex, and creative concepts and characters. Although these are influential reads, choosing your own independent reading books allows students to explore different types of literature from all over the world with no limit. For my AP English Language class, we were instructed to choose a book to independently read that contains a clear argument. We had one month to read this book and write about our feelings towards the book and if we agreed or disagreed with the author’s argument. The book I chose was Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. When I first discovered Outliers, I was confused by the name since I’ve never heard of this word before. After googling the word, I found out it meant a person or thing differing from other members of a certain group. This made me think about what the argument was going to be about. I believed it would have something to do with people not fitting in or having different opinions or interests, so I started reading with curiosity. Gladwell argues that success does not depend on someone’s hard work or natural born talent, but because of hidden advantages like family backgrounds, upbringing, and presented opportunities all contribute to one’s success. After reading this book, I ended up highly agreeing with the author.
Outliers: The Story of Success is a nonfiction book written by journalist and author Malcolm Gladwell. Gladwell is famously known for his bestselling books that focus on social sciences and psychology as well as being recognized as one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People. Outliers was a successful book that entered #1 on The New York Times bestseller list for 11 weeks. The novel explores why some people achieve success and argues against the conception that success is a result of individual talent, intelligence, and hard work. Through real life examples of athletes, music artists, and entrepreneurs he shows how advantages and circumstances can heavily influence someone’s life achievements. The book challenges the narrative of whether success is solely based on talent and determination, or lucky advantages that someone is born with or exposed to. Since the release, Outliers has become one of Gladwell’s most successful books as it pushes readers to rethink how society defines achievement and what it takes to become successful.
One of the strongest aspects of this book is Malcolm Gladwell’s use of statistical evidence and descriptive reasoning. He connects data to real world situations. This is shown when he explains the “10,000 Hour Rule.” This suggests that to become a master in any thing you must practice thoroughly. Gladwell uses examples like The Beatles performing in Hamburg for long hours because they were willing to perfect their craft and Bill Gates having early access to computers to show how opportunities play a major role in success. Another strong section of this book is the discussion about cultural backgrounds affecting behavior, analyzing how plane crashes can be linked to bad communication style influenced by cultural differences. These examples help show the reader that success is not by accident, but due to the uncontrolled circumstances of these individuals. Gladwell’s ability to combine storytelling with great research makes complex ideas easier to understand while keeping readers engaged in these topics.
I overall agreed with the argument of Outliers and enjoyed the thought provoking discussions made. The book made me reflect on whether people who are so successful in life are “naturally gifted” or just have great support systems and opportunities in their lives. It was eye opening to see how much time and access has the power to transform one’s future just as much if not better than effort and hard work can. This book has also changed my perspective of success and what it takes to achieve it. This book has made success seem more attainable, and killed the misconception in my head that only geniuses can have a successful life. Malcolm Gladwell showed that consistent effort and the right environment equals success. This perspective was motivating and I will apply it to my future goals.
Overall, Outliers offers and thought provoking insight on what it takes to be successful. By the use of engaging storytelling and amazing evidence, Malcolm Gladwell encourages readers to not believe the myths of successfulness and to really think deeply about the hidden advantages and opportunities that people have that heavily contribute to how successful they become in life. Outliers is an amazing read that reminds readers that success is not just about who we are, but where we come from, who we know, and the opportunities that are given to us along the way.
