The Miley Cyrus reference is an interesting one: I’d posit that it IS circumstance that lets all these young cross-overs succeed: actors becoming singers. They’re not necessarily the best singers, but they’re in the right place at the right time.

I don’t know enough about The Doors, which he mentioned, but I’m willing to say that the Beatles are a far better example of an “Outlier” as Gladwell is using it. And the BeeGees had 10,000 hours of being brothers, which surely impacted their music.
As for Godin’s Miley Cyrus reference…while it may not have taken her 10,000 hours to reach such notoriety, she DID have an edge in breaking through, given her father’s influence. And no one can yet say how lasting her success will be, but I’m going to go out on a limb and predict that it won’t reach the decades of power the Beatles held. And thus, Miley Cyrus is not an Outlier as Gladwell describes it.

Now, I suppose I must read The Dip. Been meaning to, of course. So many books, so little time.

-R

I don’t know. It just felt comforting to me at the moment.

And, again, grateful.

Thanks for the tweet on twitter that brought me here. Enjoyed the exchange.

Renee Lemley’s last blog post..My First(hand) “Twitter for Business” CASE STUDY

I don’t know what I expected from the book: perhaps more of a ‘self-help’ tome, which is why I felt a bit disillusioned. But that’s my own expectation, and not the book, that left that impression.

I found it absolutely fascinating in its fresh approach to looking at success from an obtuse angle. We all DO like to think of ourselves as self-made and successful. But the fact is, that timing and circumstances DO impact the heights to which we may rise notably above our peers.

I don’t think Gladwell is taking anything away from those of us who feel we have achieved success in our lives or careers. (And let it be noted that “success” is defined differently by every individual.) Rather, he is talking about the outliers. That is, how could a “normal fellow” like Bill Gates achieve industry domination while a “true genius” finds himself working as a carpenter in the Pacific northwest? It turns “expectation” on its head, so to speak. If anything, I think Gladwell provides the reader with the opportunity to look at his or her own personal history and determine what outside causes have impacted the path to success (or lack of) on an individual basis. I did so. And I found myself feeling ever more grateful, not only for my own efforts, but ALSO for those who have impacted my successes along the way.

Knowing that it takes a good 10,000 hours to become truly exceptional at any given task also comes as a bit of a friendly relief! At the same time, it suggests that effort does indeed equal reward, particularly if you are outputting that effort in the right place, at the right time, surrounded by the right circumstances.

This, for me, was a really great read. It was historical yet modern, biographical yet philosophical, and academic yet artful. What makes it fun for outliers — and “inliers” — is that it is intellectually entertaining without being intellectually out of reach.

It reminded me of how interconnected we all really are and how what each of us does impacts those around us…even those who have yet to be born.

Renee Lemley’s last blog post..My First(hand) “Twitter for Business” CASE STUDY

I wish I’d been born at the right time and had 10k hours of practice at doing something. Maybe blogging will help my writing skills.

http://www.paunchiness.com/i-finished-outliers-last-night/