Okay. It is not a secret that we Schipulites LOVE Malcolm Gladwell. But it wouldn’t align with our commitment to knowledge sharing if we didn’t spread the love to our community right? This week we are giving away a copy of Outliers!
And here is a little icing on your Outliers cake…. we’ve got a copy for you that has been signed by the one and only Malcolm Gladwell!
I can hear you now…. “Come on Maggie! Stop talking and tell us how to win it!”
Easy. Just leave a comment on this blog post telling the world who your favorite Outlier is and explain to why they are your favorite. Next Wednesday we’ll use a random number integer picker to randomly determine which comment takes the cake. Whichever number is first on the generated integer list will be the winner!
Think this sounds too tough? I’ll get you started with an example of my own.
The Outlier I respect the most is my best friend Monica. She never lets an opportunity to improve herself slip through her fingers. She is a force to be reckoned with and someone I look up to every day.
And that is all it take folks! You can be as wordy or as wordless as you want as long as you have a favorite Outlier and the reason why you love them.
So comment away 🙂
One of my favorite outliers is writer Laura Vanderkam. In addition to being the person who introduced me to this book via her blog, she wrote a book of her own years earlier, Genius Denied. Her book had a profound impact on my family.
Favorite outlier would be Howard Schultz. He built an empire with Starbucks from the ground up. He had a vision that no one believed in, but he saw the potential and took the company to one of the most recognized and admired brands in the world.
Son of a maid and U.S. Navy cook, a 10th grade dropout turned shoe maker apprentice, navy enlistee, college athlete, bartender and stand-up comedian who became a pop culture icon, millionaire and champion for education and the arts: Bill “Cantankerous” Cosby may be my favorite outlier.
P.S. Because I’m inspired by unlikely and seemingly unattainable feats and his success has to count as unlikely and beyond what he could’ve imagined.
My favorite outlier is my mother! I seriously think she is a modern-day Wonder Woman – she is tireless in her care of others and always has a smile on her face.
I swear I’m not saying this to tip the scales in my favor – I truly find Ed Schipul to be one of the most amazing and fascinating people I know. Seriously, incredibly smart and driven to learn and improve whenever he can. Fascinating.
Of course, I haven’t read the book (which is why I want to win a copy!) so I don’t know if Gladwell would say he is an Outlier. I think he is a very brilliant man, and wise enough to surround himself with an incredible team too.
The Outlier i respect the most is my wife Christa Forster. She is a quiet storm of genius that wraps the disparate winds together.
My most respected “Outlier” is my dear friend Susan [found at http://www.realityspikes.com/ and http://www.SaurageResearch.com ]. I want to *be* her someday, in that she’s well, connected, brilliant and always improving herself AND others(!).
And, another one of my favorites is my best friend, Jeff, who more than once, has started at the VERY bottom of an organization or career field and risen to the top!
All the best; hope you’re doing well!
–tim
My favorite Outlier is Christopher Langan. You would think someone with his gift would be an international phenom. So, I feel his story illustrates Gladwell’s point that no one makes it on their own. Everyone has help in some shape or form.
This is a TED goodie of Gladwell. Check it out if you haven’t seen this:
http://tinyurl.com/475qzx
As one who prefers to study the success/struggles of those who are no longer alive…I would have to say that Queen Elizabeth I tops my list as an outlier. Having read numerous biographies on her, I believe that her leadership skills and guiding principles are as applicable today as they were during her reign. Her decisions and actions have left a lasting impact on the world, especially in relation to appreciation for the arts.
Obama is my favorite outlier because he may be the only person able to turn this country and world around.
Tough question – cause there are so many amazing people in the world. But I guess my favorite Outlier right now would be my big brother Paige Craig (@paigecraig on Twitter). Paige is loyal to a fault, and possesses the quickest wit of just about anyone I know. He’s someone I would be honored to go into battle with.
I’d have to say my favorite Outlier is my friend Phil. Even half a world away in Iraq, Phil still takes the time to remind me he cares and does so in meaningful ways. I think Phil’s dedication to his peers and thoughtfulness is only trumped by his service to our country. I just wish he would stop lying about beating me in Street Fighter 4.
errr, comment to win? really, just a few randoms bits of text? Shall I warder verbosly through your feilds of input, or simply squeek in brevity?
My favorite outlier is my sister Emily. She comes at everything from left field, and half the time I think I have no idea what she is talking about. But she’s my awesome baby sis and I love her big bunches.
Thanks for the suggestion Chris.
Chris Pitre definitely tops my list. Unbelievably intelligent and talented. It’s hard to believe he’s just now in his mid-20s.
My girlfriend owns and loves Outliers – especially because her copy was a gift from her mother that has passages lovingly underlined and notes in the margin. Unfortunately it got water damaged. Her birthday is coming up and I can think of nothing better than somehow getting her a signed copy as a replacement. Any ideas on how to get one?