Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell is a non-fiction book written in 2008. “Outlier” is a scientific term to describe things or phenomena that lie outside of normal experience. Gladwell explains he’s “interested in people who are outliers—in men and women who, for one reason or another, are so accomplished and so extraordinary and so outside of ordinary experience” (Gladwell.com). Gladwell writes books when he finds himself returning to the same themes again and again. He explains, “The book grew out a frustration I found myself having with the way we explain the careers of really successful people. It struck me that our understanding of success was really crude—and there was an opportunity to dig down and come up with a better set of explanations”
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Part one looks at opportunity as a function of timing. The birthdates of successful Canadian hockey players and the computer geniuses Billy Joy and Bill Gates both being born in 1950. Part two focuses on cultural legacies. Gladwell focuses on both success and failure. He discusses the “culture of honor” in Appalachia and the rice paddy development in China that fosters useful problem solving skills. Through this series of case studies, Gladwell inserts background information that further supports his claim and helps the reader understand his theory. In Outliers, Gladwell’s diction plays a vital role in the development of his thesis and gives the reader this element to help his points resonate. When discussing geniuses, Gladwell refers to Chris Langan and his college professor, “there they are, the professor and the prodigy, and what the prodigy clearly wants is to be engaged” (Gladwell 100). The noun “prodigy” used to identify Chris Langan emphasizes what a young brilliant student he is. The use of the word “prodigy” is important because a prodigy is someone who masters a given thing at a young age; however, the term doesn’t always mean the person is successful. Because of this, the noun “prodigy” is used to prove Gladwell’s point that extreme talent doesn’t always guarantee success. In use of parallel structure, Gladwell explains the reasons behind plane …show more content…
The Tigers and the Giants are the two finest teams in the Canadian Hockey League. When the Giants are at last victorious, “the players and their families and sports reporters from across the country crammed into the…locker room. The air was filled with cigars smoke and the smell of champagne and sweat-soaked hockey gear. On the wall was a hand-painted banner: “Embrace the Struggle.” In the center of the room the Giant’s coach, Don Hay, stood misty-eyed” (Gladwell 16). The scene in the locker room immediately shows the pride the Giant’s coach has in his team and the team in each other. Gladwell’s mission is to show that people don 't just rise from nothing and it makes a difference in your upbringing. In the mid-1990’s, a public school called KIPP Academy opens in New York City. KIPP is a middle school and, “there are no entrance exams or requirements. Students are chosen by lottery, with any fourth grader living in the Bronx eligible to apply. Roughly half of the students are African Americans; the rest are Hispanic. Three-Quakers of the children come from single parent homes. Ninth percent qualify for the “free or reduced lunch,” which is to say that their families earn so little that the federal government chips in so the children can eat properly at lunchtime” (Gladwell 251). This image of KIPP shows the reader that it caters to underprivileged children whose families can’t afford much. At first you would think
Part one looks at opportunity as a function of timing. The birthdates of successful Canadian hockey players and the computer geniuses Billy Joy and Bill Gates both being born in 1950. Part two focuses on cultural legacies. Gladwell focuses on both success and failure. He discusses the “culture of honor” in Appalachia and the rice paddy development in China that fosters useful problem solving skills. Through this series of case studies, Gladwell inserts background information that further supports his claim and helps the reader understand his theory. In Outliers, Gladwell’s diction plays a vital role in the development of his thesis and gives the reader this element to help his points resonate. When discussing geniuses, Gladwell refers to Chris Langan and his college professor, “there they are, the professor and the prodigy, and what the prodigy clearly wants is to be engaged” (Gladwell 100). The noun “prodigy” used to identify Chris Langan emphasizes what a young brilliant student he is. The use of the word “prodigy” is important because a prodigy is someone who masters a given thing at a young age; however, the term doesn’t always mean the person is successful. Because of this, the noun “prodigy” is used to prove Gladwell’s point that extreme talent doesn’t always guarantee success. In use of parallel structure, Gladwell explains the reasons behind plane …show more content…
The Tigers and the Giants are the two finest teams in the Canadian Hockey League. When the Giants are at last victorious, “the players and their families and sports reporters from across the country crammed into the…locker room. The air was filled with cigars smoke and the smell of champagne and sweat-soaked hockey gear. On the wall was a hand-painted banner: “Embrace the Struggle.” In the center of the room the Giant’s coach, Don Hay, stood misty-eyed” (Gladwell 16). The scene in the locker room immediately shows the pride the Giant’s coach has in his team and the team in each other. Gladwell’s mission is to show that people don 't just rise from nothing and it makes a difference in your upbringing. In the mid-1990’s, a public school called KIPP Academy opens in New York City. KIPP is a middle school and, “there are no entrance exams or requirements. Students are chosen by lottery, with any fourth grader living in the Bronx eligible to apply. Roughly half of the students are African Americans; the rest are Hispanic. Three-Quakers of the children come from single parent homes. Ninth percent qualify for the “free or reduced lunch,” which is to say that their families earn so little that the federal government chips in so the children can eat properly at lunchtime” (Gladwell 251). This image of KIPP shows the reader that it caters to underprivileged children whose families can’t afford much. At first you would think