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carialice's review
4.0
Avery interesting narrative that describes the influence of privilege on the success of individuals, as well cultural and personal influences. I enjoyed it very much and would recommend it.
trxlcx's review
5.0
Malcolm coming through with the audiobook. A great reminder that where we are is a result of our environment and how this affects program development.
shyanneadams's review
3.0
I can't say anything was groundbreaking in this book--if you're involved in the world of student achievement and education in any way, most of this is learned in your first few education classes (or at least should be). There were some interesting stories, but this is far from "hard" science.
lmaokellan's review
1.0
this was so boring. all the points he makes are so incredibly obvious that an inanimate object would be able to grasp it. i wasted a good couple of hours of my life on this
clanflan's review
4.0
Fascinating thesis and then the discussion of it goes places I would never have thought of. Enjoyed it.
gsindberg's review
2.5
Anecdotal evidence, a good story but bombastically told is not broadly applicable.
willoughbyreads's review
5.0
This is one of those books that will appeal to non-readers and readers alike because it is intensely interesting from cover to cover, beginning with the story of an Italian immigrant community in Pennsylvania in the early part of the 20th century. Here, the community members consistently ate a diet that was high in fat, yet none of them ever died of heart disease.
And later, there is the story of the phenomenon in Canada where almost all of the successful hockey players were born between January and April in any given year. Author Malcolm Gladwell provides a riveting and logical explanation for why this is the case.
And in the very next chapter, there is an intriguing account of why the Beatles were so good, and how Bill Gates became an icon. The secret to the success of each was the same!
There are a couple of chapters on the Trouble with Geniuses that really gets into the heart of emotional intelligence and the contrast between credibility and likeability that can be the catalyst or detriment to the success of some of the smartest people you may know personally.
But perhaps my favorite part of the book is the chapter where Gladwell delves into the topic of why many of the people who are native to Appalachia can tend to have a short fuse in spite of their reputation for hospitality. Think "Hatfields and McCoys;" and be prepared to learn that what happened between those two families was actually not unusual during the 19th century.
There's also information here about why Asians tend to be better at math but not at flying planes, and why the common belief that what causes poor kids to struggle in school may not be as evident as once thought. In fact, there's evidence to show that they learn just as well as their middle class and upper class counterparts.
The common theme to this book is that there is always a reason behind the success of individuals, and that these reasons can be studied, discovered, and applied in order to replicate success in a purposeful way.
And later, there is the story of the phenomenon in Canada where almost all of the successful hockey players were born between January and April in any given year. Author Malcolm Gladwell provides a riveting and logical explanation for why this is the case.
And in the very next chapter, there is an intriguing account of why the Beatles were so good, and how Bill Gates became an icon. The secret to the success of each was the same!
There are a couple of chapters on the Trouble with Geniuses that really gets into the heart of emotional intelligence and the contrast between credibility and likeability that can be the catalyst or detriment to the success of some of the smartest people you may know personally.
But perhaps my favorite part of the book is the chapter where Gladwell delves into the topic of why many of the people who are native to Appalachia can tend to have a short fuse in spite of their reputation for hospitality. Think "Hatfields and McCoys;" and be prepared to learn that what happened between those two families was actually not unusual during the 19th century.
There's also information here about why Asians tend to be better at math but not at flying planes, and why the common belief that what causes poor kids to struggle in school may not be as evident as once thought. In fact, there's evidence to show that they learn just as well as their middle class and upper class counterparts.
The common theme to this book is that there is always a reason behind the success of individuals, and that these reasons can be studied, discovered, and applied in order to replicate success in a purposeful way.