Gladwell,  well known journalist with the Washington Post and The New Yorker and author of the best selling book, Blink,  tells us, 'It is not the brightest who succeed, nor is success simply the sum of the decisions and efforts we make on our own behalf.  It is, rather, a gift.  Outliers are those who have been given opportunities ' and who have had the strength and presence of mind to seize them.'

He doesn't actually tell his own life story in the book. (But he lurks offstage, since he does describe the arc of his mother's Jamaican family.)  Instead he tells other success stories, often using the device of back-to-back narratives.  He starts with a tale of individual greatness, about the Beatles or the titans of Silicon Valley or the enormously successful generation of New York Jews born in the early 20th century.  Then he adds details that undercut that tale.

Other subjects explored include Bill Gates and  star hockey players, whose success stems partially from their having been born in January, February, or March. (He explains why.)

Outliers is a pleasure to read and leaves you mulling over its inventive theories for days afterward.  While his previous books, The Tipping Point and Blink were a mixture of social psychology, marketing and even a bit of self-help, Outliers is far more political.  It is almost a manifesto. 'We look at the young Bill Gates and marvel that our world allowed that 13 year old to become a fabulously successful entrepreneur,' he writes at the end.  'But that's the wrong lesson.  Our world only allowed one 13 year-old unlimited access to a time-sharing computer terminal in 1968.  If a million teenagers had been given the same opportunity, how many more Microsofts would we have today?'

After a decade ' and, really, a generation ' in which this country has done fairly little to build up the institutions that can foster success, Gladwell is urging us to rethink.  Once again, his timing may prove to be pretty good.

Discussion  Date & Time:  Thursday, June  18: 7:30 p.m.

Place:  Berkeley Meigs' home

RSVP: yes

Cost: $3 at the door to cover wine, coffee, appetizers & dessert

Book availability: Public library, Borders, Amazon.com