Now that you know the end of the book you don't have to read it.
Seriously though, his chapters are masterfully crafted. Many begin with the familiar condensed version of popular success stories. You're thinkin "Yeah, that sounds right. Born into priveledge. Genious IQ", then he tells the full story. Success is a combination of timing, nuture, nature, and a lot of hard work. Yes, these are the ingredients we are already aware of, but to hear these true stories layed out with the historical detail around the individual's success (or failure) reminds us of our responsibility to nurture ourselves and others.
Key's to success (in no paticular order)
Hard Work
- Practice 10,000 hours, or 10 years to master a topic or skill
Nuture
- Grow up in a culture that values education, discipline, continual incremental improvement and delayed gratification.
- Have social skills
Nature
- Have an IQ that is high enough (it's fine if it's very high, but you will not necessarily benefit more from an extra high IQ if you don't have the other ingredients)
Luck
- Be born when your field of expertise will be needed for an emerging market
Favorite lesson from Outliers paraphrased from my friend Minette (more succinctly than Malcom Gladwell put it):
Westerners say "God will provide."
Easterners say "For every seed you sow you will reap a harvest."
More favorite lessons from Outliers:
Americans say they are the hardest workin people.
Truth - they're not. (The World's Hardest-Working Countries)
Americans have a fundamental problem of allowing their children to take long summer breaks away from school while the rest of the world is hittin the books and becomin that much more skilled. American's need to remember that the world is flat and we have a social responsibility to educate our children to compete in a global market place. Let's not short change them.
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