Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers - the story of success. Little, Brown and Company, New York, 2008 ( Pages 310 )

Rating: 8/10

In Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell produces a very readable analysis of why successful people are successful. Readers learn why Canadian children born in January have the best chance to play ice hockey for the national team, why or how Bill Gates became the world's richest person, why number of working days in a school year may be important for a child's development, why planes driven by Korean pilots kept crashing, why Chinese children are better at math, and why you are likely to be successful if you get up every day before dawn.

Gladwell's research is adequate if not robust, his arguments are persuasive if not one hundred percent convincing, his writing style is friendly. It's possible he has selectively used the findings or research that supports his arguments and not divulged that research which contradicts. However, undoubtedly, the points he makes are interesting. Most readers would know the 10000 hour rule - the rule that states that 10,000 hours of practice is needed before reaching accomplishment in any field. Gladwell has cleverly connected that rule with the opportunity rule to show the success of people like Bill Gates.

Verdict: Interesting read. Parents, who consider themselves not successful, can read the book to get tips on how to make their children successful in life.