Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell is a bit excessive in its attempts to attribute success to practice and special opportunities, but, with reservations, I agree with its message . In the section, Gladwell describes the rise of prominent figures in the field of computing - Bill Joy and Bill Gates, tying their enormous success - Bill Joy's version of UNIX and Gates' work on DOS and the founding of Microsoft - to the enormous amount of preparation and the work they were able to do in relatively short periods of time. Despite their chosen qualification, 10,000 hours of practice, he details the opportunities which, combined with enormous amounts of work, allowed them to become masters in their field. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Malcolm Gladwell, somewhat repetitively, ties excellence in a field to the "10,000 hours" number, describing scenarios such as the practice used by aspiring musicians, comparing the hours spent in practice to their subsequent successes. While I hesitate to so easily compare a numerical value to success, his choices are consistent. Picking and choosing studies is a common practice in both the natural sciences and American politics, two fields in which I have great interest, but Gladwell's wonderful writing style and sincere zeal for the material tend to keep my cynicism at bay. Added to this is the introspective style that Gladwell adopts in Outliers, particularly later in the book, which makes me more easily take him at his word. While Gladwell's theory of education over nature, practice over innate ability holds up in my opinion, I, particularly as a contrarian, like to think that those who engage in more varied practices and activities can also succeed . The book is quite inward-looking for a work of nonfiction, and in places it feels like an internal discussion within Gladwell, as if he is trying to justify his own life. Given that I maintain a wide variety of interests and hobbies, his arguments for success-related specialization have some merit, but, well, I find comfort in the potential successes to be had at the other end of the spectrum. Gladwell's numerous reminders about the importance of situational aid ring true, in my mind. For example, Gladwell's constant reminders of the special benefits and opportunities enjoyed by Joy, Gates and Steve Jobs constitute, so to speak, an important piece of the puzzle. Thankfully, the author does not seek a one-dimensional, singular strategy for quantifying success; introduces myriad factors such as innate talent, practice, and opportunity to create a credible hypothesis. As such, although the central argument of the chapter – that it takes enormous amounts of work, 10,000 hours as an estimate, to achieve excellence – is a little too precise to be completely believable, I really appreciate the more thoughtful method by which Malcolm Gladwell breaks down success into its components. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom article from our expert writers now. Get a custom essay Outliers is a rather difficult book to judge in the context of my life; Through my activities, I have aimed for diversity, both in my education (major in biology and political science, computer science) and in hobbies (orchestra, debate, computers, etc.). I prefer to think that a wide variety of interests and practices lends itself better to an enjoyable life and, even, success in the field of my choice. Simply put, I don't like anything that forces me to be overly specialized.