The Dawn of Everything

This is a big dense book packed full of crazy ideas. The effort to read it is definitely worth the pay off.

Unlike many grand narratives of society that assume that the endpoint of social evolution is the modern democratic/humanist nation state and work backwards to tell a story about what conditions gave rise to this glorious present, The Dawn of Everything assumes nothing. It simply lays out the evidence and shows how many different paths were possible and how many endpoints are still possible.

It discusses how domestication of grains didn’t necessarily lead all early societies to create large settlements where specialization and class hierarchies quickly developed. It discusses how power structures can emerge and how some early societies eventually rejected them.

It gave me some hope for the future because it leaves the door open for society to morph into something more just and equatable for everyone.

Outliers

I first heard about Outliers this past summer. The coach mentioned it during a BCU three star training. He told us that Gladwell claims that it takes 10,000 hours to master a skill. The idea of a book that explores what it takes to be excellent really intrigued me.
It didn't intrigue me enough to want to plop hard cover cash on it. If it turned out to be a vacant self-helpish trope, I'd be upset to have payed prime price. Fortunately, I didn't have to wait very long because Boston Public Library had Outliers available in ePub.
The book starts off strong. The stories and characters are interesting. They propel the material along and makes what could be tedious flow. The stories also makes up for the fact that Gladwell tends to ramble on and repeat his points.
The first part of the book that explores the lucky bits that influence success is the stronger of the two sections. It is interesting to see how something a simple as a birthday can impact a persons chance of succeeding. Some of the stories do make it seem that luck and skill are the key ingredients to being successful. It is not just talent, but the combination of luck and talent.
The last sections of the book are thin on characters but deal with more complicated ideas. They also propose ways to make opportunities for success. I particularly enjoyed the chapter about how the reason poor children don't do well in school has very little to do with their lack of ability in school. It is a strong argument for extended school years.
The lack of strong characters and stories makes the back half of the book drag. That plus the fact the Gladwell starts repeating himself. The chapter on airline crashes seems endless. The final chapter is equally boring and seems gratuitous.
Overall, it is very interesting read. At some level what Gladwell points out feels like it should be common knowledge. However, it isn't. There were several ah-ha moments. Who knew that a guy with a 200+ IQ wouldn't end up as a super star academic?