Outliers: The Story of Success

Note: I didn't read the book in its entirety, I simply skimmed through its most salient parts.

The author presents several stories of outliers (people/organizations who stand out from the crowd) and then moves on to analyze them through several lenses (social, geopolitical, personal backgrounds) to prove that

- it's not only geniuses who become outliers: opportunity (being at the right place at the right time) and extensive practice (the famous 10000 hours to reach mastery) play a big role in it
- “practical intelligence” (e.g. knowing what to say at the right time to get the maximum outcome) is a learnable skill, not an inborn trait, and can play an important role in the person's success
- cultural legacies (the set of social and behavioral norms you grow up in) can work to your advantage or detriment
- different ways of parenting lead to different types of growth in children:
- “concerted cultivation” (being actively involved in the children's activities, promoting their interests, and teaching them to make their voice heard) gives them plenty of opportunities to develop their skills
- “accomplishment and natural growth” (leaving children to find their own interests and their way into society) leads to more independence and behavioral growth
- none of the two is inherently wrong