Outlier

 
   Do you want success? This book tells about success. We commonly think that success comes from individual’s desperate efforts, but the author expresses a somewhat different opinion. He emphasizes the importance of environmental factors. For example, the author says most star hockey players in Canada are born in January or February, because when they were young they grow physically more than other children born in the second half of the year.
   Of course, the writer also recognizes individual efforts as a key factor in success, so he argues “Law of 10,000 hours.” It means that if one wants to achieve a great success in some domain, then one has to practice 10,000 hours.
   However, environmental factors influence it again. For instance, though Bill Gates has a brilliant brain and interest in computers, the most core point is that he had the opportunity of using computers freely. Therefore, he can spend his 10,000 hours on programming. In 1968, most people couldn’t use computers like Bill Gates.
   There are lots of books about success in libraries. Most of the books are incredibly similar. Set a goal of life, imagine it vividly, make a diligent effort, then you can have success! This is all. Thus I admired the writer’s unusual opinion and envied his ability to observe. If you read this, you also can have a nuanced view on success and culture.
 

By Park Seung-seok senior Department of Business Administration

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