Outliers

Over the weekend, I finally got around to finishing the book, Outliers.

via

It's quite an interesting read, I thought. The writer definitely offered a different point of view as to the success (or failure) of certain people.

Personally, I find it comforting/encouraging how hard work comes into play when analyzing the success of the people he wrote about. A fact I think that sometimes some of us forget or choose to ignore, especially when one appears to have achieved overnight success.

What I find less comforting/encouraging is the fact how things we have no control over, like the month or year or generation we're born in, or the culture we grew up with, also could play a part in what could make or break us in our chosen career or endeavor. That something that could be considered so random have so much impact, although he does go on to explain why it may not be so random after all. It felt like the cliche, being in the right time and the right place. Or I should say born in the right time and the right place.

There was that interesting part about planes and pilots...

Then I revert back to feeling comforted/encouraged with the fact that being born with a silver spoon is not an automatic guarantee of success. Although it can definitely open up opportunities. O wait, does that mean I'm feeling less comforted/encouraged again? HAH!

I do like how he mentioned the people behind some of these successful people, the part that they played in these successful people's lives whether done intentionally or not.

In the end, regardless of what I got out of it, I thought it was a good (and easy hehe) read. None of these information is new to anyone I think, but to me, I like how it was presented in a different light.