Chunk #1 Precis: Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

Malcolm Gladwell's non-fiction text, "Outliers," examines the reasons behind success in different aspects of life. Gladwell explains why some hockey players tend to do better than others and how one's age has alot to do with achievments, whether it's physically or mentally. Gladwell is able to do this with statistics and research that has been gone over and over by psycologists. Students that are older and more mature tend to do better in school than their peers, even if they are only months older. Being physically and mentally mature are key aspects that determine whether someone will be gifted, education wise, and talented in extracurricular activities like hockey for example. If a child, for instance, was born in February and another child was born in September, that "February baby" has a 7 month maturation head start, which means he would most likely play sports better that his peer because he will have sarted training first, and he would comprehend things better because his brain is more mature. Gladwell isn't necessarily saying that one's birthday will determine their success but it does contribute to it in a way. And that age difference plus practice is a recipe for success.

Application Question: If your child was born at the end of the year (say late December) would u hold him/her back one year so that he/she can excell in school with peers that are one year younger than him/her?

Clarification Question: Why is it that the hockey players that tend to be the best in their age group leagues and play professionally are mostly born in January, February, and March?