Part One: Opportunity
Chapter 1: “The Matthew Effect”
1. In your own language, define the Matthew Effect (30) in fewer than 25 words.
2. How does the Matthew Effect affect the Canadian Hockey League according to Gladwell? (a 100-word summary)
3. How does the Matthew Effect affect the Czech soccer players in Gladwell’s view? (a 100-word summary)
A biblical allusion (The Gospel of Matthew 25. 14-30, King James Version)
14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.
19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Vocabulary Might: outliers_the_matthew_effect_vocabulary.docx
Chapter Two: "The 10,000-Hour Rule"
1. What are the arbitrary opportunities that turned out to be beneficial to the Beatles (47-48) according to Gladwell? (a 100-word summary)
2. Identify the elements of serendipity that helped Bill Gates become the Bill Gates we know of today (54). (a 100-word summary)
3. According to Gladwell, what is the crucial factor that catapulted some to become the most affluent people in history? (a 100-word summary)
Vocabulary Might: outliers_10000_hour_rule_vocabulary.docx
Chapter 2 teacher annotation: 10000_hour_rule_sections_1-5_teacher_annotations.pdf
Chs. 3-4: "The Trouble with Geniuses, Parts 1-2"
1) What helped Robert Oppenheimer get out of the grave charge that he tried to kill his college teacher?
2) According to Annette Lareau, in what ways and to what extent does the middle-class parents’ pedagogical approach differ from poor parents’ attitude (101-108)?
3) According to Gladwell, why did Chris Langan fail to enjoy an extraordinary life and career that his extraordinary abilities might have secured for him?
Vocabulary Might: outliers_chapters_3-4_vocabulary.docx
Teacher Annotations:
| outliers_chapter_4_section_1_with_teacher_annotations.docx |
| outliers_chapters_4_section_2_with_teacher_annotations.docx |
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Chapter 5: "The Three Lessons of Joe Flom"
Identify the three contributory causes that Gladwell attributes to Joe Flom’s success.
Vocabulary Might: vocabulary_builder_outliers_chapter_5.docx
Vocabulary Might: vocabulary_builder_outliers_chapter_5.docx
Chapter 6: "Harlan, Kentucky"
According to Gladwell, what is the "culture of honor" (166)? Do you think there is any intrinsic difference between the Southern culture and the Northern culture of the United States of America?
Vocabulary Might:
Remnant: remains, leftover
Unequivocal: very clear
Vocabulary Might:
Remnant: remains, leftover
Unequivocal: very clear
Chapter 7: "The Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes"
What does Gladwell mean by Power Distance Index? How does the concept of PDI (Power Distance Index) explain the reality that Korean and Colombian airlines, respectively, had an uncanny number of plane crashes?
Vocabulary Might: vocabulary_might_outliers_chapter_7.docx
Vocabulary Might: vocabulary_might_outliers_chapter_7.docx
Chapter 8: "Rice Paddies and Math Tests"
Do you agree or disagree with Gladwell’s argument that the Asian cultural legacies based on the agricultural model of rice paddies have contributed to the phenomenon of Asian math whizzes and why?
Vocabulary Might: rice_paddies_vocabulary.docx
Vocabulary Might: rice_paddies_vocabulary.docx
Chapter 9 and Epilogue:
"Marita's Bargain" and "A Jamaican Story"
First consider what Karl Alexander argues about the achievement gap resultant from the long summer vacation (255-256). Now provide your projection of the SAT scores of middle-class students and low-income students once they come back from the long summer break. According to Alexander’s model, who do you think will show progress and reap high scores and what causes such an achievement gap between the two groups of students?
The last chapter of Outliers reads very personal and confessional unlike the preceding chapters. After reading this epilogue, ask yourself why Gladwell wrote this book. What is his purpose in investigating what affects how some achieve success and how do his findings relate to his own personal history?
Vocabulary Might: outliers_vocab_9-10.docx
The last chapter of Outliers reads very personal and confessional unlike the preceding chapters. After reading this epilogue, ask yourself why Gladwell wrote this book. What is his purpose in investigating what affects how some achieve success and how do his findings relate to his own personal history?
Vocabulary Might: outliers_vocab_9-10.docx