"Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

Many of us have notions about what makes a success

that are long held and possibly outdated (or just plain wrong.)

Others give no conscious thought to what pushes some

people to succeed while others languish.

The studies incorporated in this book reinforce some old

adages, shatter others, and present some new spins on

things that have been revolutionary.

Have you considered the importance of the time of year you

were born in determining your potential success?

What about your family of origin?

Your geographic location?

The number of hours you work at something?
(Well, okay, that last one is sort of a given...although

perhaps not so much in today's instant-success media

flukes.)

The entire book is fascinating and compelling in its exploration of 

the reasons behind success, but one bit stood out for me in particular.

As a child of the South, Chapter Six in the book (dealing with Legacy,)

and in particular the whole "culture of honor" that is outlined,

was remarkably revealing.

The intensity behind generational imprints, decades-long feuds,

anger at the drop of a hat, and much of the south's insanity

is explained in a gripping way. I was unfamiliar with this

particular aspect of our history, though I have been

unfortunately well-apprised of the end results.

The point of this book is not to deduce that you

don't have a shot based on statistics or studies,

but rather to understand the prevailing factors and

learn how to achieve and accomplish in spite of

the odds. Persistence is, after all, at the heart of

most every success story, no matter the history or

resources available.



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