Nowadays, it is said that a person's economic background, perseverance, and innate talents determine how successful they will be in life. It is believed that the “American Dream” can only be achieved by those privileged few who are born talented or those who can afford to become so. Those who did not grow up so fortunately are forced to believe that prosperity is not available to them. They grew up thinking that they shouldn't practice for something they weren't initially good at, assuming that successful people didn't have to practice because they were born with natural talent and everything was easy enough for them. Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers challenges this belief by arguing that the people who succeeded were those born in the right time and given a special opportunity to master their abilities. In the context of the publication – the economic collapse of 2008 – the genre and audience of Gladwell's pieces play an important role in making his argument effective. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Gladwell wrote an informational book for an audience troubled by the recession, arguing that 10,000 hours was the upper limit for mastering a skill. With his statement, he mentions people who have been given extraordinary opportunities throughout their lives that have given them the ability to practice their skills and achieve ultimate success. Gladwell writes to an audience of people affected by the recession, explaining to them that individual merit and a person's innate talent do not guarantee success. It strives to illustrate a pattern of the years in which each of these people was born and how that determined what opportunities they received as they grew up. In a way, the book was uplifting for those who believed they couldn't or wouldn't work. difficult enough to succeed. It was proof that even if someone was incredibly talented or a hard worker, they couldn't get far if they weren't given the opportunity to practice. The book tells the stories of people like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, two of the lucky few born in the right place at the right time. “These are stories, instead, of people who were given a special opportunity to work really hard and took it, and who came of age at a time when that extraordinary effort was rewarded by the rest of society” ( Gladwell 67). The author's purpose was to inform readers of something they had not known or realized before. Gladwell often mentioned the 10,000 hour rule, which he introduced at the beginning and explained throughout the text, supporting it with examples; so, while reading the book, the public began to see all the evidence that proves that the 10,000 hour rule is true. Ultimately, they were fascinated by the evidence that led to the government introduced by Gladwell. He took the time to gather data and interview these inspiring people, bringing back support for his government. In addition to the 10,000 hours it took to master their skills, these technological visionaries were born in a perfect time frame, contributing greatly to their road to success. While most people wouldn't necessarily think that someone's birth date was relative to their opportunities for success, Gladwell saw a pattern in the years in which some future billionaire software moguls were born and discovered significant relevance. He developed a claim, stating that these visionaries came of age when technology was evolving, thereforewith an open mind, a desire to learn, and the special opportunities they received, such as having unique access to a computer when such technology was a rare commodity. , they went on to accomplish great things. Gladwell tells the stories of the billionaires everyone aspires to be, who started out just like everyone else; but given their circumstance, they were given a lifetime opportunity to master a skill that ended up changing the world. While most of the evidence is based on the lives of billionaires, famous rock bands, and professional hockey players, Gladwell also writes about the opportunity he took advantage of, giving readers a glimpse into his life and how it relates to his request. After college, Gladwell didn't go to graduate school because he claimed he didn't have the grades for it, so he decided to pursue a professional path. With many rejections under his belt when looking for work in advertising, Gladwell began to pursue journalism. He spent many hours writing for local newspapers and presses, accumulating 10,000 hours before he began writing for The New Yorker. He has earned respect and credibility as an author with the numerous articles and books he has written. Since his pieces were well known and widely read, his third book, Outliers, was certainly equally popular. It was number one on the New York Times bestseller list and remained there for 11 consecutive weeks. It is known for its intellectual and informative text, yet simplified to be easily digestible and understandable. Gladwell has written a book that keeps his audience captivated and encourages them to keep reading, as if they were reading a novel. He provides many intriguing examples and facts that keep the audience interested throughout the entire book. Published in November 2008, Outliers came out right at the end of the terrible recession. During that time, many people were in debt and struggled to find ways to make money. In writing this book, Gladwell attempted to give people hope that if they worked hard enough, they could achieve their goal. For many it was certainly an ambitious goal due to age and lack of opportunity, but in a way it still encouraged people to work towards peak performance. Explain that success can be achieved by giving the right opportunity and enough time willing to dedicate to improving one's skills. Gladwell and other authors want to challenge the assumption that people are born with natural talent. Gladwell is not the only person who has written something to challenge this belief. Geoff Colvin wrote a similar piece titled “Talent is Overrated: What Truly Separates World-Class Artists from Everyone Else.” His argument complements Gladwell's, arguing that a person's natural talent does not make him or her better than anyone else. Colvin expresses his dismay at the answer to the timeless question: Why are some people excellent at what they do? “We still say, as Homer did, that great artists are inspired, in the sense that their greatness was inspired in them by the gods or the muses. We still all say that they have a gift, namely that their greatness was given to them, for reasons no one can explain, by someone or something outside of themselves. come to accept the belief that some are born with innate talent, rarely questioning the logic behind the theory. Gladwell wants to put an end to this theory too. He believes that natural talent does not make a person great, but the amount of time he puts into mastering that talent is what defines greatness. Both Gladwell and Colvin made an effort tochallenge this belief in their books. People reading these books are probably coming to terms with the fact that the theory that one is born with natural abilities should not be considered plausible. The audience likely viewed the authors' words as informative and edifying, finally realizing that a "natural ability" does not distinguish the good from the great. With this awareness comes the desire to work towards what they want to achieve. Obviously the public now doesn't believe that they will become billionaires, but with the right opportunities and practice, they could be more successful than they initially thought. Both authors could definitely influence a younger generation to think and approach situations innovatively. Gladwell writes to a general audience ranging from teenagers to college-educated people, all those interested in their own performance and that of others, seeking to challenge the belief that success is due solely to class, privilege, and talent. While writing about Steve Jobs, Gladwell states that Jobs was not born into a wealthy lifestyle. It was a fortunate coincidence that he moved to Silicon Valley, a world-leading city in innovative technology, engineering and electronics. He frequented flea markets where electronics lobbyists sold spare parts in a neighborhood full of tech engineers. “While in high school, he courageously called Hewlett-Packard co-founder and chairman William Hewlett to ask for parts for a school project. Impressed by Jobs, Hewlett not only gave him the roles, but also offered him a summer internship at Hewlett-Packard” (Entrepreneur Staff). There he met Steve Wozniak, and the rest is history. Even from an informational point of view, the magazine states that Jobs was fortunate to receive more than one extraordinary opportunity that kick-started his career. When writing a story about Jobs' life, the editorial mentions the extraordinary opportunity Steve had seized, obtained at such a young age, complementing Gladwell's reference to that opportunity is his book as a source for developing his statement. Both Gladwell and the editorial state that without the luck and series of opportunities that Jobs had received and taken advantage of, he probably would not have been as successful. It just goes to show that, even with hard work and serious dedication, most people won't become billionaires. Even then, Jobs' story will continue to inspire generations to come. It may spark in many a desire to continue improving the tech empire Jobs created. In this job market, there is a very high demand for creative people. To continue revolutionizing the world, symbolic analysts must identify, solve, and mediate new problems. The highest level of symbolic analysts includes people like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Bill Joy, people who have completely revolutionized the way the world uses technology. Robert Reich developed a theory as to why there is a greater need for symbolic analysts than for labor or retail workers. “The most important reason for expanding this world market and increasing global demand for Americans' symbolic and analytical insights has been the dramatic improvement in global communications and transportation technology.” (Reich 314) Reich argues that there is a worldwide demand for symbolic analysts like the innovators mentioned by Gladwell in his book because symbolic analysts continue to find ways to communicate information to different parts of the world in a very short time. Symbolic analysts add value and..