Outliers: the final post

In the first post, I talked about Gladwell’s unique explanations to success. In this section, he uses these ideas to talk about not only success, but failure as well. He starts by exploring the series of family feuds and deaths that occurred in the Appalachians during the 19^th century. Gladwell proposes that much of this can be attributed to the idea of “culture of honor”; that, according to cultural and geographical ramifications, violence was an acceptable solution of the time. He then explores the very controversial topic of plane crashes, and suggests that a pilot’s heritage and descent is just as to blame as his or her piloting skills. Gladwell also examines the KIPP schooling program, and how its constant focus on continuous learning has helped thousands of underprivileged youth obtain success. Malcolm Gladwell has established his presence as an influential non-fiction writer through his numerous best sellers, including Blink and The Tipping Point. Although some of the excerpts in Outliers are not necessarily related to one another specifically, Gladwell uses them to instill a sense of curiosity and interest in his readers. Due to the diverse amount of topics discussed throughout his book, he appeals to a very wide array of audiences. The people who would buy this book are most likely the ones who are interested in well-supported alternative theories. Gladwell continues to use anecdotes and logos extremely effectively. He also uses well written descriptions of each topic to introduce them, and complex yet necessary diction that is specific to each chapter. The Epilogue is what I believe made Outliers most impactful. Gladwell dares to do something very few non-fiction writers do: he uses his own personal story to enhance the points presented in the previous chapters. By relating his family’s story to the idea of “outliers”, he not only increases his credibility as an author but also as an expert in the subject area.