In The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell identified the elements necessary and important for change to occur, leading to the appreciation of mavens, connectors, and the need for a “sticky factor” (something which would make a change sustainable). In Blink, he addresses those “gut reactions” we often make and challenged much of what we might think about the value of what appear to be quick decisions. Both have been highly praised and criticized, but have become part of the fabric of how we approach issues in these areas.

In his new book, Outliers, the author addresses those public figures that are exceptional, unusual, highly successful high achievers. These are the people whom we admire and envy from a distance, if not begrudging them, occasionally standing in awe of how it must feel to have the unique talent, capabilities, and wherewithal, which we don’t have. NOT the true story according to Mr. Gladwell, and the book challenges much of what we have been led to think about those “outliers”.

In the book, he discusses many people who have become highly successful—Michael Jordan, himself, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and others—and while it’s true they have talent, it’s often the combination of many other factors which helped them to forge their identity. It may be an overstatement, but when you hear of how someone has succeeded solely due to his or her hard work, intelligence, innate skill, and special personality; you should openly question the validity of that statement. When you hear someone highly successful admit how “lucky” he or she have been, you should look at what has occurred in their lives that may make that a truer statement than it might seem.

I’m not minimizing the need for hard work, persistence, innate skill and intelligence, but many of you reading this have as much or more of those traits than the more famous do. The author addresses why over 50% of professional hockey players are born in the first quarter of the year, the importance of being born in the right year, why the majority of successful lawyers in New York are descended from garment workers, the value of having a supportive environment, and the “10,000 hour rule.”

Throughout the book, in raising interesting and compelling stories of success and triumph, he challenges the value of IQ as a sole indicator of intellectual success, societal impact on behaviors, cultural impact, and the length of its effect on behavior.

As someone who personally has often wondered how I’ve achieved what success I’ve had considering my background (suffice it to say that as a child my family was so poor we couldn’t even see the tracks from where we lived), and been hesitant to attribute it to inner talents, I identified several events and factors noted by Gladwell, that had they not occurred, I might be a frustrated laborer in a soon to be closed auto plant.

While not received well by some literary critics, I found the book compelling. However, I can understand those who question its depth and its underlying principles. That being said, as usual, Gladwell writes with a style that is easy to read and comprehend. In fact, I found it hard to put down. If you enjoyed The Tipping Point or Blink, you’ll love this book—especially if you can take the message and apply it to your own life.