If Books Could Kill - Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers"

Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers"

11/10/22 • 50 min

12 Listeners

In "Outliers," Malcolm Gladwell posited that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert in something. Mike and Peter prove him wrong by mastering his dumb book over the span of about 50 minutes.
Support us on Patreon

Links:

Previous Episode

Freakonomics

3 Recommendations

In 2005, two men named Steven and Stephen published the quintessential airport book. In 2022, two men named Mike and Peter started a whole podcast just to make fun of it.
Thanks to Ted Joyce and Ames Grawert for helping with the research for this episode!
Support us on Patreon
Where to find us:

Sources:

Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

Next Episode

David Brooks's "Bobos in Paradise"

David Brooks became liberals' famous conservative by telling them what they wanted to hear. But ... why did they want to hear something that was lazy and wrong?
Support us on Patreon
Where to find us:

Sources:

Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

If Books Could Kill - Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers"

Transcript Summary

In this episode titled "Malcolm Gladwell's 'Outliers'," the discussion revolves around the work of author Malcolm Gladwell and his books "The Tipping Point," "Blink," and "Outliers." The episode debunks the notion that high IQ guarantees success and raises questions about Gladwell's Part 2 on cultural legacy and race science. Specifically, the analysis focuses on Gladwell's claims about Korean air crashes and the link between Asian success in math, rice farming, and numbering systems. Criticisms regarding flawed analysis, misinterpreted data, use of anecdotes, oversimplifications, and lack of evidence are explored. The limitations of IQ as a predictor of success, the influence of wealth and learned behaviors, and Gladwell's shallow exploration of intelligence are also discussed. The episode concludes with the observation that Gladwell's approach to discussing Asian stereotypes would likely face more scrutiny in today's context. Overall, this episode provides insightful critiques of Gladwell's theories and highlights the importance of analyzing evidence and avoiding oversimplifications when examining success factors.

Transcript

Peter: Michael.

Michael: Peter.

Peter: Have you ever read a book by Malcolm Gladwell?

Michael: Uh. I have read one of his essay collections, if that counts.

Peter: It does count, because that is what his books are.

[If Books Could Kill podcast theme]

Michael: I'm going into this with complicated feelings because I actually think that some of his early work

Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers" Top Questions Answered

What are Malcolm Gladwell's books known for?

Malcolm Gladwell's books are known for being essay collections with high fact-checking standards at The New Yorker.

What is "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell about?

"The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell explains how ideas spread like epidemics and introduces "The Law of the Few."

What is the main idea behind Gladwell's book "Blink"?

The main idea behind Gladwell's book "Blink" is that split-second impressions and intuition can be more accurate than thoughtful decisions.

Why do some critics question Gladwell's book "Blink"?

Some critics question Gladwell's book "Blink" due to concerns about the evidence presented and claims that Gladwell overstates his thesis.

What does Gladwell argue in his book "Outliers"?

In his book "Outliers," Gladwell argues that success is driven by a combination of luck and hard work, challenging the concept of earned success.

What does Gladwell discuss in "Outliers" concerning Canadian hockey players?

In "Outliers," Gladwell discusses the birth month advantage for Canadian hockey players and popularizes the 10,000-hour rule for expertise.

Is there consensus among researchers about the validity of the 10,000-hour rule?

There is no consensus among researchers about the validity of the 10,000-hour rule, and the concept of expertise is considered imprecise.

What is discussed in Chapter 7 of Gladwell's book "Outliers"?

Chapter 7 of Gladwell's book "Outliers" is about the Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes, exploring certain Korean cultural norms and their association with more plane crashes in Korean Air.

What criticisms are raised regarding Gladwell's claims about Korean Air crashes?

Critics argue that Gladwell's claims about Korean Air crashes are based on a limited number of incidents, include misquoting crash reports, lack proper data analysis, and fail to consider other factors like internal training reforms.

What does Gladwell suggest about Asian success in mathematics in "Outliers"?

In "Outliers," Gladwell suggests that the simplicity of Asian numbering systems and the discipline required in rice farming contribute to faster mathematical development in Asian children.

Show more Questions

If you like this episode you’ll love

Stay Tuned with Preet

Pod Save the People

Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes Podcast

Aspen Ideas to Go

The Gray Area with Sean Illing

Episode Comments

Featured in these lists

The best podcasts for learning something new!

Curated by Patrick

Generate a badge

Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode

Select type & size

Copy