One Less Non-Fiction Title...

  One down, four to go.  Non-fiction titles, that is.  Per my Reading Resolution for 2016, I promised to read five non-fiction titles.  Well, I've just finished Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, and that was (I guess) a non-fiction book.

  I like Malcolm Gladwell.  He's smart and interesting, a good speaker who has good ideas.  But in this case, I felt like that's just what they were - ideas.

  Here is the premise of Outliers, taken from Goodreads:
In this stunning new book, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an intellectual journey through the world of "outliers"--the best and the brightest, the most famous and the most successful. He asks the question: what makes high-achievers different?

His answer is that we pay too much attention to what successful people are like, and too little attention to where they are from: that is, their culture, their family, their generation, and the idiosyncratic experiences of their upbringing. Along the way he explains the secrets of software billionaires, what it takes to be a great soccer player, why Asians are good at math, and what made the Beatles the greatest rock band.

  OK.  Sounds good, right?  I thought so, too.  And I went into this book with a completely open mind.  I enjoyed the book.  Gladwell has a casual writing style that's very conversational and easy to understand.  He's funny; he's charming.  And his wit and charm *almost* obscure the fact that his science is junk.  That's right, I said junk.  His "reasons" for success change by the page, and his examples seem to be cherry-picked for their ability to support his idea of the moment.  Many ideas are presented as fact, when there is another side to be considered he completely ignores.  His connections between some ideas are tenuous, at best, and his conclusions weren't quite enough to convince me.  Gladwell eschews the idea of "natural talent" for what he calls the "10,000 Hour Rule" in which he claims that hard work will always overcome natural talent - if natural talent even exists.  Hmmm.  He discusses how those who have societal, familial, and monetary advantages will *almost* always succeed over those who don't, and derides the idea of the "self-made" man. 

  I'd give the book a solid 3/5 because I really like the writing style, and I think the premise is provocative and interesting, if too narrowly explored.  All said, still a fascinating look at what kinds of thing influence success, whether we think about them or not.

  And... on to the next.  

  I am about ten chapters into Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel.  This is a step outside of the box for me - it's a post-apocalyptic novel.  Normally, I'm not down with PA stuff - it's just not my cup of tea.  But this book is set in the Great Lakes region and centers on a troupe of actors and musicians as they navigate the landscape and try to retain some sense of culture in the world.  

  So far I'm very much enjoying the book - the author has a beautiful writing style that's somewhat musical, somewhat poetic, somewhat storyteller, and I love it.  Stay tuned for the follow-up review.