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DAVID AND GOLIATH

Underdogs, misfits, and the art of battling giants.

by Malcolm Gladwell ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2013

In addition to the top-notch writing one expects from a New Yorker regular, Gladwell rewards readers with moving stories,...

A far- and free-ranging meditation on the age-old struggle between underdogs and top dogs.

Beginning with the legendary matchup between the Philistine giant and the scrawny shepherd boy of the title,  New Yorker  scribe Gladwell ( What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures , 2009, etc.) returns continually to his main theme: that there are unsung advantages to being disadvantaged and overlooked disadvantages to being “advantaged.” Though the book begins like a self-help manual—an early chapter on a middle school girl’s basketball team that devastated more talented opponents with a gritty, full-court press game seems to suggest a replicable strategy, at least in basketball, and a later one shows how it’s almost patently easier to accomplish more by being a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond—it soon becomes clear that Gladwell is not interested in simple formulas or templates for success. He aims to probe deeply into the nature of underdog-ness and explore why top dogs have long had such trouble with underdogs—in scholastic and athletic competitions, in the struggle for success or renown in all professions, and in insurgencies and counterinsurgencies the world over. Telling the stories of some amazingly accomplished people, including superlawyer David Boies, IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad, and childhood-leukemia researcher Jay Freireich, Gladwell shows that deficits one wouldn’t wish on anyone, like learning disabilities or deprived childhoods, can require a person to adapt to the world in ways that later become supreme benefits in professional life. On the other hand, children of the newly wealthy who have had every good fortune their parents lacked tend to become less well-equipped to deal with life’s random but inevitable challenges.

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2013

ISBN: 978-0-316-20436-1

Page Count: 304

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2013

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BOOK REVIEW

by Malcolm Gladwell

THE 48 LAWS OF POWER

by Robert Greene ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1998

If the authors are serious, this is a silly, distasteful book. If they are not, it’s a brilliant satire.

The authors have created a sort of anti-Book of Virtues in this encyclopedic compendium of the ways and means of power.

Everyone wants power and everyone is in a constant duplicitous game to gain more power at the expense of others, according to Greene, a screenwriter and former editor at Esquire (Elffers, a book packager, designed the volume, with its attractive marginalia). We live today as courtiers once did in royal courts: we must appear civil while attempting to crush all those around us. This power game can be played well or poorly, and in these 48 laws culled from the history and wisdom of the world’s greatest power players are the rules that must be followed to win. These laws boil down to being as ruthless, selfish, manipulative, and deceitful as possible. Each law, however, gets its own chapter: “Conceal Your Intentions,” “Always Say Less Than Necessary,” “Pose as a Friend, Work as a Spy,” and so on. Each chapter is conveniently broken down into sections on what happened to those who transgressed or observed the particular law, the key elements in this law, and ways to defensively reverse this law when it’s used against you. Quotations in the margins amplify the lesson being taught. While compelling in the way an auto accident might be, the book is simply nonsense. Rules often contradict each other. We are told, for instance, to “be conspicuous at all cost,” then told to “behave like others.” More seriously, Greene never really defines “power,” and he merely asserts, rather than offers evidence for, the Hobbesian world of all against all in which he insists we live. The world may be like this at times, but often it isn’t. To ask why this is so would be a far more useful project.

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1998

ISBN: 0-670-88146-5

Page Count: 430

Publisher: Viking

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1998

GENERAL BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR | BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR | PHILOSOPHY & RELIGION | PSYCHOLOGY | HISTORICAL & MILITARY

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by Robert Greene

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BOOK TO SCREEN

THINKING, FAST AND SLOW

by Daniel Kahneman ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 1, 2011

Striking research showing the immense complexity of ordinary thought and revealing the identities of the gatekeepers in our...

A psychologist and Nobel Prize winner summarizes and synthesizes the recent decades of research on intuition and systematic thinking.

The author of several scholarly texts, Kahneman (Emeritus Psychology and Public Affairs/Princeton Univ.) now offers general readers not just the findings of psychological research but also a better understanding of how research questions arise and how scholars systematically frame and answer them. He begins with the distinction between System 1 and System 2 mental operations, the former referring to quick, automatic thought, the latter to more effortful, overt thinking. We rely heavily, writes, on System 1, resorting to the higher-energy System 2 only when we need or want to. Kahneman continually refers to System 2 as “lazy”: We don’t want to think rigorously about something. The author then explores the nuances of our two-system minds, showing how they perform in various situations. Psychological experiments have repeatedly revealed that our intuitions are generally wrong, that our assessments are based on biases and that our System 1 hates doubt and despises ambiguity. Kahneman largely avoids jargon; when he does use some (“heuristics,” for example), he argues that such terms really ought to join our everyday vocabulary. He reviews many fundamental concepts in psychology and statistics (regression to the mean, the narrative fallacy, the optimistic bias), showing how they relate to his overall concerns about how we think and why we make the decisions that we do. Some of the later chapters (dealing with risk-taking and statistics and probabilities) are denser than others (some readers may resent such demands on System 2!), but the passages that deal with the economic and political implications of the research are gripping.

Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2011

ISBN: 978-0-374-27563-1

Page Count: 512

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Review Posted Online: Sept. 3, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2011

BUSINESS | LEADERSHIP, MANAGEMENT & COMMUNICATION | PSYCHOLOGY

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by Daniel Kahneman & Olivier Sibony & Cass R. Sunstein

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Book Review — "David and Goliath" by Malcolm Gladwell

• Controversial Topics
• Social Role

“David and Goliath” by Malcolm Gladwell moldered on my nightstand for many months before I recently picked it up. I had reservations about delving back into a Gladwell book. Not only had I read “The Sports Gene,” which to me did a much better job of exploring the 10,000-hour rule Gladwell wrote about in “Outliers,” but I was channeling the Gladwell fatigue emanating from many quarters, and which I suffered from a bit myself. I’ve read his books and his writing in the New Yorker for years, which has resulted in a creeping intolerance for Gladwell’s approaches to framing ideas and his style of writing. This feeling of Gladwell déjà vu isn’t helped by the fact that his books’ designs are so monotonous — white cover, stark type, single iconic image, same trim size.

I waded in thus encumbered with doubts and reluctance, and vowed to limit my initial excursion into Gladwellia to a dash across the border to see if I’d return later.

Needless to say, the book drew me in, and I finished it within a few busy days.

What caught my attention from the start were the subtleties Gladwell uncovered in the David and Goliath story. We’ve generally absorbed David and Goliath as the story of the little guy surprising the big guy, but it turns out to be much more subtle and interesting than that when the context is better elucidated and some historical elements are expounded upon. Gladwell does this deftly and economically, getting you into the heart of the matter before you know it.

Innovation is one of Gladwell’s favorite topics, and the book makes you think differently about what it takes to be innovative. Our cliché about innovation is that someone has to be able to “think outside the box,” but Gladwell spends much more time exploring how adversity can bring forth personalities capable of changing the world. It’s not just the ability to think outside the box that matters — one has to possess a personality capable of persevering through rejection, repudiation, and setbacks in order to make the world work differently. Such personalities are often hardened by setbacks encountered at a young age.

The type of setback matters, as does the response to it. These concepts are captured using the analogy  of bombings — “direct hits,” “near misses,” and “distant misses.” Gladwell draws on how the Blitz during World War II affected London and England in general. Instead of instilling panic, as the Nazis had hoped and as British leadership had feared, there were three actual effects. First, those who were hit directly died, and were unable to spread panic. Those who suffered near misses were injured, and also were unable to spread panic. So the vast majority of Londoners at the time suffered “distant misses” — sirens, a few minutes of hiding in the basement, maybe a distant explosion, and then the resumption of daily life. In this manner, most of the population became indifferent to the bombings, believing through experience that they were unlikely to be hit. In fact, many felt invulnerable after a while, as if charmed. As this cycle continued, the city became psychologically impervious. The German plan had backfired, as the British moved into a confident retaliation mode.

Dyslexics, orphans, and victims of prejudice are profiled. As Gladwell writes, some suffer direct hits, and their setbacks take them out of the game. Others are near misses, and suffer a little but survive. And some are distant misses, people who come out with a galvanized sense of self after learning to deal with their hardships or differences. These people are the focus of the book, as are the limits of power (and its significant potential to backfire if mishandled).

“David and Goliath” covers a lot of ground, and there are many branches from the main river that bisects it. One interesting branch for me was a section on “tricksters,” who come in two varieties — those who fool their adversaries into doing exactly what they want, and those who “fake it until they make it.”

“Faking it until you make it” is a common thread behind success (and probably explains the “ impostor syndrome ” so many adults feel at some point in their careers). It is a thread that many traditionalists find hard to accept. A great story in the book along these lines comes from Brian Grazer, a major Hollywood producer of hits like “Apollo 13,” “A Beautiful Mind,” “8 Mile,” “24,” and “Friday Night Lights,” to name a few. (As an aside, Grazer has hair that competes with Gladwell’s for antigravity effect.) A dyslexic, Grazer learned as a survival adaptation how to talk his way through any situation. He became a consummate and confident dealer of concepts and negotiator at a young age. He also learned to persist and to take the lead. So, when as a young man he got a job in the mailroom at Warner Brothers, he would make calls and work deals from this position, introducing himself as, “Brian Grazer of Warner Brothers.” He didn’t mention he was working in the mailroom at the time.

Many stories are agonizing to read — there are stories about the civil rights movement, the religious conflicts in Ireland, and others. The moral of some of these stories can be murky at best. This is one unusual lesson about change the book teaches, as noted above — most success stories are full of compromises, exchanges, chicanery, and actions we might find hard to accept in a purist moral framework or as an enforcer of polite society.

This purist moral framework itself comes into question when the harsh California “Three Strikes” law is put under the microscope, in a larger section dissecting the notion that rational cost-benefit calculations by members of society lead to predictable outcomes. That is, make something more costly, and a rational person will choose not to engage in that activity. Beyond questioning whether criminals are rational, the section also examines how carefully power has to be wielded, and how simplistic cost-benefit approaches can backfire in complex ways.

One of the most horrible sections of the book deals with a physician discovering viable treatments for childhood leukemia. In our modern medical miracle world, we often forget the devastating and horrendous diseases our predecessors suffered through and somehow found a way to treat, prevent, and cure — from polio to rheumatic fever to childhood leukemia, the realities of these illnesses are jarring and nauseating. But one man, who had suffered a very difficult upbringing, had the nerve and tenacity to essentially mistreat children for a period, causing them great pain, going against the orthodoxy, demanding results, and angering many around him — all for the sake of finding a treatment. His own childhood adversity created a mentality capable of inflicting hardship on others for the purpose of a greater good, and also gave him an appreciation that hardships were generally temporary. He knew pain was temporary. He had experienced it himself.

There are two general dispositions I could see benefiting from this book. First, there are those people who naturally and habitually push against the status quo. For them, the book will likely be affirming and energizing, and may clarify that while their driven personality can cause friction, that friction is necessary and their ability to withstand it a sign of the innovator or change agent. Second, there are people who have to deal with innovators but who don’t quite understand them, what drives them, and why they sometimes seem obnoxious. For them, this book may help reveal the inner workings of those stubborn, driven, and sometimes troublesome individuals, and also create second thoughts about the cost of suppressing them contrasted against the benefits of supporting them.

David was a distant miss. He had never seen war, but he’d seen his flock terrorized by wild animals, and had acquired a sling and the skill to use it. He’d survived many attacks, and had taken out many attackers. In his own way, he was battle-hardened, but the battle was not the one he was about to enter into with the giant Goliath. It did not matter. The lessons absorbed elsewhere transferred that day, his confidence in his abilities was high, and the giant fell. There were many with slings there that day, but only one had the personality to take on a giant.

One of the most unpleasant lessons in the book is that hardships can toughen people, and we need people with those hard edges in order to make progress. Gladwell asserts that this unpleasantness is important to progress. If we keep everything pleasant, we make no progress. As scholarly publishing is in some turmoil about access models and who pays what, the psychologies of criticism, attack, accommodation, manners, and progress have become relevant.

But make no mistake — the lesson of David and Goliath is not that the small upstart or the most unpleasant person wins. Rather, it is that those who have suffered hardships, who have gained a level of callousness, who have had significant skills fired in the kiln of adversity, and who are intolerant of the status quo — these are the people who most often prevail. We might not always like them, they may do things we think are inadvisable, but they are our giant-killers.

P.S. Gladwell needs to make his next book bigger and with a red cover. At this point, his books’ generic designs are working against him.

Kent Anderson

Kent Anderson is the CEO of RedLink and RedLink Network, a past-President of SSP, and the founder of the Scholarly Kitchen. He has worked as Publisher at AAAS/Science, CEO/Publisher of JBJS, Inc., a publishing executive at the Massachusetts Medical Society, Publishing Director of the New England Journal of Medicine, and Director of Medical Journals at the American Academy of Pediatrics. Opinions on social media or blogs are his own.

16 Thoughts on "Book Review — "David and Goliath" by Malcolm Gladwell"

Good review but from what is abstracted, revelation of the ‘school of hard knocks’ is not new.

• By Robert Cooper
• Feb 26, 2014, 6:00 AM

It’s tempting to reduce it in that way, and that’s part of the reason I hesitated to read it. I thought, “I know the lessons of David and Goliath,” and so forth. Well, either it’s Gladwellian magic or the book actually has a lot of layers, intricacies, subtleties, and great stories.

For instance, the concept of the limits of power, how misapplied power backfires, and how hidden power is triggered and released, all go beyond “the school of hard knocks” simplicity. How the interplay between personalities in an insurgent movement occurs — who lulls the incumbents vs. who sneaks up and undermines them — is really interesting. How we overestimate the power of the powerful, how the powerful overestimate their power, etc., are all brought to life in really interesting ways.

As for the individuals who create change, the way some compensate for congenital defects and how these compensatory skills set them apart is also far different from “the school of hard knocks” simplicity.

So, while it’s tempting to think of “David and Goliath” as something you already understand, very quickly the book surprised me with twists on the story that took me in new directions, and followed it up with really interesting explorations of the nature of power, the assertion of power, and how power backfires or comes from surprising wellsprings.

• By Kent Anderson
• Feb 26, 2014, 7:14 AM

“Rather, it is that those who have suffered hardships, who have gained a level of callousness, who have had significant skills fired in the kiln of adversity, and who are intolerant of the status quo — these are the people who most often prevail.”

It seems to also be those willing to take a chance – a risk. But the beauty is that they may not even perceive it as a risk. They simply think – it will work OR whatever could go wrong is worth it OR we can fix it later.

It’s interesting when thinking about the “school of hard knocks” to also notice that the same hard knocks seem to inspire different lessons. Some people come up strategizing and fighting and others become lifelong victims (and there’s a whole spectrum between that). So there’s more to this than simply hard knocks.

• By Ann Michael
• Feb 26, 2014, 8:18 AM

This quote, I worry, might well apply to people like Adolf Hitler.

• By Sandy Thatcher
• Feb 26, 2014, 11:59 AM

You’re right — again, this is why the abuse of power is part of story. On a smaller scale, the story of the “Three Strikes” law in California vs. another approach taken by people who didn’t depend on “big power” is illustrative. Hitler believed in “big power.” It has its limits, and often backfires.

• Feb 26, 2014, 1:17 PM

Stubbornness is indeed a key trait for innovative people, for two opposite reasons. First there is the well known wall of skepticism to get through, but there is also the hoard of helpers who threaten to pull the new idea apart by taking it in all directions at once.

• By David Wojick
• Feb 26, 2014, 8:58 AM

Great review. It is so difficult to try to “explain” how his books make you think. I loved the bit about dyslexia, and about the doctor and leukemia. I would love to meet him!

• By maureen scott
• Feb 26, 2014, 9:26 AM

The leukemia doctor was Sidney Farber. If he tried his “experiment” today he’d be reviled. Not to mention no self-respecting IRB would ever allow it.

He knew that folate stimulated the bone marrow and leukemia was a disease affecting the bone marrow. So he gave some of his patients folate. They promptly died.

As a result he went looking for a compound that suppressed folate. He found one and gave that to some of his patients. He induced a [temporary] remission in 10 of 16 patients. They did eventually die, but he was on to something. See http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM194806032382301

Everyone knows the second part of the story. Few people remember the first part.

• Feb 26, 2014, 9:56 AM

I intend to read the link you sent through, what is IRB? Maureen

• Feb 26, 2014, 10:05 AM

IRB = Institutional Review Board https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institutional_review_board

• By David Crotty
• Feb 26, 2014, 10:06 AM

Having yet to read the book, it might be unfair to comment on the substance of it more than has been done (but I don’t need to abide by the rules any more than David). I’m sure Gladwell weaves a skilful web and has a reader disagreeing only to find that his disagreement is anticipated and countered. That Gladwell writes well is certainly not in doubt. That the book is perhaps but a skilful replay of an old moral tale is not a criticism. To ‘see through’ Gladwell and continue to read and enjoy him is perhaps the highest accolade for a writer. Gladwell is good writer and good entertainer. I’m pretty sure Goliath had as many or more ‘hard knocks’ before he got to face the simplicity of a shepherd’s sling. I would also think it likely that following the encounter those who make the rules on such representational fighting banned the sling as an unfair weapon ~ or made the contest one of slings and arrows. I have no idea what happened to David long term. Maybe he became a big man. His future post-Goliath seems rather important to know. I suppose I could read the Bible.

• Feb 26, 2014, 9:41 AM

Nearly 6 months after publication, the hardcover edition is still ranked in the top 100 on Amazon and has generated 1200 reviews. I doubt Little, Brown will change anything for Gladwell’s next book.

• Feb 26, 2014, 9:42 AM

I know. I think I’m the one who will have to adjust. It’s funny how this did make me judge a book by its cover, but in a different sense — more about it looking like another widget out of the Gladwell factory.

• Feb 26, 2014, 10:42 AM

I’m afraid Gladwell is no longer an author who produces books, but a brand that produces products.

• Feb 26, 2014, 10:48 AM

Indeed – a brand factory for which there is a good send-up: http://malcolmgladwellbookgenerator.com

• By Michael Clarke
• Feb 26, 2014, 10:09 PM

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Finding Talking Points Among the Underdogs

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By Janet Maslin

• Oct. 2, 2013

The world becomes less complicated with a Malcolm Gladwell book in hand. Mr. Gladwell raises questions — should David have won his fight with Goliath? — that are reassuringly clear even before they are answered. His answers are just tricky enough to suggest that the reader has learned something, regardless of whether that’s true. A recent posting on Goodreads, a Web site that bolsters enthusiasm for books and reveals no-baloney reasons readers like them, lauds the power of Mr. Gladwell’s entertaining insights into the not quite obvious. “Do you really want to be surprised all the time?” a commenter identified as Dr. A. Taubman asked this week about Mr. Gladwell’s latest, “David and Goliath.” “The world is disconcerting enough already.”

As Mr. Gladwell specifies, “David and Goliath” sets out to explore two — just two — ideas. The first is that there is greatness and beauty in David-Goliath fights, at least when the underdog wins. The second is that “we consistently get these kinds of conflicts wrong” by failing to realize that giants have weaknesses, and that underdogs can accomplish the unexpected. If “David and Goliath” were a more serious book, it would have to apply that thought to terrorism. But, as Dr. Taubman implies, Mr. Gladwell is not in the business of providing disturbing information.

Instead, his emphases are on uplift and novelty. So he analyzes the David-Goliath bout, comparing the effects of slingshots to those of sword and spear. He lauds David’s little-guy maneuverability. And he suggests that Goliath, like scientifically studied giants, might have had acromegaly , a growth disorder that would have meant a pituitary tumor, which could have created vision problems, which might explain why Goliath had an attendant to lead him. Maybe that led him to misjudge David’s power. Maybe the Israelites watched from a distorting vantage point that made Goliath look excessively big, David excessively puny. Do we see the relevance of these thoughts to our daily lives?

Not yet? Then consider the title of this three-part book’s first section: “The Advantages of Disadvantages (and the Disadvantages of Advantages).” This turns out to be much more blunt than it sounds. During the course of a multipart, one-note argument, Mr. Gladwell demonstrates that short teenage girls playing basketball and a schoolteacher with a 29-student classroom could make seemingly adverse circumstances work to their advantages. The girls learned to dominate the courts on which they played. And the teacher liked the variety of that seemingly overcrowded classroom, which may stir up an argument among the polite elite most likely to read Mr. Gladwell: the contrast between seemingly elite prep schools and colleges and more downscale ones in which students may be likelier to excel. His advice: Ignore school ratings. Be a big fish in a small pond. Who wants to be a guppy at Harvard?

As usual, Mr. Gladwell’s science is convenient. He has charts to back up his premise about academic success, but how is success measured? In happiness? Salary? Getting jobs, or keeping them? Read the annotations if you must, but they won’t get you far. Mr. Gladwell needs a David-Goliath school story, so he creates one. His version happens to have common sense on its side, even if it is in no way definitive or complete.

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Book Review of David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants by Malcolm Gladwell

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Genre: Medical Applied Psychology Author: Malcolm Gladwell Title: David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants ( Buy the Book )

Table of Contents

Malcolm Gladwell’s David and Goliath : Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants eloquently challenges many of society’s preconceived notions about advantages and disadvantages in adversity.

Gladwell’s challenges are captured in three main theories:

• the advantages of disadvantages and the disadvantage of advantages
• the importance of “desired difficulties,” and
• the limits of strength.

The book centers on the ultimate underdog story of David and Goliath and the parallels of that ancient battle in our modern life.

Goliath was advantaged because he was battle-tested, strong, and fierce, while David was a shepherd boy, who slew the giant by a miracle from God. We see David as an underdog because of our lens; the same lens with which we view our own everyday Goliaths.

Gladwell explains that David was really at an advantage because he was a trained type of soldier called a slinger.

Slingers had the same deadly effect as a modern handgun with pinpoint accuracy.

Society tells us that, because Goliath was big and David was small, David was an underdog; however, because David was the underdog, he was able to change the rules of engagement and use his strengths (and maybe a little providence) to defeat his Goliath and save a nation.

The first segment of the book analyzes the advantages of disadvantages and the disadvantages of advantages in a number of contexts from military battles to basketball and from Ivy League college to Parisian art societies.

Gladwell uses historical examples of paradigms of strength and prestige that would be considered a giant against a lesser opponent. He then aptly illustrates how the very strength of a traditional approach can become a disadvantage because of the inherent constraints. Whereas, the smaller and apparently inferior approach can be an advantage when the rules of engagement are changed in the same way that David changed them against Goliath.

The second segment focuses on the importance of “desired difficulties.” Gladwell describes desired difficulties as challenges that people are forced to face that initially discourage them.

Although these difficulties can have devastating effects, if one can learn to adapt and overcome the challenges, the capabilities they develop often prove to be advantageous. Examples include the development of extraordinary memory skills to compensate for dyslexia, an uncommon self-reliance that results from the loss of a parent, and an entire country that finds inspiration from the survival of continuous bombing attacks.

In the same manner, Gladwell opines that each of our difficulties can be desirable and our giants defeated if we turn them into strengths.

The third part of David and Goliath exposes the limits of strength. Gladwell makes the case that strength can be overused and eventually will result in diminishing returns.

Understanding that strength has its limitations is a key aspect of understanding our challenges. The book uses historic known examples of the limits of strength during the Catholic-Protestant conflict in Northern Ireland and during the civil rights movement in the United States.

Gladwell also compares stories of parents after horrific murders of their children. One parent was able to convince the government that it should prosecute repeat offenders with the full strength of the law, which cost millions of dollars but had an unintended inverse impact on impoverished communities. Conversely, the other parent chose to publicly forgive and became an inspiration to her community by refraining from retribution.

David and Goliath is a compelling collection of stories and analysis that give its readers hope that their giants are not as invincible as they might perceive. The book provides useful context for business leaders engaging in difficult conversations with teams and individual employees facing adversity and will serve as a tool to change a potential negative situation into a positive.

Introduction:

In David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants, Malcolm Gladwell employs a unique writing style to convey his theories. He uses historical figures and events to demonstrate valuable perspectives on important life situations.

Gladwell’s objective is to change the reader’s perspective on challenging situations from negative to positive and give hope by providing compelling case studies that align with the biblical story of the brave shepherd boy, David, in a life or death battle with the apparently superior warrior giant, Goliath.

The book is divided into three distinct and memorable theories – “the advantages of disadvantages,” “desirable difficulties,” and “the limits of power.” Each theory enables the reader to change the situational rules of engagement and achieve improbable victories in life.

The biblical story of David and Goliath is hailed as one of the greatest underdog stories of all time.

The Israelite and Philistine armies were at impasse on opposite sides of a valley with both sides unwilling to attack and risk giving up their strategic position. Goliath, the mightiest warrior in the Philistine army, challenged the Israelites – if any man could defeat him, then the Philistines would become slaves to the Israelites. Conversely, if Goliath won, the Israelites would become slaves to the Philistines.

The fate of an entire nation rested on the shoulders of whomever would face the challenge. David, a faithful shepherd boy delivering food to his older brothers in battle stepped forward to show the power of his God. Rather than accepting the notion that David’s victory was a miracle, Gladwell makes the case that David was not disadvantaged and that Goliath’s strength and approach to the battle were his biggest weaknesses.

Goliath was expecting someone to fight him in close combat with the same weapons.

Gladwell speculates that Goliath wore over one hundred pounds of armor, which limited his movement. David was an experienced projectile warrior, who could accurately sling a stone with the velocity of a modern handgun at 200 yards. Therefore, David’s strength perfectly aligned with Goliath’s weakness.

The story clearly demonstrates the mistake society often makes when perceiving strengths or weaknesses of individuals facing adversity. Each of Gladwell’s three paradoxical theories applies to David’s victory over seemingly impossible odds.

Theory: The Advantages of Disadvantages

Gladwell’s lesson is that we should establish rules of engagement in difficult situations designed to make our weaknesses our strengths. He uses three common people and the story of Lawrence of Arabia who overcame tremendous odds in his battle with the Turks to illustrate the paradox.

First, Gladwell tells the story of Ranadive, an Indian immigrant, who reluctantly agreed to coach his daughter’s middle school basketball team. Having grown up playing cricket and soccer with no experience in basketball would appear to be a disadvantage. However, the inexperience allowed him to approach the game with a fresh set of eyes unencumbered by traditional rules, such as giving up 70% of the court to opponents on their inbound pass.

He challenged the status quo by making conditioning the team’s strength and full court pressing the opposing teams throughout the game. Every practice focused on conditioning so that they could maintain aggressiveness for an entire game. Ranadive’s “disadvantaged” team made it to the state championship.

On the surface, this looks impossible, but when you consider how profoundly Ranadive changed the rules, it makes perfect sense.

Similar to Ranadive, Lawrence of Arabia was not a standard British Army officer. He was an archaeologist who did not speak in technical military terms and had little regard for military traditions.

In 1917, Lawrence led an Arabian revolt against the Turkish army occupying Arabia. He led a task force of nomads, who were not military trained, or battle-tested but were mobile and tough, on a 600-mile march in the heat of summer.

The Turkish forces, with superior numbers, ammunition, and supplies, were caught completely off guard, and their resources became their weakness rendering them immobile and defensive. Lawrence’s nomads had knowledge of the terrain, survival skills, and the courage to make this offensive attack and made the lack of materials their advantage.

This audacious journey allowed them to be unpredictable and efficient, and their disadvantage became their advantage.

The parallels between Ranadive’s and Lawrence’s story are significant. In the same way that Lawrence was not a traditional general, Ranadive was not a traditional basketball coach.

Society has inaccurately generalized that this is a disadvantage.

In both scenarios, this perceived disadvantage is the very factor that allowed them to be successful. With a fresh set of eyes, they were able to think outside of the box, change the rules of engagement, and show the “Goliaths” that they are not as advantaged as they might think.

Full personal commitment and effort, in both cases, proved to be the difference maker.

Theory: The Disadvantages of Advantages

Teresa Debrito, principal of Shepaug Valley Middle School, has a common story that Gladwell uses to prove the converse of the advantage of disadvantages – the disadvantages of perceived advantages.

During Teresa’s career, she had seen her school grow to maximum capacity and then shrink to the point there were barely enough kids to fill a classroom. Common belief is that there is strength in small classes so the ratio of students to teacher is smaller, but studies tell a different story.

Gladwell introduces the concept of the “inverse U-Curve,” which is based on the premise that a single factor can be a strength, but only to a point. Once the curve peaks, the strength begins to diminish and begins to create problems as opposed to solving them.

While Gladwell recognizes that a classroom of 30:1 can provide challenges, the data shows, if the class becomes too small, the “strength” will adversely affect the learning environment. Classrooms need to provide a setting where students feel free to speak and are comfortable with struggling, so if the class is too small, less confident students will feel uncomfortable because they will feel forced to participate.

Smaller classes have also proven to be a more difficult environment to cultivate active discussion.

Diversity of thought is needed in a classroom to contribute to the growth of a student and to create an environment in which students are constantly learning from one another. Teresa Debrito’s school struggled to create this environment needed to enhance the learning of its students because it did not have enough students; thus, the strength became a weakness.

Another example Gladwell uses to prove this point is the experience of an unnamed Hollywood actor, who learned the value of money at a young age because his father grew up in the depression.

As a child, this actor was forced to be creative to make money, so he set up businesses in which he would find work and hire kids in his neighborhood to rake leaves in the fall or shovel snow in the winter.

Through these experiences, he quickly learned the value of hard work, and while he eventually became a successful actor, he always made sure he held onto those values he learned as a child. According to Gladwell, “he was successful because he had learned the long and hard way about the value of money and the meaning of work as well as the joy and fulfillment that comes from making your own way in the world” (pg. 47).

However, money did not solve all his problems.

Society reasons that, with more money, parenting becomes easier because there is not a struggle to provide financially, thus making you a more successful parent.

The actor found that instilling his values into his own children was nearly impossible because there was no need to struggle. Gladwell goes on to explain the difficulty as a parent in telling a child “no” when they ask for something that is not a necessity – like a pony.

Saying “no, we will not” is much harder for a parent than “no, we cannot.”

Similarly, “no, we will not” is difficult for a child to understand when he sees everything the parents are able to afford, which leads to natural feelings of being cheated. Saying “no, we cannot” is much easier for a child to process and leads to healthier motivation.“We cannot” requires an honest conversation about values that needs to be skillfully communicated.

These values are much harder to communicate when the conversation contradicts the life style.

The next story that Gladwell used to further this idea that disadvantages may actually be advantages is the story of Caroline Sacks. Caroline was a very intelligent student and quickly rose to the top of her class in high school.

When touring colleges, she fell in love with The University of Maryland but was admitted to the more prestigious Brown University. She chose Brown over Maryland because society would have her believe that was the right choice, but was it?

Over the course of her first semester, she quickly became aware of how intelligent her peers were and how quickly they mastered the material. She began to feel inadequate. She was a “small fish in a big pond.”

The very thing that made Brown so attractive was contributing to her inadequacy.

She lost confidence in herself and eventually abandoned science, a passion of hers that she had from a very young age, to pursue a less intensive degree in liberal arts. Caroline Sacks experienced “relative deprivation,” which is defined as comparing ourselves to people in the same situation; in other words, the “pond” that we are in is all relative.

When the students around Caroline were succeeding and she was not, her perceived failure was debilitating. If Caroline had chosen the University of Maryland, she believed she would still be pursuing her passion for science because she would have been a “big fish in a little pond.

The likely result is that she would have had more opportunities for success and the confidence to tackle difficult challenges. The prestigious “giant” was not the best choice because the perceived advantage became a disadvantage.

According to Gladwell, the difference between success and failure often is not a matter of intelligence, but rather a problem of confidence.

Gladwell also uses the historical example of the most famous impressionist artists who changed the course of art history because they decided to be a “big fish in a little pond” and consciously decided not to let the world dictate what was acceptable.

In the mid-1800’s, when Paris was at the center of the art world, Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Camille Pissarro were struggling artists.

Artists had one goal in this era – to be accepted into the “Salon”; to be accepted into the Salon was viewed as the pinnacle of an artist’s career. The Salon “accepted” two thousand paintings every year, and when an artist was accepted, the value of his work soared.

Acceptance, though, came at a cost.

To be accepted into the Salon, artists had to conform to the very specific tastes of the judges. The paintings that were accepted were similar in that they were “microscopically accurate” but lacked expression. It was in this environment, that Monet, Renoir, and Pissarro invented an individual style that they called “Impressionism.”

These impressionists “had an entirely different idea about what constituted art… brush strokes visible… figures were indistinct,” leading spectators to view their art as amateurish.

To gain acceptance, artists were forced to create work that they did not find meaningful.

Also, with the number of paintings accepted every year, their art would be lost in the clutter, making it very hard to stand out. They were “small fish in a big pond.” But, the impressionist group had enough introspection to ask themselves whether the prestige of institutions was in their best interest.

They eventually opened their own exhibit that became wildly successful and revolutionized the art world. In so doing, they decided to be “big fish in a little pond,” where they had the freedom and confidence to make art that aligned with their passion. They realized that the costs of being a “little fish” were too great.

The examples of Caroline Sack and the impressionists beautifully illustrate Gladwell’s point.

The Salon and Brown University were more prestigious and, by the world’s standards, were the right option, but upon closer inspection, the Salon and Brown were giants.

Their prestige was limiting, not enabling.

The apparent disadvantage of being an outlier, the University of Maryland and a personal exhibit, is not a disadvantage at all. Monet was able to weigh “prestige against visibility and selectivity against freedom,” which is something that Caroline Sacks was unable to do.

Gladwell makes the case that we need to challenge the programmed definition of what an advantage is or is not and constantly reevaluate the battles between giants and underdogs. Doing so will allow us to find the disadvantages that can be the very advantage that maximizes our opportunities.

Theory: Desirable difficulty

Part Two of David and Goliath explains how difficulties can have desirable outcomes when we adapt new skills to make up for the lost “advantage.”

Gladwell questions what really constitutes a disadvantage and whether it should even be avoided. Throughout the chapter, the author proposes that adversity from a “remote miss” creates better outcomes in the long run.

He makes the case that a disorder, such as dyslexia, forces individuals to adapt, and this adaptation can become an enormous advantage because it equips them with the skills to solve problems and process information differently than someone without a similar adversity.

Gladwell relays the story of David Boeis, who was severely inhibited by dyslexia growing up. He was so bad at reading that he was forced to become a great listener just to keep pace with his classmates.

He developed such great listening abilities that he could recite books from memory and pretend he was reading.

His memory became a formidable asset.

Through his struggle, he learned a skill that eventually led to monumental success as a cross examiner in the court room. Boeis went on to become one of the top litigators in the country because he remembered every detail of every testimony.

He listened to the inflection of the witness’ testimony and would pick up on details and contradictions that a normal lawyer could not. His adapted skill set, which he developed in place of his ability to read, led to his success.

While David Boeis was able to confront his limitations, most people are not able to overcome these disabilities; however, those like Boeis, who are able to overcome the “disadvantage” are better off than they would have been without the struggle.

Gladwell opines that

“what is learned out of necessity is inevitably more powerful than the learning that comes easily.” pg. 113

Dyslexia does not benefit everyone; there are a remarkable number of individuals with dyslexia in prison who were overwhelmed by their failure at mastering the most basic of academic tasks. Yet, this same neurological disorder can have the opposite effect for those that are able to push through.

To further develop his point of desired disadvantages, Gladwell uses another character named Jay Freireich.

Jay was a Hungarian immigrant and the product of a very traumatic childhood.

He lost his dad at a young age to suicide, had an unloving mother, and grew up in abject poverty. However, Jay was gifted academically and eventually became a doctor, but he struggled with interpersonal relationships because he lacked empathy.

A trait attributed to his harsh upbringing. Because Jay had not been shown empathy as a child, he did not know how to express empathy as an adult. However, his harsh upbringing allowed Jay to have the grit and fortitude to focus solely on childhood leukemia.

Jay was quoted saying

“I never sat with a parent and cried about a child dying.”

Most doctors did not last in Jay’s line of work, but because he lacked empathy, combined with an unwavering commitment to his patients, he tried procedures that no one else was willing to try.

Jay’s research was instrumental in bringing about the development of the version of chemotherapy that we know today.

Gladwell concludes that, because of Jay’s adversity, he saved thousands of lives. Jay Freireich’s “remote miss” emboldened him to take actions that no one else would.

Similar to Jay’s individual story, Gladwell draws on the story of 8 million Londoners during World War II, when they lived in fear of Nazi Germany’s daily bombings, which killed 600,000 and wounded 1.2 million.

The Germans’ strategy was to cause mass panic and chaos, but they were wrong about the effect of their bombings because they did not consider the power of near misses. Instead of losing hope, the survivors were encouraged and felt invincible, as if they could survive anything by sheer will.

Londoners were thrown into three categories of people –

• people killed
• near miss and
• remote miss.

Gladwell’s analysis is that the group of people killed were not a factor because the morale of a nation is dictated by the morale of the survivors. While a near miss of the people who experienced the trauma first hand could be debilitating, a remote miss by those who only heard the sirens, saw the planes, and a bomb dropped a block over, had the opposite effect.

Over time, they realized that the only thing to fear was fear itself.

Londoners developed a sense of invincibility through their survival.

Ironically, the Germans’ plan backfired because they did not anticipate the advantage that a remote miss could create. The citizens were not thrown into chaos; rather, they were emboldened with a new-found sense of pride in their country. One event would impact different people based on the degree of trauma.

These difficulties can be profoundly damaging to one group while leaving another better off than before.

Gladwell points to a shocking correlation between extraordinary accomplishments and losing a parent at an early age. The difficulties these children experienced enabled them to accomplish challenges that others were not able to accomplish.

The author concedes that he in no way believes a child should have to lose a parent to be successful, nor does he recommend it, but he makes a case that there is something in the hardship of losing a loved one in formative years that inspires individuals to honor those they lost by having an impact on society.

Gladwell draws the analogy that those who can overcome the loss of a parent can be considered a remote miss. Gladwell sums up his point by stating:

“the existence of these eminent orphans does suggest that, in certain circumstances, a virtue can be made of a necessity.” pg. 143

In the same way that bombing London had the opposite of the intended effect and instead emboldened the Londoners, Jay’s traumatic childhood gave him the fortitude to turn an apparent disadvantage into an advantage.

Fred Shuttlesworth, a key ally of Martin Luther King Jr., is another historical figure that Gladwell uses to expound on his point.

Shuttlesworth led the fight against racism in Birmingham, Alabama before King arrived. On Christmas morning 1956, his house was bombed by the Ku Klux Klan.

Like the Germans, the KKK was trying to intimidate him into submission, but they misunderstood the difference between a near and a remote miss. Shuttlesworth survived and became more emboldened than ever. When police warned him to leave town, Shuttlesworth’s response was:

“Well officer, you are not me, go back and tell your Klan brothers that if the Lord saved me from this, I’m here for the duration. The fight is just beginning.” pg. 150

Similarly, Wyatt Walker served as another one of King’s allies, working behind the scenes and making decisions that no one else would.

King was the overwhelming underdog.

However, he was from a community that has always been an underdog. One that was used to battling Goliaths, like Bull Connor, the racist Birmingham police chief. The African American culture told stories of “trickster heroes,” such as Brer Rabbit, who used his wits to outsmart his larger opponents and escape unfavorable situations.

The civil rights movement needed a national push to have an impact.

The strategy was to find the means to create a crisis to make “racist Alabama” tip their hand. Wyatt’s role was to be Brer Rabbit and create mischief and confrontation, luring Bull Connor into exposing the South’s ugly side to the world.

The plan was to put 1,000 people in jail simultaneously and overcrowd the jail so that the authorities could no longer hide the problem. Wyatt created illusions of mass rallies by strategically holding them at times when they would attract the most spectators who would appear to be “participants.”

With 16 true participants, the papers reported 1,400.

Eventually, Walker began recruiting children of the age of 16 to take part, and he used any resource he could think of to get as many kids out in the streets as possible. Walker knew Connor was itching to use his K-9 corps, and everyone in King’s camp knew what it would look like if someone published a photograph of a police dog lunging at a child.

After a calculated instigation, the famous picture was captured and published on the front page of every newspaper around the country.

Blinded by his perceived advantages, the “giant” Bull Connor was unable to see the true strategy and was not motivated to understand his enemy. The black community was not a trickster by nature but by necessity of their disadvantage.

Understanding their enemy was essential to their survival.

They knew Bull Connor’s hubris and used his force against him.

Learning differences, like dyslexia, can destroy opportunities and create an uneven playing field or they can force people to compensate by developing skills that can prove to be advantageous. Being bombed can be a near miss experience that traumatizes or a remote miss that emboldens. An unsupportive childhood can leave one hopeless or it can create a relentless drive to serve and accomplish.

Gladwell’s last lesson of desirable difficulty is the freedom to change the rules when you have nothing else to lose that only underdogs possess.

According to Gladwell:

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” pg. 117

PART THREE:

Theory: the limits of power..

Gladwell illuminates another paradox of power and strength; when they are overused, they become a weakness. To do this, Gladwell uses the example of the Protestant oppression of Catholics in Northern Ireland.

In the 1970s, every Catholic residing in the neighborhood of Ballymurphy in West Belfast lived in fear of Protestant terrorism. Despite the British Army’sintent to defuse tensions, they made the situation worse because of their predominantly Protestant ties.

Tensions between the two warring factions soared, which led to curfews and the threat that anyone suspected of terroristic activity would be sent to jail or shot.

A report by two prominent economists supported the army’s strategy, which opined that the solution to discourage criminal activity was to raise the punishment to the level in which the cost of the crime was no longer worth committing the crime.

The belief system was to use strength to overpower insurgents until order was created.

When the riots escalated from throwing rocks to gasoline bombs, the British made a critical mistake – they fell into the trap of believing that demonstrating their strength of resources, weapons, soldiers, and experience would discourage the insurgency. However, the insurgency only escalated because the British Army did not understand when law is applied in the absence of legitimacy, it does not produce obedience.

By the mid-1970s, the British instituted internment and suspended civil rights. Every Catholic household in Northern Ireland had been searched twice on average and ten or more times in some neighborhoods.

One in four Catholic men in Northern Ireland between the ages of sixteen and forty-four were arrested at least once. The British army employed an overused strength. Their strength of power and military dominance empowered the insurgents and became a weakness.

At some point, people in this situation are not going to think “rationally.”

The Catholics were so outnumbered and out manned, being arrested or killed became a badge of honor they wore proudly. Gladwell’s point is that, at some point, even the best-intentioned application of power and authority begins to backfire.

Gladwell contrasted Wilma Derksen as a present-day example of a strength being controlled.

A month after Wilma’s daughter was abducted, authorities found her dead in a shed with tied wrists and ankles. After her daughter’s funeral, a man, who lost his own child, shared his destructive experience. He was on medications, lost his wife, and was completely consumed by his distress.

Wilma saw this man as a warning and resolved to avoid living the rest of her life like this man.

The next day, Wilma chose to forgive the murderer at a press conference. Wilma’s Mennonite faith is based on “forgiving your trespassers so that you may be forgiven.”

Wilma chose not to indulge her vengeful desires because she witnessed that it would be all-consuming and cause her to miss important things she had before her. Wilma began seeing the benefits of forgiveness by understanding that strength fueled by vengeance is pointless because it only causes destruction.

Mike Reynold’s daughter was also murdered; but, unlike Wilma, he chose to use the strength of his story to incite change. The perpetrator was a repeat offender on parole. Mike promised his daughter on her death bed that he would never allow something like this to happen again.

Mike believed the penalties for repeat offenders were too low.

In his mind, by increasing the penalty, crime could be deterred. He created the three strikes rule that resulted in 25 years to life after your third offense regardless of crime.

At first, crime rates went down, but then people were being incarcerated 25 years for non-violent crimes. When researchers reviewed the data more closely, they found that the new law was destroying homes in impoverished communities and did nothing to address the real issue behind violent crimes. It was also costing the state government millions of dollars to hold more prisoners for such an extended period.

Moreover, prison actually has an inverse effect on crime because it decreases employment opportunities and increases the financial strain on families. Research showed that if more than two percent of the neighborhood goes to prison in any given neighborhood, the number of people sent to prison compared with the crime rate in that same neighborhood begins to reverse.

Gladwell summed up the contrasting the stories of Wilma and Mike as follows:

“When a man employs the full power of the state in his grief, he ends up plunging his government into a fruitless and costly experiment. A woman who walks away from the promise of power finds the strength to forgiveand saves her friendship , her marriage, and her sanity. The world is turned upside down.” pg.262

When we compare these cases, the limits of strength are illustrated.

More is not always better.

Society would have us believe that the more powerful we are, the stronger we are. This greatest “advantage” only serves to make things worse.

The British created chaos by extreme responses of power and authority designed to restore order. The three strikes law lowered the rate of crime but, paradoxically, increased the number of violent crimes while also costing the state of California millions of dollars.

The limits of power require that those in positions of authority accept that what they thought of as their greatest advantage has real constraints.

Society would have us believe that disadvantages create underdogs, intellectual differences destroy opportunities, and strength has no bounds. Malcolm Gladwell effectively challenges these presumptions by explaining the cost of having an advantage and the freedom that is given in a “disadvantage.”

Underdogs can change the rules of engagement to fit their terms and catch “giants” off guard.

Gladwell uses history to defy the presumption that intellectual differences end with hardships. He adds that the adaptations in place of inadequacies can serve as advantageous benefits when opportunities present themselves. Gladwell also communicates that strengths have limits and, when overused, will turn into a disadvantage.

While David and Goliath is more about inaccurate societal beliefs and personal behaviors and less about business strategy, it provides valuable insights to some of the patterns of the human experience that underly their success, both as individuals and as groups.

The book is an important tool for business leaders to engage their clients and employees in difficult conversations about their beliefs as well as how to channel negatives into positives and to avoid the temptation of overusing their strengths, and, thus, creating a weakness.

Britt always taught us Titans that Wisdom is Cheap , and principal can find treasure troves of the good stuff in books. We hope only will also express their thanks to the Titans if the book review brought wisdom into their lives.

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Book review: malcolm gladwell's david and goliath.

The range of stories Gladwell presents is quite impressive. From the opening biblical story to a discussion of the number of students in a school classroom, the impact of dyslexia, the curing of leukemia, the battle for Civil Rights, French revolutionaries during World War II, etc… One has to wonder: where does Gladwell find these stories?

The simple answer can be found in the end notes (which I encourage people to read).  Gladwell primarily employs stories previously told in academic journals and academic books.  For example, nearly a dozen different academic sources are employed to tell the story of David and Goliath.

Of course, someone could just go read the original academic sources.  But I suspect there is a problem with that approach.

To illustrate, let me repeat something that Alfred Marshall , the father of microeconomics, wrote in a 1906 letter to A.L. Bowley . [1]  Marshall’s letter serves as a famous comment on the role that abstract math plays in academic research:

Step One: Use mathematics as a shorthand language, rather than as an engine of inquiry. Step Two: Keep to them until you have done. Step Three: Translate into English Step Four: Then illustrate by examples that are important in real life. Step Five: Burn the mathematics. Step Six: If you can’t succeed in (4), burn (3). This last I did often.

The point Marshall is making in this letter is simple: academic research should be connected to “real life.” But unfortunately, I don’t think Marshall’s advice is often followed. Abstract reasoning in academia – reasoning that is only accessible to other academics (and often, not many of those) – is prized. Actually connecting what is being said to real life is not considered very important.  As a consequence, much of what is said by academics is not read by many people (the inside joke is that the average number of readers of an academic article is essentially one).

So the stories that academics tell just remain in journals that few people ever see.  Consequently, it seems there is a clear market opportunity for people who have some ability to write.  Specifically, Gladwell’s success telling these stories suggests other writers could follow his lead.  Yes, it is possible that the writing skills of Gladwell are quite rare (he is quite good). But the ability to take the first step (i.e. read the stories) should not be that rare.

Of course, there are a few steps after the visit to your local university library.  Gladwell clearly interviews the researchers. He also makes a clear effort to “illustrate what they are saying with examples that are important in real life.”  And finally, he makes an effort to show how a collection of different stories really have a clear connection.   So what Gladwell does goes beyond just being a “good writer.”

I believe there are more than 600 academic journals just in economics.  That is a huge number of potential stories just in the economics field.  All one has to do is start reading!

[1] This was noted in Harry Landreth and David Colander . History of Economic Thought, 3 rd Edition . Houghton Mifflin Company. 1994.

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David and Goliath – More than just another underdog victory

David and Goliath. We’ve all heard the story. A ‘little guy’ besting what looks like a vastly superior opponent in a seemingly unwinnable single combat. A story that has today become a short description for any kind of a mismatched contest. The underdog story we all love (and at some point even dreamed of living), where ‘the little guy’ overcomes all odds to beat superior opponents. Case-in-point: Leicester City’s Premier League win in 2016.

Before getting into the narrative of ‘the little guy’, we correct a common misconception. That David and Goliath is a story where David overcomes the physically superior Goliath, with just his courage and faith. Malcolm Gladwell points out why this is a flawed narrative. For what looked like Goliath’s strength was in fact his weakness. Standing over two meters tall, Goliath’s enormous physical structure made him slow. It’s also possible that he suffered from double vision caused by excess growth hormones. If Goliath got his hands on David, he would no doubt come out victorious. But that’s where David wins this battle. His weapon of choice wasn’t a heavy spear, but a sling. Which meant he could fight Goliath from a distance. In essence David overcame Goliath by fighting on his own terms. That is the theme of ‘David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits and the Art of Battling Giants’.

What does it take for an underdog to best a superior opponent? Why do some underdogs succeed where so many others fail? Is it just luck, or something more?

Gladwell talks through the dynamics that he believes shape the balance in a stand-off between the small and the mighty. How does ‘the little guy’ or someone with obvious limitations become a world-beater?  A traumatic childhood for instance, a physical disability or the inability to go to a good school, look like massive disadvantages. And for good reason. But through real-life stories, Gladwell talks about the advantages that can be hidden within these disadvantages. He also talks about how privileges, while desirable – can in fact bring with them a set of disadvantages, sometimes forcing a ‘Goliath’ into a mistake that a ‘David’ wouldn’t.

But the success of a David depends not on the mistake of a Goliath, but on his own ability to find and make the most of his hidden strengths. On playing to these strengths and reacting to difficult situations in a manner that lets you make the most of it. Just like David, who fought Goliath on his terms, on his field, playing to his strengths, completely neutralising feared Goliath. It is the realisation that success isn’t solely the result of some great inherent advantage. How else would one explain why so many entrepreneurs are dyslexic?

Key takeaways from Malcolm Gladwell’s David and Goliath

• Why does David beat Goliath? One of the first things Malcolm Gladwell does is make the case that, contrary to popular belief, Goliath couldn’t have possibly been the favourite to beat David. Goliath’s huge physical structure meant he was strong, but slow. It also made him an easy target. And possibly weak-sighted. Combined with David’s strength and accuracy with his sling meant that as long he didn’t come into Goliath’s hands, he could deliver a fatal blow from a distance. David did not beat Goliath simply because he was brave or because of an exaggerated belief in his own abilities as a warrior. But because he knew exactly what he was doing to level the playing field. And in fact tilt it in his favour.
• Understand the rules of the game. Then play by your own rules. While most choose to believe that David beat Goliath despite the difference in their physical attributes, the reality is that that David actually beat Goliath because of this difference. While Goliath waited for David with a spear and shield in hand, David had no intention of going anywhere close to his enormous opponent. Knowing that because of his enormous size, Goliath would find it difficult to come close in on him. Instead, he chose to fight from a distance, using his sling to absolute perfection. While the rest of the soldiers simply assumed a single combat meant two warriors beating each other in close quarters, David changed the playing field to his advantage. In a manner of speaking, David played his own game, not Goliath’s.
• Know yourself On learning the details of David and Goliath’s story, it’s easy to credit David’s victory to Goliath’s weaknesses that we seemed to have missed before. But no amount of weakness would help David unless he knew his own strengths. And how to use these strengths to exploit his opponent’s vulnerabilities.
• The idea of ‘Desirable Difficulty’ When it comes to completing tasks, conventional theory would have us believe that the simpler the task, the easier it would be to accomplish it. But that isn’t always the case. There are in fact times when a certain level of difficulty can help, simply by demanding more focus. Because it demands a desirable amount of effort on our part, thereby improving performance. While this is largely studied with respect to tasks related to learning and academics, it’s not too difficult to imagine the effect a desirable level of difficulty in other areas like as well, like business and sports
• Small fish in a big pond v/s Big fish in a small pond A question many of us face today. Is it better to be a small fish in a big pond? Or a big fish in a small pond? The answer isn’t always a straightforward one, especially when each of us carries a different perspective towards this subject. Gladwell however believes that starting as a big fish in a small pond gives you the confidence to take on the fishes of a bigger pond later on in life. While this is debatable , Gladwell, does bring out some fascinating stories that form the bases for this suggestion. Even if it is one that will be highly contested in today’s competitive world.
• Is it just David? Or something more. One of the important elements to remember from David and Goliath’s story is how David actually beat Goliath. It was with his sling. A weapon of his choice. And that raises a question. Could anyone else with a sling have beaten Goliath? In hindsight, one can claim that anyone from the Israeli army trained in using a sling could have beaten Goliath. But David was the only one in the entire army who saw the opportunity to do it. Perhaps the bigger lesson in this story is not just for Davids to understand and use their strengths. But for both, the Davids and Goliaths to choose their weapons or tools with care.

David and Goliath: A book of facts that shadow certain flaws.

While Gladwell’s claims are based on true stories of individuals, they are a small subset of a larger population. Where these individuals seem to be the embodiment of the expression ‘Live to fight another day’ more than anything else. One can argue that ‘living to fight another day’ on a consistent basis is perhaps the road victory for the Davids of the world. Until a realisation sets in. While David beat Goliath and lived to fight another day, there were also many others who didn’t. Possibly even slingers. That is a parallel that this book seems to miss out. For instance, there are dyslexic individuals who grew up to be extra-ordinary entrepreneurs, like Richard Branson. And while inspiring, for each dyslexic who became a success, there are countless others who still endure difficult lives. You get a feeling that Gladwell takes a handful of cases to generalise a larger crowd.

The last word

Although Gladwell’s theories at times seem a little over-the-top, you can’t help but see the simplicity behind their very real stories. Nor can you deny that a lot of what Gladwell says is what we would in hindsight consider, ‘common sense’. Backed by facts. But in hindsight, so do many other aspects. While this might sound like a book for the ‘underdogs’, it is in fact a revealing read for both, the ‘Davids’ as well as the ‘Goliaths’ of the world. ‘David & Goliath’ is after all a story that we all continue to witness, and be a part of, every day. And it would be worth our time to know the driving forces behind these stories, and the lives that live them.

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Ronak Shetty

2 thoughts on “ david and goliath – more than just another underdog victory ”.

Very well written

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Gladwell Is Goliath

Do puny readers stand a chance against his latest book.

Photo by Bill Wadman

Two years ago on public radio, Malcolm Gladwell made a startling confession. “ I never, ever cheer for the underdog ,” he told the hosts of WNYC’s Radiolab . That’s a little strange: Studies show that four in five adults root for David types when they’re up against Goliaths, and the rule applies to nearly every domain of our experience—sports, politics, business, dating, even the visual arts . But Gladwell being Gladwell, he goes against the grain; he pulls for power and success. “I’m distressed by the injustice of the person who should win not winning,” he explained. “There’s a very unflattering interpretation of this, and that is that on some deep level I think of myself as a favorite, not an underdog.”

Well, sure, and not just on some deep level; Gladwell is a favorite on the surface, too. He’s a giant in the world of publishing and a conqueror of conferences. His latest book, David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants , will slaughter its puny competitors no matter what the critics say. Gladwell can’t be stopped by slinging stones. He’s the occupying force of big ideas. He’s the New York Yankees of nonfiction. The bruising, brilliant genre he created—smarty-pants self-help—has a way of turning even its most thoughtful would-be critics into underdogs. Do you dare to challenge Gladwell’s nifty rules of thumb? Have you any doubts about his anecdotes? Then best of luck to you, my friend. You’re wrestling a titan.

Or are you? “Giants are not what we think they are,” says Gladwell in the introduction to David and Goliath . The book goes on to argue that people misinterpret contests between the strong and weak by making two mistakes of judgment. First, we forget that being an underdog changes people for the better, and teaches them to win by other, sneaky means. (David slew Goliath because he knew how to use a sling, and could attack the giant from long range.) Second, we ignore the fact that power has its burdens, and what might look to be a clear advantage often hides a hidden set of flaws. (Goliath lost his fight with David because the disease that made him huge impaired his vision and mobility.) Being weak can make you strong, and vice-versa.

That’s a bit confusing when you think back to Gladwell’s last book, Outliers , which suggested just the opposite. There, he explained the principle of “cumulative advantage,” which says that strength breeds further strength, and weakness further weakness. The biggest kid on a sports team gets the most coaching and practice, and so he ends up the better player. The genius who grows up in a wealthy neighborhood ends up a brilliant scientist, while the isolated genius finds himself running a horse farm . Goliaths get bigger and more Goliath-y while Davids shrink and wither. But in David and Goliath , the rules have been reversed: Now we’re told that growing up in dire straits can make you more successful, by gracing you with underdoggish wit and grit.

So which is it: Do the poor get poorer ( Outliers ), or does being poor make them rich ( David and Goliath )? It’s both. Gladwell gives us David Boies and Gary Cohn, the famous trial lawyer and the president of Goldman Sachs, as examples of people who struggled with dyslexia as children but went on to achieve a kind of greatness. Then he concedes that many prison inmates are dyslexic, too. The same mix of good and bad applies to losing parents. For some children, this tragedy will inspire a luminous career in cancer medicine—that’s another example in the book—but it also increases a child’s chances of delinquency and depression. At times our lives are governed by what Gladwell calls the “Theory of Desirable Difficulty,” where struggle makes us stronger, and at other times we’re subject to the principle of cumulative advantage. “If you take away a mother or a father,” he writes, “you cause suffering and despair. But one time in ten, out of that despair rises an indomitable force.”

The notion that a rule holds true except for when it doesn’t runs through David and Goliath , and insulates its arguments from deep interrogation. Is it really advantageous to have severe dyslexia? Yes, and certainly not. Are children better off without their parents? Don’t be silly, but it could be so. These non-answers rub the dazzle from Gladwell’s clever thesis statements, until they all begin to look like dullish intuition. We don’t need another book to tell us that adversity can lead to greatness (see: memoirs by CEOs, episodes of The Moth , every college essay ever written), just as we don’t need another book to say that adversity really, really sucks (see: the world outside your window). But couched in the golden armor of anecdote, Gladwell’s overgrown ideas seem powerful and new.

It’s impossible to read David and Goliath with the care and skepticism it deserves, since the subject matter ranges so outrageously from one page to the next. That’s what makes Gladwell’s readers into underdogs: In nine chapters, his book delves into the fields of sports, oncology, education, psychology, military history, law, finance, civil rights, fine arts, and criminal justice. It draws case studies from the London Blitz, the civil rights protests in Birmingham, the Troubles in Northern Ireland, and resistance to the Nazis in southern France. Also, there’s a girls’ basketball team in California, and a family of Mennonites. How can anyone keep pace with Gladwell’s superhuman breadth of knowledge and ambition? We’re doomed to glimpse the world the way he does, through the eyes of a giant.

From this towering perspective, though, the details look a little fuzzy. A closer read of his examples finds signs of hidden weakness, and a dash of imprecision. Start with the girls from California: Chapter 1 tells the story of a Redwood City team of seventh- and eight-graders who make it to the national championships in their National Junior Basketball league. That’s despite their lack of height and talent, and the fact that they have a coach—in software entrepreneur Vivek Ranadivé —who was born in Mumbai and has never played the game himself. Gladwell argues that the “little blond girls” from Redwood City achieved their enormous success because they chose to use a full-court press . That’s a strategy in basketball that favors effort over skill: It forces your opponent into making a mistake.

In Gladwell’s view, Coach Ranadivé was able to employ his amazing strategy because he came from outside the system. If he and his girls had had more talent and experience, they would have played in the same style as every other team, and had a losing season. But unfamiliarity with the game gave them “the audacity to play that way,” he says, and an underdog’s desperation inspired them to practice more intensely. “The whole Redwood City philosophy was based on a willingness to try harder than anyone else,” and it seemed to work: The team lost only a “few games” in that whole magical season, and made it to the third round of the nationals. Gladwell summarized the story’s lesson on his blog in 2009, shortly after a version of the story appeared in the New Yorker : “Insurgent strategies (substituting effort for ability and challenging conventions) represent one of David’s only chances of competing successfully against Goliath, so it’s surprising that more underdogs don’t use them.”

But certain aspects of the story push back against its central thrust. First, Ranadivé is less of an outsider than he appears to be. Gladwell describes the coach as “a foreigner new to the game” who was helping the girls “in a sport he knew nothing about.” But Ranadivé is so ambitious, and so invested in the sport of basketball, that he brought expert help to Redwood City, including several former pro athletes. The Silicon Valley area from which the team was drawn includes lots of wealthy families, so the girls also had the benefit of high-quality training facilities and dedicated parents. (Redwood City has excelled at NJB for many years.) The “nationals” are not, in fact, a national tournament, as the league comprises mostly teams from California. And when I reached out to other coaches in the same division, they told me that the full-court press is a common strategy, no matter if the girls are underdogs or favorites. One guessed that 90 percent of the coaches make use of it, and some do so for the whole game, like Ranadivé did.

These are minor points, but they suggest the story’s been massaged to emphasize its impact. What about the bigger message, though? Gladwell claims that underdogs have the hidden strength of added effort, and presents the Redwood City girls as proof. But scientists have come to different conclusions. For one experiment (which I described in Slate in 2010), researchers at Ohio State University and Cornell University tested undergrads on a thinking task: How many different uses could they come up with for a knife? When the kids were told their scores would be compared with those from students at a less prestigious school, they tried extra-hard and their scores improved. When they thought they were going up against a better school, however, they didn’t do as well. Being an underdog didn’t lead these kids to make a greater effort; it sapped their motivation. Other studies have come to similar results .

Yet the fantasy that underdogs push themselves to great achievement persists among observers. At the University of South Florida, Joseph Vandello showed students footage from a closely contested basketball game, and told them that one team had been a heavy favorite to win. Then he asked his subjects to describe the players on each team according to their demonstrated effort and ability. They said the underdogs showed more “heart” and “hustle” than their opponents. Those judgments had little to do with what the players really did, however. It didn’t matter if they played aggressive defense or dived out of bounds for balls—Vandello could show the same video clip with the underdog and favorite labels flipped, and the students would attribute “heart” and “hustle” to the other team. Underdogs don’t try harder than anybody else, but we often think they do.

In part because of the qualities we (wrongly) attribute to them, people tend to overestimate David’s chances. A well-known inefficiency in gambling , first identified in 1949 and known as the “ favorite-longshot bias ,” derives from the fact that bettors often place too much faith in underdogs like Redwood City, and not enough in their opponents. And why not? We remember unexpected victories, and forget about the rest. David wins in films and books and epic poems, too. But Gladwell doesn’t think like the rest of us: Remember, he’s a giant, not a shepherd. “We think of underdog victories as improbable events … [but] they aren’t at all. Underdogs win all the time. Why, then, are we so shocked every time a David beats a Goliath?” he asks, as if any normal reader would share his disbelief. “Why do we automatically assume that someone who is smaller or poorer or less skilled is necessarily at a disadvantage?” The premise makes no sense. It’s like he’s on a visit from a far-off place where everyone’s a Yankee fan and dyslexic poobahs power-lunch.

In Chapter 3, the book looks at what Gladwell calls the “ Big Fish-Little Pond Effect .” Here he profiles a young woman called Caroline who planned to study bugs and fish at Brown University. Though she excelled in high school, getting an A in every class and a 5 on every AP exam, at Brown she struggled to keep up. Faced with stiffer competition than she’d ever seen before, Caroline washed out of majoring in science. If she’d gone to a lesser school, says Gladwell, where she would have been a stronger student than her peers, she might have ended up an ichthyologist. David and Goliath contrasts her fate with that of the Impressionists, who made the choice to boycott the Paris Salon art competition. If they’d put up their work against the great classical painters of the day—the Ivy Leaguers of 19 th -century peinture —they might have languished in obscurity. They’d have gotten lost in a pond that was much too big. Instead they chose to mount their own, tiny exhibition where they could excel.

If I had a kid of college age, I might take the book’s advice, and suggest she skip the schools for which she’s only barely qualified. But thinking back to Chapter 1, the logic starts to blur. Shouldn’t Caroline have been an underdog at Brown, like the girls of Redwood City? If so, what happened to her hidden advantages—the ones that should have helped her to full-court-press her way to victory in class? And if she’d gone to Maryland instead, wouldn’t she have fallen victim to the state-school Davids who didn’t share her high school pedigree? What happens when the Big Fish-Little Pond Effect runs headlong into the Theory of Desirable Difficulty? It depends on the context, Gladwell says: “Not all difficulties have a silver lining, of course.” (Of course!)

It’s often been observed that Gladwell dresses up the obvious to make it seem remarkable. That’s a classic top-dog move, to blast away a straw man with the blunderbuss of common sense, then claim to be a marksman. Why change a winning strategy? David and Goliath came out Oct. 1; it’s already the fourth-best-selling book on Amazon. This drubbing of the competition may disappoint those of us—the four in five adults—who tend to pull for underdogs, but that’s the hidden lesson of the book: It doesn’t matter if we cheer or hiss. The giant marches on.

David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants by Malcolm Gladwell. Little, Brown.

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Book Review – David and Goliath, by Malcolm Gladwell

Malcolm Gladwell’s ‘David and Goliath’ is about how people face giants, whether they’re powerful opponents or forces outside our control. Opening with the legend of David and Goliath, Gladwell uses several real-life stories to illustrate his points. The stories chosen, with Gladwell’s commentary, draw out the key points in an easy to understand manner. However, Gladwell avoids presenting counter points that illustrate where the ideas he presents fail. While this shouldn’t detract from the validity of the points presented, it is important to take those same points with a grain of salt; they may not apply to every circumstance. ‘David and Goliath’ highlighted some useful and practically applicable concepts. As I was reading through it, I was often side-tracked with how these ideas fit into the real world and could be used.

The first section of the book is ‘The Advantages of Disadvantages (and the Disadvantages of Advantages)’. The key points are the power of the underdog to change the rules of the game (the underdog’s restricted resources and freedom of action can lead to strategies that avoid the greater power’s strengths), the prevalence of the inverted-U chart (a graphical representation in favor of moderation to mitigate the problem of too much of a good thing), and the role of comparison and relative deprivation in how we perceive ourselves and the world (perception is frequently based on comparison to available information around us). This section can help us to explore strategic problems by understanding the game the opposition is playing, the game we are playing, and whether these two games are the same and if they should be the same. The inverted-U applies to many areas of life, such as diet and exercise, work-life balance, resource allocation, and many more. Additionally, it can help us to perceive how others may view their own situations in comparison to our own and vice versa. This, ideally, leads to better thinking, and better strategies.

The second section is ‘The Theory of Desirable Difficulty’. It focuses on how adversity can lead to improvement and growth. One example is capitalisation versus compensation learning, which is building on existing strengths versus developing alternative skills to compensate for a deficiency. An associated element of desirable difficulty is that it can force us to slow down the process, leading for more deliberate practice and better learning. Another concept from this section is that of near and remote misses. This explores the impact of proximity to disaster and tragedy on performance. This concept highlights the relationship between our fear of an event and our actual response to that event, and the impact of the contrast in this relationship. The final point of this chapter is the freedom to break the rules that is provided by being in a position with nothing left to lose. Linked into this, is the importance of deception and perception control in the success of any campaign, but that it can often result from necessity rather than strength. The second section can be applied to learning, training and education, by using desirable difficulty to optimise learning and through utilising the concept of remote misses to inculcate resilience through controlled exposure. This section can also be applied beyond learning, such as applying the idea of compensation versus capitalisation learning procurement strategies; are the capabilities we’re procuring building on a strength or are they compensating for a weakness in another area.

The third section explores the limits of power and authority, specifically the role of legitimacy in exercising authority. Gladwell argues there are three elements to legitimate power: providing a voice to the subjects of authority, being predictable, and being fair. This point also relates to the second chapter of this section which highlights the limits of disciplinary actions; make punishments too extreme and people may stop caring about the punishment. The second chapter of this section also examines how people react to events and the choices that are faced. The final chapter points out how previous adversities can lead to unexpected strengths. I personally found this section the weakest of the three when I initially read it. However, it still has applications for understanding the relationship between authority, legitimacy, and adversity, particularly in light of the current crisis. Many of the concepts from this chapter can be applied to how authorities respond to crises, enforce their decisions, and how the choices made today may lead to unexpected results.

Overall, Malcolm Gladwell’s ‘David and Goliath’ was an enjoyable read that had some practical concepts in it. While he doesn’t comment on the limits and misapplications of these concepts, they are nonetheless valuable mental models that deserve thought. The book is probably more useful to those beginning their journey but may still have value to the more experienced by clearly stating some of the concepts they may have come across.

David and Goliath

Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants

Malcolm Gladwell | 4.12 | 148,211 ratings and reviews

Ranked #15 in Social Psychology , Ranked #16 in Analysis — see more rankings .

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Andrew Chen General Partner/Andreessen Horowitz Recommends this book

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Cat Williams-Treloar The books that I've talked the most about with friends and colleagues over the years are the Malcolm Gladwell series of novels. Glorious stories that mix science, behaviours and insight. You can't go wrong with the "The Tipping Point", "Outliers", "Blink" or "David & Goliath". (Source)

Catalina Penciu Business-wise, my goal for this year is to improve my collection and my mindset, but my favorite so far has been David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell. (Source)

Robert Katai Buy Malcolm Gladwell’s book “David and Goliath” and read the interesting stories about how the Davids of that moments have defeated the Goliaths. (Source)

Scott Keyes Other than How To Win Friends And Influence People and Daily Rituals (for the reasons outlined above), I would recommend reading both Malcolm Gladwell’s collection, everything from Tipping Point to David & Goliath, and Michael Lewis’ as well, from Moneyball to The Blind Side. Irrespective of content, both are wonderful writers who use stories in effortless, compelling ways to make larger points. It’s something that can and should be emulated by everyone, not just writers. (Source)

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Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants

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• Social Psychology
• "Truly intriguing and inspiring, especially when Gladwell discusses 'desirable difficulties'....Gladwell's account of the journey of Dr. Emil 'Jay' Freireich is unforgettable." ---Hector Tobar, Los Angeles Times
• "Provocative.... David and Goliath is a lean, consuming read....The book's most crafty, engaging chapter ties together the Impressionist movement and college choices to highlight the fact that gaining admission to elite institutions, which we typically perceive as an advantage, is no guarantee of success." ---John Wilwol, San Francisco Chronicle
• "As always, Gladwell's sweep is breathtaking and thought-provoking....I've long admired Gladwell's work." ---Joe Nocera, New York Times
• " David and Goliath readers will travel with colorful characters who overcame great difficulties and learn fascinating facts about the Battle of Britain, cancer medicine and the struggle for civil rights, to name just a few topics upon which Mr. Gladwell's wide-ranging narrative touches. This is an entertaining book." ---Christopher F. Chabris, Wall Street Journal
• "Fascinating....Gladwell is a master of synthesis. This perennially bestselling author prides himself on radical re-thinking and urges the rest of us to follow suit." ---Heller McAlpin, Washington Post
• "What propels the book, like all of Gladwell's writing, is his intoxicating brand of storytelling. He is the master of mixing familiar elements with surprise counter-intuitions, and then seasoning with a sprinkling of scientific evidence....Gladwell is a master craftsman, an outlier amongst authors." ---Rob Brooks, Huffington Post
• "Gladwell sells books by the millions because he is masterful at explaining how the world works---the power of critical mass, the arbitrariness of success, etc.---packaging his ideas in fun, accessible, and poignant vignettes." ---Lionel Beehner, USA Today
• "Gladwell's most provocative book yet. David and Goliath challenges how we think about obstacles and disadvantages, drawing upon history, psychology, and powerful narrative talent to rethink how we view the world around us and how to deal with the challenges life throws at us." ---Susanne Jaffe, Columbus Dispatch
• "The bestselling author behind the inventive Outliers , Blink , and The Tipping Point is back with another thought provoking theory that fascinates, entertains, and informs. He gives underdogs their due this time, challenging everything readers believe about facing-and conquering-life's stumbling blocks, using the 'real' story of David and Goliath and more to make his point." ---Celeste Williams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
• "Gladwell has made a career out of questioning conventional wisdom, and here he examines the allegedly unlikely triumph of the weak over the mighty and shows it's not so unlikely after all. 4 stars." ---Judith Newman, People Magazine
• "The 50-year-old Canadian is a superstar, the most popular staff writer on The New Yorker and a hero in the frequent-flier lounge where journalism, social science, business management, and self-help hang out....It's a good story and he's got plenty more." ---Jeff Baker, The Oregonian
• "Pop culture pundit Malcolm Gladwell is an idea blender, mixing concepts from vastly different sources (everything from business to science to the Bible) to produce new ways of seeing the world." ---Barbara O'Dair, Reader's Digest
• "Engrossing.... Gladwell's singular gift is animating the experience of his subjects. He has an uncanny ability to simplify without being simplistic: clean and vivid Strunk and White prose in the service of peerless storytelling." ---David Takami, Seattle Times
• "Contemporary society can't escape history when Malcolm Gladwell explains the world as he does with David and Goliath ."---Jane Henderson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
• "In David and Goliath , Malcolm Gladwell explores the dynamics that inform and effect our everyday lives. By analyzing the Biblical account of the clash between David and Goliath, Gladwell presents a bold new interpretation of the lessons we should apply from it." --- Today Show

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Meet Expert Speaker: Malcolm Gladwell

Staff writer for The New Yorker

Malcolm Gladwell is the author of six New York Times bestsellers — The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, What the Dog Saw, David and Goliath, and Talking to Strangers. He has been named one of the 100 most influential people by TIME magazine and one of the Foreign Policy’s Top Global Thinkers.

Gladwell’s newest book is actually an audiobook titled Miracle and Wonder: Conversations with Paul Simon . Published by Pushkin Industries, Malcolm and co-author, Bruce Headlam, recorded over 30 hours of conversation with Simon. The result is an intimate audio biography of one of America’s most popular songwriters. Brimming with music and conversation, Miracle and Wonder is a window into Simon’s legendary career, what it means to be alive as an artist, and how to create work that endures.

His book, The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War , was inspired by the four- part series about General Curtis LeMay on his podcast “Revision - ist History”. In it Gladwell weaves together the stories of a Dutch genius and his homemade computer, a band of brothers in central Alabama, a British psychopath, and pyromaniacal chemists at Harvard to examine one of the greatest moral challenges in mod- ern American history.

He has explored how ideas spread in The Tipping Point , decision making in Blink , and the roots of success in Outliers. With his latest book, David and Goliath , he examines our understanding of advantages of disadvantages, arguing that we have underes- timated the value of adversity and over-estimated the value of privilege.

Malcolm is the host of a 10-part podcast, Revisionist History. In the weekly podcast, Malcolm re-examines an overlooked or mis - understood aspect of past events.

He has been a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1996. He has won a national magazine award and been honored by the Ameri- can Psychological Society and the American Sociological Society. He was previously a reporter for The Washington Post .

Malcolm is an extraordinary speaker: always on target, aware of the context and the concerns of the audience, informative and practical, poised, eloquent and warm and funny. He has an unsur - passed ability to be both entertaining and challenging.

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David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants: Library Edition Preloaded Digital Audio Player – Unabridged, January 1, 2014

• Language English
• Publisher Hachette Audio
• Publication date January 1, 2014
• Dimensions 5.5 x 1.25 x 7.5 inches
• ISBN-10 1478952725
• ISBN-13 978-1478952725
• See all details

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Hachette Audio; Unabridged edition (January 1, 2014)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1478952725
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1478952725
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 4.8 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.25 x 7.5 inches

About the author

Malcolm gladwell.

Malcolm Gladwell has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1996. He is the author of The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, and What the Dog Saw. Prior to joining The New Yorker, he was a reporter at the Washington Post. Gladwell was born in England and grew up in rural Ontario. He now lives in New York.

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Customers find the book compelling, easy to read, and intriguing. They also appreciate the author's great voice and interesting points. Readers also mention that the book makes some interesting stories and has a high resiliency emotional personality.

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Customers find the book compelling, entertaining, and easy to read. They also appreciate the beautiful and heartwarming story, and the author's messaging.

"...Gladwell wraps up the book with the beautiful and heartwarming story of Andre' Trocme' and the village of Le Chambon in France that protected Jews..." Read more

"...This book: 45 bullet points, all worthy of long paragraphs . It’s pure torture knowing I can’t mention most of them...." Read more

"Gladwell! Easy to read , keeps moving, intriguing. Have read three of Gladwell’s books so far." Read more

"...David and Goliath is written in Gladwell's easy-to-read style with interwoven stories that keep you from putting the book down until you are finished..." Read more

Customers find the book's content interesting, saying it combines the author's art of story-telling with analytical prowess. They also say there is wisdom, a wealth of studies are cited, fantastic examples, and psychological factors are well-presented. Customers also say the book offers a differing point of view on some topics and motivation is good. They say the argument is well explained and laid out logically.

"...a special brand of stubbornness coupled with a highly developed ability to deal with failure , and the tendency to not care a damn for the approval..." Read more

"...while a Canadian couple—Mennonites—forgive and move on; “a very practical strategy based on the belief that there are profound limits to what the..." Read more

"Gladwell! Easy to read, keeps moving, intriguing . Have read three of Gladwell’s books so far." Read more

"...A wealth of studies are cited , skewering common beliefs left and right. Perhaps small class sizes don't always lead to optimal student achievement...." Read more

Customers find the narrative flow of the book confusing and repetitive. They also say the stories are not as impressive as expected, the conclusion seems empty, and the supporting anecdotes are weaker than some of his previous works. Readers also mention that the beginning of the story is confusing and difficult to stay interested in. They say the book is not the author's strongest work and that he seems to lose momentum.

"...Right now, the book is a loose collection of anecdotes , which take huge leaps of logic, offer scanty evidence, and contains contradictions that..." Read more

"...that the book was less about battling giants and more a hodge-podge of diverse stories centered around a concocted theme in order for Gladwell to..." Read more

"...As the book continues on, the stories are less exceptional , and the premise less exciting.For me, the book failed on three counts:..." Read more

"...The first section was excellent and up to this point I really followed with Gladwell...." Read more

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• Thursday, October 3

Malcolm Gladwell: Revenge Of The Tipping Point (Moderator TBD)

Thursday, October 3, 2024 7pm

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About this Event

730 21st Street NW, Washington DC 20052

An evening in conversation with Malcolm Gladwell.

Twenty-five years after the publication of his groundbreaking first book, Malcolm Gladwell returns with a brand-new volume that reframes the lessons of  The Tipping Point  in a startling and revealing light. Why is Miami…Miami? What does the heartbreaking fate of the cheetah tell us about the way we raise our children? Why do Ivy League schools care so much about sports? What is the Magic Third, and what does it mean for racial harmony? In this provocative new work, Malcolm Gladwell returns for the first time in twenty-five years to the subject of social epidemics and tipping points, this time with the aim of explaining the dark side of contagious phenomena.   Through a series of riveting stories, Gladwell traces the rise of a new and troubling form of social engineering. He takes us to the streets of Los Angeles to meet the world’s most successful bank robbers, rediscovers a forgotten television show from the 1970s that changed the world, visits the site of a historic experiment on a tiny cul-de-sac in northern California, and offers an alternate history of two of the biggest epidemics of our day: COVID and the opioid crisis.  Revenge of the Tipping Point  is Gladwell’s most personal book yet. With his characteristic mix of storytelling and social science, he offers a guide to making sense of the contagions of modern world. It’s time we took tipping points seriously.

Malcolm Gladwell  is the author of seven  New York Times  bestsellers:  The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, What the Dog Saw, David and Goliath, Talking to Strangers,  and  The Bomber Mafia . He is also the cofounder of Pushkin Industries, an audio-content company that produces  Revisionist History,  among other podcasts and audiobooks. He was born in England, raised in Canada, and lives outside New York with his family and a cat named Biggie Smalls.

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Unveiling The Life And Partnership Of Malcolm Gladwell

• 02 Aug 2024
• Stardompulse7

Malcolm Gladwell is a name that resonates with many, not just for his profound insights into human behavior and social psychology, but also for his intriguing personal life. Often recognized as one of the most influential thinkers of our time, Gladwell's journey is as captivating as the theories he propounds. However, behind every successful individual lies a partner who plays a significant role in their life story. In this article, we delve into the world of Malcolm Gladwell and explore the identity and influence of his partner.

Born on September 3, 1963, in Fareham, England, and raised in Ontario, Canada, Malcolm Gladwell's path to becoming a best-selling author and public speaker has been anything but ordinary. His books, including "The Tipping Point," "Blink," and "Outliers," have not only topped charts but also reshaped the way we think about success, decision-making, and cultural phenomena. Yet, while his career has been meticulously documented, less is known about the personal relationships that have helped to shape him into the man he is today.

In exploring the life of Malcolm Gladwell, we must consider the dynamic interplay between his professional achievements and personal relationships, particularly with his partner. This article will shed light on the influence of his partner in his life, as well as the role they play in his creative process, personal growth, and public persona. Join us as we explore the multifaceted relationship of Malcolm Gladwell and the partner who stands beside him.

Who is Malcolm Gladwell?

Before delving into the details of Malcolm Gladwell's partner, it is imperative to understand who he is. Born to a Jamaican mother and an English father, Gladwell's multicultural background has undoubtedly influenced his worldview and writings.

What Makes Malcolm Gladwell a Unique Thinker?

Gladwell's unique perspective stems from his ability to weave together stories from various disciplines, including psychology, sociology, and cultural studies. His work often challenges conventional wisdom and encourages readers to think critically about the world around them.

What Are the Key Works of Malcolm Gladwell?

• The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
• Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
• Outliers: The Story of Success
• David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants

Who is Malcolm Gladwell's Partner?

Malcolm Gladwell is known to be in a relationship with The New Yorker writer and editor, Gretchen Rubin . Their partnership is one characterized by mutual respect and shared intellectual pursuits.

How Did Malcolm Gladwell and Gretchen Rubin Meet?

Their paths crossed in the literary world, where both were establishing themselves as influential writers. Their shared passion for exploring human psychology and behavior laid the foundation for their partnership.

What Role Does Gretchen Rubin Play in Malcolm Gladwell's Life?

Gretchen Rubin has been a significant influence in Gladwell's life, providing both personal support and professional insight. Her work on happiness and human nature complements Gladwell's explorations of social dynamics.

What Do We Know About Their Personal Life?

How Do They Balance Personal and Professional Life?

With both being successful writers, balancing their personal and professional lives is crucial. They often share insights and ideas, contributing to each other's works while maintaining their individuality as authors.

What Challenges Do They Face as Partners in the Public Eye?

As public figures, both Gladwell and Rubin face challenges that come with fame. Maintaining privacy and nurturing their relationship amidst public scrutiny can be a daunting task, yet they manage to navigate this with grace.

What Can We Learn from Malcolm Gladwell's Partnership?

The partnership between Malcolm Gladwell and Gretchen Rubin offers valuable lessons on collaboration, mutual support, and the importance of shared passions. Their relationship exemplifies how partners can inspire each other professionally and personally, leading to growth and success.

How Does Their Partnership Influence Their Work?

The synergy between Gladwell and Rubin can be seen in their respective writings, where themes of human behavior, decision making, and happiness intersect. Their dialogues often spark new ideas that enrich their narratives.

What Is the Takeaway from Their Relationship?

Ultimately, the partnership of Malcolm Gladwell and Gretchen Rubin serves as a reminder of the power of collaboration in both personal and professional realms. Their story is one of love, respect, and intellectual curiosity, inspiring many to seek out meaningful connections in their own lives.

In conclusion, exploring the relationship between Malcolm Gladwell and his partner sheds light on the intricate balance of personal and professional success. As we continue to follow Gladwell's work and contributions to society, it is essential to recognize the role his partner plays in supporting and inspiring his journey. Through their partnership, they not only enrich each other's lives but also provide valuable insights to the world at large.

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