In the story of David and Goliath it seems miraculous that David would defeat the giant warrior. In this book Gladwell uses this story to introduce the idea that being the underdog is often an advantage rather than a disadvantage. He talks about how many presidents of the US lost a parent when they were children, and many CEO's of major companies have dyslexia. He talks about many instances where larger armies were defeated by smaller armies. He discusses why class size can be too big, but it can also be too small. His main point is that being forced to overcome the challenges forces indifividuals and groups to be innovative and creative. He acknowleges that for every dyslexic who becomes a Fortune 500 leader, there are many more for whom the disability has overwhelmingly negative affects, but he asserts that having a major challenge does not necessarily lead to disaster. In most cases, there is a sweet spot between challenge and advantage where people and situations work the best.
I have read several Gladwell books and I find his writing style interesting. He basically makes an observation about life and then finds stories, studies, and statistics to support it. His narrative wanders a bit, but he manages to tie everything together. He reads his own books in the recording, and he has a pleasant voice, interesting inflection, and a slight East Coast accent. As I was listening to this one, another one I had on hold came up in the cue, so I will be reviewing that one soon. (2015, 352 p)
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