Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell

I rarely read non-fiction books, but this was for the Summer Book Challenge. Here is a description of Outliers from Amazon:

"Outliers begins with a provocative look at why certain five-year-old boys enjoy an advantage in ice hockey, and how these advantages accumulate over time. We learn what Bill Gates, the Beatles and Mozart had in common: along with talent and ambition, each enjoyed an unusual opportunity to intensively cultivate a skill that allowed them to rise above their peers. A detailed investigation of the unique culture and skills of Eastern European Jewish immigrants persuasively explains their rise in 20th-century New York, first in the garment trade and then in the legal profession. Through case studies ranging from Canadian junior hockey champions to the robber barons of the Gilded Age, from Asian math whizzes to software entrepreneurs to the rise of his own family in Jamaica, Gladwell tears down the myth of individual merit to explore how culture, circumstance, timing, birth and luck account for success—and how historical legacies can hold others back despite ample individual gifts."

This book was actually quite interesting. I loved learning that a lot of people who have enjoyed great success have luck to thank for it. I guess it makes me feel better about my own lack of great success. It's not my fault; I'm just not that lucky. I was born in the wrong year, I have the "wrong" background, I grew up in the wrong area, etc. (Obviously, those aren't the only reasons, but hey, I'm making myself feel better!) I can't believe that just because someone was born in the first three months of the year means that they have a much better shot at becoming professional hockey players. I'm glad that this book was recommended to me. I really enjoyed it. Plus, now I know why Asians are so good at math!

4 out of 5 stars