Comments on: BOOK REVIEW: Outliers: The Story of Success and Why You’re Not Having Any

By: Bayou Bob

Bayou Bob — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 13:44:31 +0000

We should add the definition of Neo-con includes a major subset of Likudniks*. (those with strong ties to the right side of Israeli politics), for a GREATER Israel,against a two state solution to the problem, for keeping all the land taken in 1967 (It’s the settlements stupid)— AND for instigating the Iraq War for the sake of Israel.

These guys essentially took over our government/foreign policy when Bush and Cheney came in but had considerable influence before then.

* Note most US Jews were against the Iraq War.

For an excellent review of this read “The Israel Lobby” – Mearsheimer (U Chicago) and Walt (Harvard) 355 pages; w 115 notes, or at least the London Review of Books – 27 pages http://www.lrb.co.uk/v28/n06/mear01_.html

By: sullenhatred

sullenhatred — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 06:30:56 +0000

ME TOO!

By: Doktor Doom

Doktor Doom — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:44:29 +0000

Don’t forget that Gladwell used to be R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr.’s house negr—oops I meant Tyrrell’s… Clarence Thomas, at the American Spectator.

Because it’s something to keep in mind when ripping Gladwell.

By: Amos

Amos — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:52:00 +0000

Maybe the Exile staff should write a book, aren’t you guys pretty much experts on failure and sullen resentful hatred?

By: Jay

Jay — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 03:45:37 +0000

Yeah, I don’t really understand why “amazing successes are the product of hard work, talent, and amazing luck” is news worth writing a book about.

I mean seriously, if there was a non-luck-based formula for amazing success, enough people would have found it that it would no longer seem amazing.

By: James Bowman

James Bowman — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 23:14:40 +0000

“I’d rather be lucky than good any day.” – J.R. “Bob” Dobbs

By: Hannibal the Vegan

Hannibal the Vegan — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 22:50:14 +0000

I like television.

He who cops the most snapper wins!

By: Thomas_Nolle

Thomas_Nolle — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 18:37:27 +0000

Well if you can’t get famous, you can still be a sycophant and a toady to the wealthy and powerful—like Gladwell, who makes a nice living kissing Fortune 500 ass.

By: Mark

Mark — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 14:20:36 +0000

Hasn’t Woody Allen been covering this for years, too? The dominance of luck in life is the focal point of Match Point, for example. Not that it’s one of his best efforts. It isn’t. But it’s still a Woody Allen movie…

By: burbl

burbl — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:59:48 +0000

You are a little late on Gladwell bashing:
http://bps-research-digest.blogspot.com/2008/11/spotting-malcolm-gladwell.html

By: Tam

Tam — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:51:20 +0000

Or even better, don’t waste your time with Taleb; one of those jerks whose banal insights are taken seriously just because he’s been lucky enough to get rich.

Instead read this article about how to become as rich as Bill Gates by Philip Greenspun instead…

“Lesson 1: Choose Your Grandparents Carefully

William Henry Gates III made his best decision on October 28, 1955, the night he was born. He chose J.W. Maxwell as his great-grandfather. Maxwell founded Seattle’s National City Bank in 1906. His son, James Willard Maxwell was also a banker and established a million-dollar trust fund for William (Bill) Henry Gates III.

“In some of the later lessons, you will be encouraged to take entrepreneurial risks. You may find it comforting to remember that at any time you can fall back on a trust fund worth many millions of 1998 dollars.”

http://philip.greenspun.com/bg/

By: Required

Required — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 09:35:54 +0000

For anyone interested in the subject of chance and luck in life, I recommend “Fooled by Randomness” by N.N. Taleb. Randomness determines most things in life but even randomness can be managed to one’s advantage.