Everyone is looking for success and it is surely not that easy to achieve. It’s the thought that counts that help us get out of bed in the morning and keeps us up at night to pursue our passion. Most constantly work all their lives and would still not leave a single mark in history. So how then can we try to set ourselves apart? Is it purely hard work or doing something at the right time?
We strive day and night to find the answers to our questions. How did Bill Gates make it, how did Steve Jobs create his Apple empire? How can we replicate their success or create a new one for ourselves? These are just some of the questions we may ask ourselves from time to time. In Outliers: The Story of Success, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an inspiring journey into the minds of successful people in the world.
Journey of the successful
The book follows some of the most successful personalities from each area of history. The book follows how Bill Gates achieved his immense wealth, how the Beatles came to be the most popular band in history. He follows different factors that might have affected them, their culture, their birth month, their upbringing and struggles. The book repeatedly mentions the’10,000 hour rule’; the rule states that to succeed in any fielding practice is the key.
What makes the successful different?
In his book, Malcolm Gladwell refers to a select few as the ‘outliers’ – the best of the best, the successful and the rich. He explains to us how the elite are different from us and how we are missing out on understanding their success. He answers this by stating that we pay too much attention to their post-success lifestyle when instead we should focus on their past. Their upbringing, their education, their struggles, these are the things we should focus on, they bring us closer to them and give us a better understanding of them because we can see them in our shoes. This helps with decision making and boosts confidence in our abilities.
The book is a must-read for anyone that is wanting to succeed. The in-depth interview with Bill Gates provides readers with an insight into the mind of the richest man in the world, and is inspiring to young people everywhere.
Reading duration: 6 hours 56 mins
Get Outliers: The Story of Success from Amazon at $12.35.
