This week, I finished the book Outliers: The Story of Success. It is a book written by Malcolm Gladwell,who also wrote the books Tipping Point and Blink, writes this book about the factors that influence one's ability to achieve.

As with all of Gladwell's books, one of the funnest parts about reading this book is all of the interesting factoids that Gladwell discovers. Whether talking about the birthdays of hockey players, or comparing Asian and Western farmers, Gladwell weaves a good story full of good conversation pieces.

At the heart of the book is the question, "What makes a person sucessful?" Is it natural ability and skill? Is it hard work? Luck? As you make your way through the book, there is a sense in which you discover that all of the above are true. Most powerful in the journey to success though, is the opportunity to be in a situation to succeed. Many times, very few people have the unique opportunities that others have. But without the hard work, the assertiveness to seize the opportunity, and a minimal amount of skill, the opportunity could be lost.

The book is smart, entertaining, and able to read through in small chunks. I would recommend anyone.