Malcolm Gladwell has done it again. After writing about how little things make a big difference in THE TIPPING POINT and about the power of thinking without thinking in BLINK, Gladwell’s latest NY Times bestselling book is entitled OUTLIERS in which he examines the not so obvious elements of success.  An outlier as defined by Gladwell is something that is situated far away from or classed differently from a main or related body; a statistical observation that is markedly different in value from the others of the same sample.

With that definition in mind, Gladwell examines the less than obvious reasons behind the success of such people as Bill Gates, The Beatles, top NY city lawyers, professional athletes, etc.  Factors of generation, family, culture and class play a greater role in human potential than we may realize.

Anyway, it is an extremely fascinating read. It seems to me that the book’s popularity reflects how badly people want to experience some level of success [however they might define it] and grasp some greater purpose in life.   Isn’t that true for all of us?

Whether or not you agree with Gladwell’s thesis is obviously up to you but as in previous works his research and style of presenting his case is compelling. 

Malcolm Gladwell, author of OUTLIERS

 Frankly, I really enjoy reading his books but given his picture – I’m confident he won’t be writing on hairstyling any time soon…but that opinion comes from bald guy who is perhaps a tad jealous of Gladwell’s wild and outstanding fro.

Who knows maybe hair does indeed have something to do with success?