{"product":{"product_id":"0316017922","title":"Outliers: The Story of Success","price":null,"image_url":"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/415p7lgJsEL._SL500_.jpg","url":"https://www.amazon.com/dp/0316017922"},"comments":[{"body":"I appreciate this but what about rarities such as Mozart.\r\nMozart wrote his first symphony when he was eight years old.\r\nIsn't it true that some people just have a \"knack\" for it. \r\n\r\nI often like hearing the stories of the rise of people like that. \r\nWhile I haven't read this book, I have it in my list and is related: [Outliers: The Story of Success](http://www.amazon.com/dp/0316017922/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8\u0026amp;colid=3KO50J75G19O9\u0026amp;coliid=I1W8M8XH13Y3T4)","subreddit_name":"GetMotivated","author":"movingmyeye"},{"body":"Hi, interesting AMA, thanks for that.\r\n\r\nI hope this question isn't too personal, but I recently read a book, [outliers](http://www.amazon.com/Outliers-Story-Success-Malcolm-Gladwell/dp/0316017922), that said, in order to become an expert at something you need to have put in 10,000 hours at your craft.  \r\n\r\nWould you agree with this? and If you were to estimate, how many hours do you think you've spent programming or becoming an engineer?","subreddit_name":"IAmA","author":"FrontPageEnvy"},{"body":"\u0026gt;Luck may play a part, but talent and will is what made him a billionaire, and the fact that he was a successful CEO of multiple companies is proof of that\r\n\r\nHere's an okay book on the subject: http://www.amazon.com/Outliers-Story-Success-Malcolm-Gladwell/dp/0316017922\r\n\r\nBasically, you need hard work + genetic ability + luck to \"succeed.\" Two of those factors are outside of anyone's control, and you can make an argument that the third (hard work) is outside of your control as well; you don't choose who your parents/peers/community are, and so you can't choose the values that you're socialized into having.\r\n\r\n\u0026gt;The goal of religion is to gain members.\r\n\r\nAs a social \"meme,\" maybe, but for the vast majority of religious adherents/clergy-people, the goal of participation in religion is to live a good life and benefit others. But yes, this particular point is a digression.\r\n\r\n\u0026gt;Plus, I don't like the negative tone of the comments posted here. He was a businessmen man that few people knew personally, not Gaddafi.\r\n\r\nThat's cool, just know that shame as a social mechanism for normalizing behavior is something that's as old as human society itself. It's as vital a part of human society (as it's currently configured) as anything else.","subreddit_name":"pics","author":"shaggy1054"},{"body":"at the risk of belabouring the point, if you are interested in expanding your horizons a little, I suggest you check out [this book](http://www.amazon.com/Outliers-Story-Success-Malcolm-Gladwell/dp/0316017922) which basically debunks the myth of the so-called \"self-made man\" - he actually interviews Bill Gates in a section where he looks a little beyond the surface features of Gates' story (lots of hard work and business savvy) and examines other factors that were just as important to his success - and demonstrates the same factors are apparent over and over again, when you look closely at other success stories which have been rather lazily ascribed to simply a matter of hard work alone...\r\n\r\n-he also looks at some examples where being exceptionally gifted or working just as hard or whatever - but in slightly different circumstances (when you were born actually plays a big part in this) to those great success stories - has brought nowhere near the same level of wealth and recognition to people who, according to the myth, should by rights be just as spectacularly successful","subreddit_name":"pics","author":"maniaq"},{"body":"You should read this book: \r\n\r\nhttp://www.amazon.com/Outliers-Story-Success-Malcolm-Gladwell/dp/0316017922\r\n\r\nBuy the audio book if you don't like to read. That is some of the best advice I can give to you. The rest is really up to you. If you have good people in your life and are \"wired\" to be successful then you will most likely be. Social skills really do help in the real world.\r\n\r\nLike is life - it is a process with a start middle and end. You must be able to see the next step from the point where you are at now. Goals should be written on paper with a date that you want to finish them by. If you get good at this process you can do anything. Run a marathon, marry way above your class, be successful, be highly educated. \r\n\r\nThe last thing is \"you go to school to become an educated person - not to get a piece of paper to make a lot of money.\" Understand that what you are doing is for YOU. Your brain develops bit by bit over time. Money is made by working smart and harder than most.\r\n","subreddit_name":"AskReddit","author":"111627437000"},{"body":"I'm an artist and graphic designer, and I am extremely particular about art classes. Most art classes are targeted at total beginners and older folks, not young, talented people with existing experience and creative passion. Forgive my blatant sexism, but I notice that male, alternative-ish teachers tend to be more willing to let students work at their own pace.\r\n\r\nYou absolutely, absolutely need to encourage her to practice every day for at least an hour. [Outliers](http://www.amazon.com/Outliers-Story-Success-Malcolm-Gladwell/dp/0316017922) asserts that, whoever you are, you can master a field with about 10,000 hours of study. No matter how talented you are, you've gotta put in the time. If she spends a few hours a day drawing, no matter how rough her work is now, in a few years she will be a GREAT artist. I once heard Slash say, \"If you want to be a great musician, you've gotta practice, and I mean you need to practice about 8 hours a day for 4 years.\" Guess what? That's about 10,000 hours. My friend is the best bassist I've ever met, and pretty much the last two years of high school and the entire time I was in college he'd practice at least four hours a day.\r\n\r\nForcing yourself to practice every day is hard. It might mean making some sacrifices (tv, etc), and there will be times when you fall off the wagon. As long as you keep getting back on, you will get there in the end. Tell her \"good luck\" for me!","subreddit_name":"AskReddit","author":"callouskitty"},{"body":"I read [Outliers](http://www.amazon.com/Outliers-Story-Success-Malcolm-Gladwell/dp/0316017922/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;s=books\u0026amp;qid=1283740207\u0026amp;sr=8-1) and found out that this is very true.  People enjoy believing in the mystical mind set story, but that is not the case.  ","subreddit_name":"politics","author":"winterchapo"},{"body":"\u0026gt; But if you were, say, the Kobe Bryant of whatever you love to do, could you not help but suspect divine intervention?\r\n\r\nPeople don't just have gifts, they work their asses off for it... usually for about a decade.  If I was Kobe, I would have spent my younger years doing nothing but playing basketball, and hence I would not know much science, would not have a degree in engineering, would live in a different part of the country... so of course my life would be different including my beliefs.  You should read this book.\r\n\r\nhttp://www.amazon.com/Outliers-Story-Success-Malcolm-Gladwell/dp/0316017922\r\n\r\n","subreddit_name":"atheism","author":"iamtotalcrap"},{"body":"Don't nerds read? In [Outliers](http://www.amazon.com/Outliers-Story-Success-Malcolm-Gladwell/dp/0316017922), Malcolm Gladwell supplies plenty of evidence for the view that it takes about 10,000 hours to master almost anything that requires skill. Innate ability just needs to be adeqeuate, not world-beating. Then it's all about getting your sorry ass to work. Full time.  Five years.  You might not be Clapton when you're done, but you'll be better than 99.9% of all the so-called guitar players in the world.","subreddit_name":"geek","author":"maaark"},{"body":"I think it's in [Outliers](http://www.amazon.com/Outliers-Story-Success-Malcolm-Gladwell/dp/0316017922) that Malcolm Gladwell makes the observation that a lot of \"gifted\" people end up living lives of modest achievement and are generally very happy with their choices.  His speculation is that the gifted people are smart enough to realize they don't want the headaches that come with being a high achievers.  As one who fell into that statistical category I think there's a certain amount of truth to that.  I sometimes feel guilty for not having wanted to do more but I'm quite content with the life I've led so far.","subreddit_name":"IAmA","author":"midava"},{"body":"\u0026gt; You cannot learn a talent\r\n\r\nThat's debatable.  http://www.amazon.com/Outliers-Story-Success-Malcolm-Gladwell/dp/0316017922/ref=cm_cr_dp_asin_lnk","subreddit_name":"GetMotivated","author":"another_one_still"},{"body":"http://www.amazon.com/Outliers-Story-Success-Malcolm-Gladwell/dp/0316017922\r\n\r\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outliers_%28book%29","subreddit_name":"NoFap","author":"anon3127"},{"body":"That is a title of a [great book](http://www.amazon.com/Outliers-Story-Success-Malcolm-Gladwell/dp/0316017922) by the way. ","subreddit_name":"IAmA","author":"MostCriticalGuy"},{"body":"He is featured in the book \"Outliers: The Story of Success.\"  The author discusses some of the factors that probably played into his non-success.\r\n\r\nhttp://www.amazon.com/Outliers-Story-Success-Malcolm-Gladwell/dp/0316017922","subreddit_name":"IAmA","author":"CM_Secondary_Account"},{"body":"Have you read [Outliers](http://www.amazon.com/Outliers-Story-Success-Malcolm-Gladwell/dp/0316017922)? I think you'll find you're not alone.","subreddit_name":"IAmA","author":"bigger_than_jesus"}]}