Outliers is the second of Malcolm Gladwell’s books that I have read, and similar to the first, it has a collection of simple, semi-obvious points backed up by research and anecdotes, and it’s brilliant. One of the book’s key aims is to challenge the conventional story of phenomenal success. The usual rags-to-riches story goes something like this: a person is born into generally adverse conditions, overcomes circumstances with sheer grit and innate/learned skill, and achieves success. Gladwell shows that, far from being adverse, the circumstances of birth can pave the way towards success. Of course, success belongs not to those who are just provided the opportunity, but those with the ability and will to seize it. Gladwell’s revised story arc is something like this: a person is born into conditions that may potentially aid in future success, makes full use of those circumstances to achieve mastery in a suitable area, and finally becomes very successful when that skill becomes valuable to others.

The idea that circumstances of birth aid future success has a logical corollary: cultural legacies can help a person become more or less successful. Culture is something we are born into. Some cultures may me more conducive towards certain mindsets than others. Why does the stereotypical Asian parent impress upon their children from a very young age that their success depends on how much work they put in? The book connects the academic excellence of Asians with rice paddy farming, which is much more demanding than other types of agriculture. The idea is that since rice paddy farming is more skill- and labor-intensive, Asians are culturally more inclined towards believing in the value of hard work and inculcating that belief in their children, who go on to achieve mastery in their respective fields.