The most intriguing study in the book Outliers by Malcom Gladwell was, in my opinion, Rice Paddies and Math Tests (Part Two-Chapter Eight). The correlation and connections Gladwell makes between what makes the Asian rice farmers so successful, and how it translated into math was frankly, a very remarkable comparison that changed how I thought of mathematics and success in general. It made a connection between the math we learn in school, how we learn it, and how this can translate into life, especially life as a rice farmer. It was also very fascinating for Gladwell to show the significant differences between how kids in Asian countries learn math versus how kids in Western countries learn math. Conversely Gladwell further strengthened and …show more content…
To cultivate a successful rice paddy Asian farmers had to pay careful and close attention to their crops. It took constant monitoring, which was very different compared to other crop farming which involved digging a field, planting the seed and keeping it sufficiently watered and in sunlight. However, rice farming is a much more complicated, much more attentive process. Gladwell, when comparing rice farming to other crop farming states that it is “a relentless, intricate pattern of agriculture.” Rice paddies are built up rather than dug, they are built into mountainsides in a series of terraces or they are constructed from marshlands and river plains. The paddy has to be irrigated properly otherwise the crop will not grow, to do so a series of dikes and channels are constructed around the field. The paddy has to be watered a very specific amount otherwise it could result in over flooding or under watering. Rice farmers had to be careful with fertilizer, because if applied incorrectly or at the wrong time could be disastrous for the crop yield that year. The paddies had to be carefully weeded, which was usually done by hand. Rice farming was a full time job for Asian farmers. It required their constant attention to make sure …show more content…
Gladwell states that “being good at math may also be rooted in a groups culture.”. The translation between math and rice paddies is rooted mainly in the simple fact that both require hard work and effort, both of which are staples of Asian culture. Both require a certain amount of exertion, of attention, otherwise success is not possible. The Asian counting system may make number patterns easier, and because of this it makes Asian students more interested because they understand it better, but it also creates a drive to work hard, to try because they know that the equations they are given are solvable. It symbolizes that even if it does not make sense at first, the more you work at it the more likely you are to pick up on the patterns and see what is going on. Conversely this same concept applies to rice paddies as well. Farmers pay careful, close attention to their rice paddies. They calculate how much water, fertilizer, clay, and soil the paddy needs and at what time, and so forth. Gladwell says in Outliers that “Throughout history, not surprisingly, the people who grow rice have always worked harder than almost any other kind of farmer.” Rice farmers work hard, and because of this are more driven to continue to work hard to reap the benefits. A rice farmer who works hard, who pays attention to their crop and watches it,
I found Gladwell’s first chapter of Outliers entitled “The Matthew Effect” to be both interesting, confusing, and perhaps somewhat lopsided. Based on Matthew 25:2, Gladwell simply explains, “It is those who are successful, in other words, who are most likely to be given to the kinds of special opportunities that lead to further success.” (Gladwell 2008, pg. 30) The Matthew Effect seems to extend special advantages and opportunities to some simply based on their date of birth.
Malcolm Gladwell, in the nonfiction book Outliers, claims that success stems from where you come from, and to find that you must look beyond the individual. Malcolm Gladwell develops and supports his claim by defining an outlier, then providing an example of how Stewart Wolf looked beyond the individual, and finally by giving the purpose of the book Outliers as a whole. Gladwell’s purpose is to explain the extenuating circumstances that allowed one group of people to become outliers in order to inform readers on how to be successful. The author writes in a serious and factual tone for the average person in society of both genders and all ethnicities who wants to become successful in life.
In Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell argues that there is no such thing as a self-made man, and that success is only the result of a person’s circumstances. However, throughout the novel Gladwell points out that your circumstances and opportunities only help you become successful if you are willing to take advantage of them and work hard. From a twelve year old living in the Bronx, to those who were born at just the right time to become millionaires, one thing is the same throughout; these people because successful because they seized the opportunities they were given. The advantages and opportunities that came from their circumstances would not be important if they had not grasped them. Every successful man is self made, because he has seized the
Malcolm Gladwell is a canadian-english journalist, speaker, and bestselling author. In his bestselling book “Outliers”, Malcolm Gladwell discusses success and what patterns correlate with it. He states that how much time you put into a certain activity, specifically 10,000 hours, can put you in a elite level of proficiency. This in turn can give someone the tools to allow them the ability to be successful. Using historical citations, patterns, and real life examples, Gladwell forms his 10,000 hour rule. Due to his knowledgeable yet calm tone Gladwell seems to show credibility. His intended audience could be people who enjoy statistics or people who want to be successful and find possible ways to do so. Gladwell uses a logical appeal to show the patterns he has found through his studies of success. He supports his claim with overwhelming statistics which back it. He also uses similes to help better understand how he can relate the patterns he has found for the elite in a certain activity to other things. Foil is probably Gladwell's best means of convincing the reader to his thesis of the 10,000 hour rule. He uses Foil to compare success and we define to legends such as Bill Gates The Beatles and Bill Joy. Overall Gladwell uses Logos, similes, and foils to support his claim of the 10,000 hour rule.
Gladwell gives differing definitions of intelligence. Yet his definition of success is singular—"worldly" success in terms of wealth, power, and fame. Are there also differing definitions of success that Gladwell doesn't consider? If so, what are they, and what does it take to achieve those versions of success? What is your definition of success, and how does it compare to Gladwell’s? Has your definition of success changed at all?
Fields being flooded during sowing & reaping of rice/paddy—mostly contributed by countries in Asia as rice is grown here and is the staple food of people
For generations, only certain people have achieved success - they are known as geniuses or outliers; however, they did not obtain it on high IQs and innate talents alone. In the book Outliers, author Malcolm Gladwell, #1 bestselling author of The Tipping Point and Blink, reveals the transparent secret of success behind every genius that made it big. Intertwined with that, Gladwell builds a convincing implication that the story behind the success of all geniuses is that they were born at the right place, at the right time and took advantage of it. To convey the importance of the outlier’s fortunate circumstances to his readers, he expresses a respective, colloquial tone when examining their lives.
“People don't rise from nothing....It is only by asking where they are from that we can unravel the logic behind who succeeds and who doesn't”(Gladwell 18).
Even when one has a rough childhood and upbringing, they are able to take all of these hard times and turn them into motivation to work harder to improve not only their lives, but their family and friends lives. Through this hard work and dedication comes the 10,000 hour rule. Marcus Gladwell is a very well-known author, writer, and speaker from The New York Yorker; his first four books were on the New York Times best seller list and in 2005, Time magazine named Gladwell one of its 100 most influential people. Because of Gladwell’s outstanding achievements and background, it furthers his readers to believe that he is a very credible and knowledgeable resource. Gladwell’s purpose in writing Outliers is to teach and inform the audience about what an outlier really stands for and how some people become an outlier from a young age. Gladwell’s main audience is people around the world that are interested in the statistical studies. Gladwell, through the use of several rhetorical devices and examples is effectively able to express what it takes to be successful through the 10,000 hour rule....
Malcolm Gladwell makes many debatable claims in his book “The Outliers”. One of these controversial topics is brought up in chapter three when he talks about a person’s IQ and how that relates to one’s success. Gladwell says, “The relationship between success and IQ works only up to a point. Once someone has reached an IQ of somewhere around 120, having additional IQ points doesn’t seem to translate into any measurable real-world advantage.”After reading “Outliers” I believe that this is the greatest controversial topic. I agree with Malcolm Gladwell because there are a high amount of people who are not incredibly smart that are very successful, success can be viewed differently by different people, and from my own experiences on the U-High
What would happen if our world today was monotonous, sorrowful, and grey? What if no one was here to form new creations, and think of bold ideas? Would triumph have a definition? Would there be outliers in our world today? We are constantly thinking, always generating new ideas and forming new thoughts. People even proceed by creating inventions, and building objects no one would of thought would be made today. But, what we don’t perceive is how they became successful and how they took advantage of the moment that was given to them. In the novel, Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell, the author explains that an outlier is one who is given an opportunity and knows how to take advantage. He believes that in order for a person to be successful they need at least ten thousand hours of hard work and effort in order to succeed at a skill. It is clear to me that like Malcolm Gladwell, I believe
Once in a while, it really hits people that they don’t have to experience the world in the way they have been told to. Gladwell believes that cultural legacies are powerful forces. Cultural legacies are the customs of a family or a group of people, that is inherited through the generations. According to Malcolm Gladwell’s book, Outliers, Cultural legacies is something that’s been passed down for generations to generations. It depends on what type of legacies was passed that will affect a person. If a good legacy was passed down, someone can keep that legacy going by trying hard at keeping the legacies going. If a bad legacy was passed down; I believe that cultural legacies can be altered or changed, by good working habits, determination, and a positive mindset to succeed. Culture can affect either positively or negatively, but we have the power to turn our cultural
Other than how this book personally encouraged me and discouraged me, it was eye opening to see such a coincidence of birthdates among all-star hockey players and how Bill Gates just happened to be born in the wake of computer technology. It is also very shocking to see the racial demographics behind plane crashes and the relationship between math, rice, and Asian people. I am glad that I was able to read this book because despite the limits it places on success, it provides a better understanding of the possible reasons why some people become outliers while other remain average.
For centuries, individuals have come together from all aspects of life to fight for a common goal or belief. This unity took quite some time be organized due to the simplicity of media and the slowness of word of mouth. The growth and popularity of social media has not only revolutionized the world but, more specifically, has had a massive influence on the expression of ideas and beliefs on an international sector. Author Malcolm Gladwell has sparked controversy in regards to his argument in Small Change: Why the Revolution Won’t Be Tweeted. Gladwell claims social networks are effective at increasing participation—by lessening the level of motivation that participation requires. In other words, participation in popular issues has increased as a result of social media because this participation requires very little motivation or effort. Majority of the time, a few clicks on a mouse qualify as “participation”. I strongly defend Gladwell’s thesis because the world of social media has proved, in several instances, to be less effective at sparking change as opposed to
In Asia, people believe all the hard work will lead to profits through the experience of growing rice paddies. According to the writer, this argument is not limited to the rice paddies but continues over the experiment of the math tests. For example, Gladwell introduces a story of Renee. Renee is Alan Schoenfeld’s, a math professor at Berkeley, student. He considers Renee different. When Renee meets a problem she does not know, she will not stop until she is absolutely sure she has it right. Renee’s studying spirit helps her to succeed during studying. It is based on a function of persistence and doggedness. However, under the US education system, students are not good at focusing on one thing. Gladwell ends by noting the result of the test called TIMSS, the difference between how Asian and American students learn math is the emphasis on effort and hard work. This doggedness is not