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Writer's pictureLars Christensen

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell


I finished this book in October 2024. I recommend this book 9/10.


Why you should read this book:

This book is really well written; I had a hard time putting it down. The book is full of stories that describe how being born in a small time period, along with specific ancestry, can propel success. It was a great read; however, there was little for you to use in your own journey towards success.


Get your copy here.


🚀 The book in three sentences

  1. Smart people don't always win.

  2. Your background and upbringing mean more than you think.

  3. In the end, you need to seek the opportunity.


🎨 Impressions

  • This would have been a great vacation read.


📝 My notes and thoughts

  • P90. IQ will only take you so far. When you are smart enough, you are smart enough.

  • P114. Middle-class kids has the advantage that their parents talks to them and ask questions about their day, who is their favorite teacher, etc.

  • P152. Here is her account of "subject #18":

    • A Russian tailor artisan comes to America, takes to the needle trade, works in a sweatshop for a small salary. Later takes garments to finish at home with the help of his wife and older children. In order to increase his salary, he works through the night. Later, he makes garments and sells them on New York streets. He accumulates some capital and goes into business ventures with his sons. They open a shop to create men's garments. The Russian tailor and his sons became men's suit manufactures, supplying several men's stores...The sons and the father become prosperous...The son's children become educated professionals.

  • P153. Jewish doctors and lawyers did not become professionals in spite of their humble origins. They became professionals because of their humble origins.

  • P158. Most immigrants from Europe were farmers, then, there were the Jews. They did not have that skill. They got into clothing industry, and by bootstrapping, they therefore could send their kids to law school. But Nordics ran law in New York. So the Jews took the leftover lawyer jobs. Those were the individuals fighting against each other. By the 1970 were their 10,000—when companies started suing each other.

  • P176. Violence goes back generations. The gunfights between families in Kentucky roots back to relatives to the aggressive nature of people from Scotland and Ireland.

  • P223. Planes are falling down because crews don't speak up. It is better and safer if the co-pilot is flying. It is the small mistakes that add up to disasters.

  • P269. In the end, you need a chance to take the stage and perform, but you still are the one who has to take the opportunity when it arrives.

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