I really enjoyed reading this book. I've never read anything else by Gladwell and I'm tempted to look into him further. He kind of gives me the same vibe I got when I first discovered Alain de Botton.

The book is an examination of successful people, but it's not done in a sappy, Hallmark kind of "he's-happy-so-he's-a-success" way. Outliers is about what external forces mold successful people. Sometimes these are completely random - like when you're born - and sometimes these are more tangible - like cultural values.

I liked it not only because the book destroys the typical American idea of what success is from - that super-individualistic, by-the-bootstraps mentality - but also because it offers a bit of context in examining what forces shape the people we've become or can become.

It was easy to read and impossible to put down.