Gladwell hits Chapter 2 off with the story of a guy you've never heard of, Bill Joy. Now Bill attended the U of Michigan in '71, fell in love with the newly added Computer Center, switched schools to Berkely and ended up being the guy who wrote the code for Java. Yeah, the Java we use for all our videos, Mr. Underappreciated Joy was the humble soul who kindly coded our software. But why does this mean anything to us at all? Because just like the hockey players hailing from Canada, born in the right month and all, there is also something very unique about Bill. He was born in 1954, and similarily with the rest of his fellow coders at Berkely--not to mention Bill Gates and Stephen Jobs around the same years too. Why is this important? Because all these brilliant brains came about when this technology was coming about for them to manipulate. Bill Gates, who Gladwell also describes greatly, was born into a wealthy family, went to one of the few colleges that offered coding programs, and better yet was able to code for free. Gladwell gives more examples, but you get it--these guys came about at sheer luck of birthdates.
The Beatles, on the other hand, also had a fair amount of luck play into their success. These guys had the blessing to be discovered by Bruno, a Hamburg native who needed some entertainment besides girls for his strip clubs, offered to let the Beatles play there. They accepted, and played nonstop around the clock, creating more music to fill their nightly playlists, and practicing before a sleazy crowd. Why this is so relevant? Well, the Beatles quickly accumulated many hours under their belt to give them at least some credibility. They were heard, got paid enough to start touring, and people began to love their music. Why were they good? Because they had practice. About 10,000 hours worth.
Similarily, Bill Gates and Joy also labored at coding for years, and Gladwell will tell you that the average of all these brilliant minds' practice times sums up to 10,000. Don't believe me? Mozart is another example. Gladwell says that all of Mozart's peers begins practicing their instruments at the same rate when they are younger, say 6 or 7. But as they grew older, their skills set them apart. Not because any one child was more skilled than the other naturally, just that their practice time would be much more than the other. Practicing for many years over time breeds superior talents in any field. This, no one can doubt.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
I'm hooked
Before I begin telling you my resulting opinion's of Malcom Gladwell's Outliers: The Story of Success, I want to prep you on how it's going to be around here. My writing style is going to be very relaxed, very laid back. This is a blog, the language of blogging is to never be too serious, and I absolutely won't be. This is, after all, an extra credit assignment for my psych class-- not that i dont take that class seriously, but the only motive for writing this blog, actually sharing my ideas and gained knowledge, comes from the desire for the best damn grade in the class. Also, I'm aware that Mr. Gladwell is a journalist, trying to "sell" his literature. Like I mentioned, I'm hooked, but i'm also aware that this is writin merely to convey only what Mr. Gladwell wants me to know. Those tricky english majors, can't ever take them too seriously. And without further adieu, here comes my blog! Let's take it from the top!
History proves valuable to psychologists in tracing back to causes of future events that later take some scrounging to solve. The description of Roseto, PA illustrated the fellowship of immigrants greater than a textbook ever could. The hustle and bustle of a homogenous race merely misplaced in another atmosphere showed no slow in pace. When Stewart Wolf was introduced, I was positive he would be our first outlier that would put Roseto on the map. I was suprised, as Wolf obviously was, at the death rates of Roseto residents. What on earth? Could it be that such a tight-knit cutlure held the cure to a long, lasting, prosperous life? Yeah, maybe proposterous. But when Wolf gathered more data from the residents' cousins, I was even more baffled. It wasn't the new food, it wasn't the labor, but the hospitality that their culture failed to surrender, and thus, held the key to their prosperity.
It's a shame that this successful "Outlier" didn't catch on as a norm, or perhaps it died out among other parts of America because urbanization was so much more influential in creating a progressing culture, not a healthy, hearty one. It was, after all, the Italians who relocated here, not the other way around. Their secret never caught on, and it's a shame for optimistic students to see a rewarding culture die in a new country. However, this book isn't about cultures lasting, this is definitely not another history book i won't read. Outliers, as I'm finding out, is about the little things that go beyond expectations. The little head start, or the slight variation that makes all the difference.
History proves valuable to psychologists in tracing back to causes of future events that later take some scrounging to solve. The description of Roseto, PA illustrated the fellowship of immigrants greater than a textbook ever could. The hustle and bustle of a homogenous race merely misplaced in another atmosphere showed no slow in pace. When Stewart Wolf was introduced, I was positive he would be our first outlier that would put Roseto on the map. I was suprised, as Wolf obviously was, at the death rates of Roseto residents. What on earth? Could it be that such a tight-knit cutlure held the cure to a long, lasting, prosperous life? Yeah, maybe proposterous. But when Wolf gathered more data from the residents' cousins, I was even more baffled. It wasn't the new food, it wasn't the labor, but the hospitality that their culture failed to surrender, and thus, held the key to their prosperity.
It's a shame that this successful "Outlier" didn't catch on as a norm, or perhaps it died out among other parts of America because urbanization was so much more influential in creating a progressing culture, not a healthy, hearty one. It was, after all, the Italians who relocated here, not the other way around. Their secret never caught on, and it's a shame for optimistic students to see a rewarding culture die in a new country. However, this book isn't about cultures lasting, this is definitely not another history book i won't read. Outliers, as I'm finding out, is about the little things that go beyond expectations. The little head start, or the slight variation that makes all the difference.
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