Episode · Freakonomics Radio · 2016-05-02
Books mentioned on 245. Being Malcolm Gladwell
"Books are a pain in the ass," says Gladwell, who has written some of the most popular, influential, and beloved non-fiction books in recent history. In this wide-ranging and candid conversation, he describes other pains in the ass -- as well as his passions, his limits, and why he'll never take up golf.
Stephen Dubner discussed Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell and Peak by Anders Ericsson and others.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
-
Outliers
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell is an examination of the external factors, cultural legacies, and massive amounts of practice that contribute to extraordinary success.
Discussed“So, Outliers is your book from 2008, if I recall correctly? 2009. Sorry, 2009. Okay. Let me ask you to summarize your view of your thesis in Outliers.”
Where to get it
-
Peak
Peak by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool is a comprehensive study of expertise and deliberate practice that explores how individuals achieve peak performance through specialized training rather than innate talent alone.
Discussed“So Anders, in his book, Peak, and in the interview, took exception with the Beatles example. And I'd be curious to run the scenario past you.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (2) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“That's an idea that Gladwell helped popularize in his book, Outliers.”
“My name is Malcolm Gladwell. I'm a writer for The New Yorker magazine and the author of a number of books, including Outliers, where I talk about, among other things, the work of Andrews Erickson.”