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Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Book Review: Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell


Outliers is an insightful, thought-provoking and engaging book. It answers questions and dispels myths about success which often boggle our minds.

The book's core theme is that while skill and talent is an important ingredient for success , it is just one among many ingredients. Other important factors for success are things like opportunity, luck (in being placed in circumstances that were just right for success), lineage (!) and hard work.

Gladwell backs his arguments with concrete examples and research which helps one being convinced of what he is saying.

A must read book for sure. Read his interview about the book here in which he says:



"When outliers become outliers it is not just because of their own efforts. It's because of the contributions of lots of different people and lots of different circumstances— and that means that we, as a society, have more control about who succeeds—and how many of us succeed—than we think. That's an amazingly hopeful and uplifting idea."

You can read a book extract here.

As a Muslim, one reads this and really starts believing success is not of one's own doing-it is Allah placing us in the right place at the right time with the right people-though his mercy.

And Allah alone gives success.

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