Reference no: EM132895796

1. Our author, Malcolm Gladwell, notes that outliers in a particular field reached their lofty status through a combination of ability, opportunity, and utterly arbitrary advantage. Is it possible that the same pattern of special opportunities operates in the real world as well? Can you provide an example? Provide a story of either Bill Gates or Bill Joy to help our understanding.

2. Achievement is talent + preparation. What plays the smaller role-innate talent or preparation/practice? What is the evidence.

3. There are three groups of violinists:

Stars - Potential World-Class Soloists Good

Unlikely to Play Professionally.

What is the difference in the three groups hours of practice?

4. Once a musician has enough ability to get into a top music school, what is the thing that distinguishes one performer from another?

5. What are several factors needed to enable a young person to practice a skill 10,000 hours-an enormous amount of time.

6. What year did The Beatles come to the United States?
What year did Lennon and McCartney start playing together?
How much time had elapsed until they reached their greatest artistic achievement? What did the Beatles learn by practicing an enormous amount of time-more than any other band-while playing in Hamburg?
Did their time playing represent an extraordinary hardship or an extraordinary opportunity?

7. Where did Steve Jobs grow up? What opportunities did this afford him? What summer job did he take?

8. How did the birth years contribute to the wealth of prominent American men?

9. Why is the date January 1975 an important date to veterans of the Silicon Valley?

10. Is success exclusively a matter of individual merit? Support your conclusion with evidence from our reading.