The success of an individual is determined by their economic background. They also have to be persistent and possess innate abilities. The “American Dream” is only for those few who are born with talent or who have the means to develop their talents. The people who did not have a good childhood are still stuck in the belief that they will never be able to achieve prosperity. The belief that practice was not necessary for things they were not good at was instilled into them as children. They believed that those who achieved success did so because they had a natural talent. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell questions this belief. Gladwell claims that successful people are those born at the perfect time, who have been given an opportunity to learn their craft. The context in which Gladwell published his pieces – the economic crash of 2008 – and the audience that he targeted are key factors in making Gladwell’s argument persuasive. Gladwell published an informative book for a recession-hit audience, in which he claimed that 10,000 training hours were necessary to master any skill. He mentions those who have been given exceptional opportunities to develop their skills throughout their life. Gladwell writes an article to people affected in the recession to explain that talent and merit are not enough to guarantee success. He shows how the year of birth of each individual determines the opportunities that they receive as they grow. The book is uplifting for those who believe they are not capable of success or that they do not work hard enough. The book proved that no matter how talented or hard-working someone is, if they are not given the chance to practice they will never be able to achieve their goals. This book tells about the life of Bill Gates or Steve Jobs. They were two of a few lucky people born at just the right moment. The stories tell of people who took advantage of a unique opportunity to work extremely hard and were rewarded for it by society. The author wanted to educate readers about something they didn’t know or realize before. Gladwell mentioned the 10,000 hours rule often. He introduced it at the beginning, and then explained it throughout the book with examples. The audience was able to gather evidence for the 10,000 hours rule as they read. They were amazed at the amount of evidence that led back to the rule Gladwell had introduced. He interviewed these inspiring people and gathered data to support his rule. The fact that these technology visionaries were born at the perfect moment, along with 10,000 hours of practice to master the skill, contributed greatly to their success. Gladwell, who was born in 1970 and saw that the birth year of some future software billionaires had a direct correlation to their success opportunities, discovered that this is true. He developed an argument, saying that these visionaries grew up when technology changed, so they had to be open-minded, have a thirst for knowledge, and take advantage of the opportunities they received. Gladwell tells stories of billionaires who were once just like the rest of us, but due to their circumstances, had the chance to master a talent that changed the world. Gladwell writes about his own life, relating it to the evidence he uses. He also gives readers an insight into how he took the opportunity. Gladwell claimed he could not get into graduate school due to his grades. So he pursued a new career. Gladwell was rejected many times when applying for advertising jobs. He then turned to journalism. After many hours spent writing for local print and online newspapers, Gladwell reached 10,000 hours. With his many books and articles, he gained credibility and respect as an author. Outliers was a bestseller because his articles were widely known and read. Outliers was ranked number one in the New York Times Bestseller list for 11 straight weeks. His text is intellectual, informative and yet simple enough to be understood and easily understandable. Gladwell’s book is a captivating read that encourages readers to continue reading it, just like a novel. The book is filled with many captivating examples and interesting facts. Outliers was published in November 2008, just as the recession ended. In those days, people were struggling to pay off debts and find money. Gladwell wanted to encourage people by writing the book that they can achieve their goals if they work hard. While it was unattainable for most people because of their age or the lack thereof, Gladwell encouraged them to continue to work toward their goal. He says that success is possible if you have the time and opportunity to improve your skills. Gladwell is one of many authors who want to contest the notion that talent is innate. Gladwell isn’t the only one who has challenged the belief. Geoff Colvin also wrote a piece entitled “Talent is Overrated: The Real Difference Between World-Class Performers and Everyone Else” that supports Gladwell’s argument, saying that natural talent doesn’t make a person better than others. Colvin is dismayed by the answer he received to the eternal question: What makes some people great at what their do? We still believe, like Homer, that the greatness of performers is inspired. This means that it was instilled into them by muses or gods. We still say, as Homer did, that great performers are inspired, meaning their greatness came from gods or muses. Gladwell is also trying to dispel that theory. He says that a person’s natural talent doesn’t make them great. Instead, he believes the time spent mastering a talent defines their greatness. Gladwell as well Colvin have attempted to refute this belief. These books have probably helped people to realize that the idea of being born with a natural ability is not plausible. The authors’ words were likely seen as informative and inspiring by the audience, who finally realized that “natural abilities” do not separate the good from great. After realizing this, the audience becomes more motivated to strive for their goals. Although the audience doesn’t believe they are going to become billionaires anytime soon, the right opportunity and training could help them achieve more than they thought. Both authors have the potential to influence younger generations in how they think about and tackle situations. Gladwell aims his writing at a broad audience, from teenagers and college-educated individuals, who are all interested in their peak performance and that of others. He is challenging the idea that success can only be attributed to privilege, class and talent. Gladwell points out that Steve Jobs did not grow up in a wealthy family. He moved to Silicone, a place that is known for being the leader of innovative technology and engineering. He visited flea markets in which electronic lobbyists were selling spare parts to a neighborhood full of technology engineers. Hewlett-Packard president and co-founder William Hewlett gave him parts to use for a school assignment. Hewlett gave Jobs the parts and also offered him an internship at Hewlett-Packard. Steve Wozniak introduced him to the company, and that’s how it all began. Magazine claims, from a purely informational standpoint that Jobs was fortunate enough to have received many amazing opportunities that launched his career. In writing an editorial on Jobs’s life, the editor mentions Steve’s incredible opportunity at such a youthful age. Gladwell also uses his book to back up his claim. Gladwell, as well as the editorial, both agree that Jobs wouldn’t have been successful if not for the opportunities and luck he had. It shows that even if you work hard and are dedicated, most people don’t become millionaires. Jobs’ life story will inspire future generations. It may inspire people to strive to continue the technological revolution Jobs started. In the current job market, creative individuals are highly sought after. For symbolic analysts to continue revolutionizing society, they must solve new problems and find creative solutions. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs are among the top symbolic analysts, as they have revolutionized how the world uses technology. Robert Reich’s theory explains why the world has a greater need for symbol analysts than workers in retail and labor. The improvement in global communication and transportation technology is the main reason why the demand for symbolic and analytic insight of Americans continues to grow. Information is enhanced by the knowledge and value of symbolic analysts. They work constantly to upgrade and enhance hardware and software. Many analysts wouldn’t even consider this work. While some might see it as a difficult job, others would. Reich’s arguments extend Gladwell’s claim in that he implies that 10,000 hours was not a problem for Gladwell’s book’s subjects because most of them had a love affair with technology and were obsessed by working to improve it. Reich and Gladwell believe that any person can learn a skill with enough practice. Gladwell mentions that each of the famous visionaries of technology had a limited window of time to influence the way that people used technology. This led to the rapid growth and progress that we see today. Gladwell tells their story, showing why people with similar skills are so highly sought-after. Gladwell’s book challenges the idea that natural talent or ability is what will make a person successful. Gladwell uses the 10,000-hours rule to try and educate his audience on the fact that the mastery of a skill can only be achieved through hours of practice. “Practice doesn’t happen once you are good. It’s your practice that makes it good. Gladwell tells of the lucky few who had received such an amazing opportunity. It is only those who understand the relationship between each person he mentioned that can accept his argument. Gladwell, who has cleverly analyzed and provided evidence to support his argument, proved the importance of year of birth. His argument sounded plausible. Bill Gates’ own words and excerpts from Steve Jobs’ Accidental Milliardaire were used to help him develop his claim. He uses the information to support his theory and cherry-picks parts of the source that are most relevant. However, he also mentions many other notable people to back up his claim. He lists several highly successful technology innovators born in that time period. His evidence is not biased and is sufficient. Gladwell talks about how Bill Gates mastered his skill with a great deal of dedication, but that would have not been possible if he hadn’t been given this once-in-alifetime chance. Gladwell, Malcolm. “10,000-Hour rule.” Outliers: the Story of Success. New York, Little, Brown & Company, 2008. 35-68. Print. Reich, Robert B. “Why The Rich Are Getting Wealthier and the Poverty, Poorer.” In: The Work of Nations. Knopf, A.A., published New York in 1991. 208-22. Print. Staff, Entrepreneur. Steve Jobs: A Career Extraordinary. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.
