As I just finished the book “Outliers”, I would suggest Malcolm Gladwell is one of the most influential writers in the 21st century. While reading “Outliers”, I discovered a cult of other people who have read the book. Upon finishing the book, I understand why it has such a following.

In some respects, it has completely changed the way I think.

Gladwell did very intensive research to study the “outliers” in our society. He studies individuals, groups of people, and entire cultures, that are unique from the rest of us. Each study conducted in this book uncovered a causal relationship between 2 seemingly un-related topics. For example, he estimated the number of hours it takes to become a pro at technical-related fields. Another example, he found the prime birthday for Canadian hockey players.

To compare this writing to Simon Sinek, Gladwell writes more about his data and research. Sinek gives anecdotal and real-life examples to demonstrate a theory about leadership. In helping prove different theories, Gladwell uses multiple historic lessons to prove an underlying hypothesis. Unlike Simon Sinek’s writings, “Outliers” does not necessarily have a “take away” or lesson that you can apply to your daily life. Instead, he challenges the status quo.

By understanding why the world has “outliers”, we can foster environments where more people have chances at chasing their dreams.

We can develop better ways to empathize with other cultures. We can even look at ourselves and reflect on barriers that might have been built around us from a young age.

I would definitely recommend this read to others looking to gain a better understanding of the world around us.

 

Keep moving Fourward,

Ash