Malcolm Gladwell and The Secret of Success

Malcolm Gladwell, the author of The Tipping Point and Blink, has a new book out. And it’s almost guaranteed to be another bestseller. Outliers: The Story of Success takes on an idea at the center of American mythology, the concept of the “self-made man.” For Gladwell, success stories aren’t largely the product of smarts and hard work, as we’re repeatedly told. More often, they’re “the product of hidden advantages and extraordinary opportunities and cultural legacies that allow [successful individuals] to learn and work hard.” And, as you’ll hear in this interview (iTunes – Feed – Web Site), good timing (including the month and decade of your birth), circumstance, and luck also play a fairly important role. You can buy the new book in print here, or download the audio book from Audible for as little as $7.49.

As a quick aside, The Leonard Lopate show (where we found this interview) appears in our Ideas & Culture Podcast collection, which you thinking types might enjoy.

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