Outliers (2011)

Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell is a book letting us view success from a different viewpoint. Gladwell uses many examples to tell how intellectual quality (IQ), social and cultural environment, hard work, opportunities, and education may decide whether a person can succeed. His main points include:  

• You have to be intellectually smart and socially savvy. High IQ allows you to be good at your area. Social Savvy allows you to let others know that you are good at something.  "IQ is a measure, to some degree, of innate ability. But social savvy is knowledge. It's a set of skills that have to be learned. It has to come from somewhere, and the place where we seem to get these kinds of attitudes and skills is from our families."
• You need to work hard to be successful. Many times, you need 10K hours of practices.  "Achievement is talent plus preparation." 
• You need an opportunity in a right circumstance to thrive.  "Success is not a random act. It arises out of a predictable and powerful set of circumstances and opportunities."
• Culture background has impacts on how people work and communicate.  "Cultural legacies are powerful forces. They have deep roots and long lives. "

​If you work hard enough and assert yourself, and use your mind and imagination, you can shape the world to your desires.