Book Review: Malcolm Gladwell’s David and Goliath

The way we understand the world has changed thanks in part to Malcom Gladwell. His books have launched a new genre known by some as “intellectual adventure stories” and are tremendously popular. His method of combining academic research with real life stories with an aim to make people look at the world a little differently have taken the world by storm and brought him sensational success. The stories intertwine economics, psychology, sociology, history and biographies to produce what many call “Gladwellian insights” into the world we live.

David and Goliath is Gladwell’s fifth book. The Tipping Point (Nov. 2000) was his first and is based on the idea that beliefs and desires that spread through social media directly impact consumer marketing. This is a reality we are already facing today.

His second book Blink (Apr. 2005) was about the power of snap judgments, rapid cognition and trusting one’s gut instincts for better or worse.

Outliers (Nov. 2008), which was my favorite, spoke about stories of success and the combination of luck, hard work and plus or minus 10000 hours/10 years that are needed to make anyone amazing at what they do. This notion was challenged by Josh Kaufman, who asked why we always have to be great? Why not be satisfied with trying simply to be good and learn fast, which Kaufman argues can be done in twenty hours.

This is what Gladwell manages to do. He starts a conversation on topics we take or have taken for granted, let’s us debate them and then come up with new ideas about how we feel or go about the world. The book before this was What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures (Oct. 2009,) which is a compilation of the author’s favorite works from The New Yorker, where he has been a staff writer since 1996.

David and Goliath (Oct. 2013) celebrates neurological, psychological and physical disorders by simply making the point that “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”. These “desirable difficulties”, as Gladwell coins them, account for many of the success stories in our society throughout history, from one of the most ancient biblical stories up to present day.

The voyage Gladwell takes us on is entertaining and insightful. Even if you don’t agree with his conclusions, you still enjoy the ride. He is a gifted narrator and storyteller, and gets you hooked straight away. Gladwell popularizes knowledge without the formality, precision and dare I say boredom of the academic world. Gladwell in an interview admitted that he puts the story first and the science second. Is this truly a bad thing?

If you want reasons for why you shouldn’t read or listen to Gladwell, you can read Christopher Chabris, who is a professor at Union College in upstate New York. He’s written four reviews on David and Goliath alone. Two of these reviews at Slate and WSJ make interesting points.

Chabris along with many academics frown upon Gladwell and feel that this pop science and the minimizing of research for the sake of story lines devalues the research of serious academics. But isn’t there room for everyone? Does one’s success necessarily overshadow others?

Chabris goes so far as to say this is virtual malpractice because Gladwell manipulates statistics and studies in order to prove his point. He argues that Gladwell oversimplifies complex ideas. And he feels that Gladwell’s stories are biased and lack accuracy and logic, and that’s why he considers Gladwell’s books to be entertainment, not hard science.

I would argue that every story teller, academic or person is biased and it’s up to the reader to vary his readings to come to his own conclusion about life. Gladwell raises valid arguments that we obsess over in our day to day lives. He sheds light and opens conversations on ideas we usually take for granted – where we take it from there is up to us.

David and Goliath is divided into three parts: the advantages of disadvantages, the theory of desirable difficulty and the limits of power. Each part features the stories of three different individuals. I think the reason people are drawn to this book is because people love the premise that overwhelming odds produces greatness and beauty.

It’s something human that we revere, the same way we admire Gandhi, MLK, Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama, Rosa Parks, Mother Teresa, Helen Keller, Queen Elizabeth… Life is hard. Yet hearing, watching and reading about those who have had it so much worse off and have still managed to do what they believe in, it’s inspiring. It pulls us through our darkest times, and hardest moments.

This isn’t new, even sports movies like The Blind Side, 42, The Greatest Game Ever Played, Invictus prove Gladwell’s points that obstacles create determination and courage and that when you insist on imposing your own game on more powerful or more gifted opponents, more often then not you win.

From beginning to end you enjoy meeting the people Gladwell introduces to you and it’s simple: The successful, powerful and strong are not always what they seem. The learning disorder dyslexia did not prevent Richard Branson, Charles Schwab and Brian Glazer from being amazing entrepreneurs. When you make the best of what you have, success seems to tag along. Gladwell goes on to say that winning or succeeding can be based simply on the philosophy of a willingness to try harder than anyone else.

My favorite parts were the stories of the impressionist painters trying to get into the salon. They were shunned by academia, so they created their own world, their own art show. Sort of like Gladwell. As a parent, the discussion of class size and its relation to educational achievement as well as the debate about whether Ivy League universities are the best fit for students’ success are very relevant and poignant issues. Of course, I already know that my best friend’s daughter, who’s dyslexic, will amount to greatness, but I was happy to have Gladwell reinforce my opinion.

Gladwell inspires even if it isn’t 100% scientific. Isn’t inspiration all that matters?

WE SAID THIS: Check out Malcolm Gladwell’s TED Talks, too.