Choice and Chance

[radiantsolace]

I just finished reading Outliers by Malcom Gladwell: http://www.gladwell.com/outliers/index.html It's a fascinating book that really demystifies the American fascination with how success happens. There are always outside forces at work in one person or culture's success

Comments

[elizabethxiii]

my boss read this book a couple of years ago and we talked about it extensively. i really want to read it. he talked about the beatles and the microsofties and their 10000 hours getting done with so early in their lives. incredible.

he also related to the birthday/success correlation regarding when he started school. he's 60 now, but he was born on 08/30 and barely made it in to kindergarten. he feels his parents did him a disservice starting him then because he was the youngest in his class and always felt behind or small. (this seems crazy to me now because he is such an accomplished, well respected guy, and he's 6'4"!) but anyhow, i am interested in the correlation between starting school as one of the youngest vs starting as one of the oldest, since it will apply to my little october boy. as it was, i started when i was 4 and turned 5 in october and i think it worked out okay, but puberty was hard, being a year behind all my friends. :(

[radiantsolace]

it's so hard to know what factors will mitigate our kids lives and how best to help them along the path while still keeping our own reality in mind. :/ i guess i should say that "in the end", i feel like we are all guessing somewhat. finn has an august 1st birthday. i feel ya.

[papermuse]

I've read that, I like it as well. You've read Freakonomics, right? That's another good one.

[radiantsolace]

No, but I saw the documentary based on it and Eric read it. I need to add it to my list! Good call.