Outliers: The Story of Success

by Malcolm Gladwell

Having read both of Gladwell's earlier profferings, Blink and The Tipping Point, I anticipated an insightful and thought-provoking codex that translated seemingly mundane data and information in a way I'd never before contemplated. Gladwell surpassed all of my expectations with this book and has added his name to my list of favorite non-fiction writers to date.

As Gladwell immediately points out, the American ideal of success entails someone who comes from the "wrong side of the tracks", works hard, and makes a name for oneself. However, idealistic this might be, he quickly begins to refute the supposition by outlining the various ways in which age, location, opportunity, and even luck affect the success of even the most intelligent of individuals. Would Bill Gates have been BILL GATES if he had been born 15 years earlier in Juaraz, Mexico? Probably not as he would have missed the birth of the computer and wouldn't have been in a location to have taken advantage of unlimited computer usage at such an early age. Gladwell provides example after example of successful people who, although undoubtedly smart and incredibly talented, wouldn't have made a name for themselves had they not been placed in the perfect situation at the right time.

After a lifetime of hearing that if you just work hard enough your dreams can all come true, this book made me think in more realistic and practical terms. The crux of success lies in opportunity, and whether given to sought out, without it success will most likely remain illusive to the vast majority of people.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak -

A Michael Printz honor book, I honestly hadn't given a lot of thought to reading this YA title until we discussed it in our adult book club. One of the members was looking for a new novel to use during her study of Anne Frank, so we decided to read this book as a group to assist her in making her decision. It took me quite a long time to read as I'd kept it at work and read a bit at a time. Honestly, I didn't get too interested in the book until I was about halfway through (there are a lot of characters and it's a bit tough to keep it all straight initially). However, when I hit that point, I could hardly put it down. In retrospect, I think this book affected me in many ways, and I've already recommended it to many students who enjoy this genre!

With a narrator like Death (a.k.a. the Grim Reaper), this novel takes on the traditional Nazi novel and wins hands down. So often when you read a book about this time in history, it is written from a Jewish perspective or an American perspective. I can't recall ever reading a book written from a non-Nazi German perspective. That is the case as we meet Liesel, The Book Thief. A young German girl who is given up by her mother, she forms deep and intense bonds with her new foster parents, non-Nazi Germans who are doing their best to survive without being noticed. Along they way we meet so many people in the book, from Rudy Steiner, her best friend on Himmel Street and her partner in crime, to a Jew that Liesel's family harbors in their basement. We watch Liesel experience Nazi Germany from the outside and we see her love of reading and books develop as she realizes the power of words in a time when words were used for so much harm. With the theft of her first book (The Gravedigger's Manual), we see her procurement of books throughout the book and see how each one came to her with a story...a story that impacts the action of the book every time.

It's hard to speak about this book without giving anything away! I can simply say that this book is unlike any other you've ever read or will more than likely ever read. It is one that MUST be on your list!






Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortensen and David Oliver Relin -

I had purchased this book A LONG time ago and put it on my "one day I'd really like to read but probably never will unless it's for a book club" stack (let's just say it's a really, really large pile!). Well, thankfully our Rival Readers book club chose this book as one of their spring selections, because it was one of the most informative and thoughtful books I've read in quite a while. Having a keen interest in the Middle East at the moment, the setting for the book beckoned memories and knowledge from books like The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns. However, the fact that this was a non-fiction title that for once I could understand about this topic, I really feel much more informed about the area of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

A memoir about Greg Mortensen's humanitarian work in these areas, the reader gets an inside view into the deplorable situation of the education system in the remote areas of the Middle East. Meeting in open fields and scratching their lessons in the dirt with sticks, girls were the most neglected group. Mortensen, who had been sheltered and cared for by the people of the Baldru area of Pakistan after a failed attempt at climbing K2, vowed to bring schools to the children of this area. This book chronicles the fulfillment of that promise and the unbelievable magnitude to which this one small promise grows throughout his life.

I would HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone, students and adults alike. I learned a lot while reading this book, and feel much more aware of just why terrorism is rampant in the Middle East.







Uncommon: Finding Your Path to Significanceby Tony Dungy with Nathan Whitaker -

In Dungy's second book, he takes the unusual opportunity to reflect upon what it takes to achieve significance in one's life. Regarded by many as the epitome of the success and significance that is highly valued in our culture, Dungy also works on a daily basis with young men who are trying to excel through football to achieve all that goes along with a professional athletic career - such as money, power, and celebrity. Not a stranger to this type of success, Coach Dungy passionately believes that there is an alternate path to significance, a path marked by attitudes, ambitions, and allegiances that are rare but rewarding. Uncommon delves into lessons about significance that Dungy has learned from his parents, his athletic and coaching career, his mentors, and his journey with God.

I enjoyed Dungy's first book as well, but honestly enjoyed this one more. Less autobiographical and more informational, there were many things that I could take and immediately relate to my own life in a practical way. Even if you're not a young man, this book has many lessons that would indeed be valuable to you, too!