Business Book Recommendation:
Outliers: The Story of Success, by Malcolm Gladwell
Malcolm Gladwell has long been a well-respected author, journalist, and public speaker. Well known in business circles for his bestsellers, The Tipping Point: How Little Things Make a Big Difference, and Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking, Malcolm’s engaging writing style and well researched content make his books interesting, fun to read, and very insightful.
In Outliers: The Story of Success, Gladwell explores what differentiates high-achievers from the rest of us. Is it their family background, their culture, their work ethic? Is it something they do, or something they are that makes the difference? He helps us to discover what is necessary to become a great soccer player, an accomplished musician, and even the specific circumstances that gave rise to business icons like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. Throughout the book your preexisting assumptions and beliefs will be questioned. In the process you may find that some of your long-held views on what it takes to be successful are forever changed.
Why is this book important to students and business owners alike? In its pages you will learn very specific keys to improving your (and even your family members’) chances of future success. How can you increase your child’s chances of becoming a part of a gifted program in school? What is necessary for you to make your mark in your chosen profession? These near mysteries are demystified in the pages of this book.
It is not every day that a book inspires me to make specific changes to my life. Even rarer is a book that changes my perceptions of the world. Outliers: The Story of Success is one of the few books that actually changed my world. I walked away with fresh new perspectives and changes to some of my fundamental assumptions about success. In fact, after reading Outliers: The Story of Success I was even inspired to make fundamental changes to my children’s educational plans. This book is a must read for anyone who is interested in learning about specific changes anyone can make to improve his or her likelihood of future success.
Outliers: The Story of Success is available in the campus library. It is also available at local bookstores and online retailers; including as an e-book from several e-book providers. An audiobook is also available for download.
