Outliers: The Story of Success
by Malcolm Gladwell
Allen Lane, HK$187
He's done it again. He took something obvious and gave it a twist, adding enjoyable anecdotes and eye-popping statistics. This time, Malcolm Gladwell examines the 'secrets' of success and finds geniuses are made rather than born. Birthdates, locations, opportunities and culture all play a part in determining how far people will go, according to Outliers, the name the author gives to superachievers. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, for instance, were born in 1955, the perfect year for geeks to take advantage of the start of the computer age 20 years later. Gates also had 24-hour computer access at his school, which allowed him to accumulate the 10,000 hours Gladwell says is needed for talent to be turned into success. Parents wondering whether to hold their children back a year so they are not the youngest in class will find comfort in Gladwell's findings, which are an extension of Canadian hockey-player statistics explaining why so many of the best were born in January, February or March. To find out why, read the book, although, like Gladwell's Blink and The Tipping Point, you can skim rather than read every word.