It was an interesting quick read. I had never heard the story before regarding Gates and his access to the unused mainframe computer time. It certainly explained a lot.

Joe

Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. Like you, I am struggling to understand exactly how – if – I can apply the lessons to my own life.

It was the story of that high-IQ non-success that made me realize that Gladwell’s message was that expertise is required, but not sufficient for success. It’s also not enough to be presented with opportunity, we much grab on to that opportunity and follow it where it takes us.

Outliers was thought-provoking and often counter-intuitive, but it didn’t have much in the way of application (aside from the 10,000 hour rule). What I found most interesting was the story of the high-IQ man who, in spite of his intelligence, could not be considered a worldly success. Too often, we think native talent and intelligence are the deciding factors in being a success. That anecdote forced me to consider the roles of opportunity, support and drive in the success of a person.

(Btw, I came over from the 52booksin52weeks blog ).