I read through Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers: The Story of Success"
within a week of Levitt and Dubner's "Freakonomics." Many of the ideas
in the two books complemented each other, so that there are some
concepts where I am not entirely certain from which book they came.
Since they were both library books, I don't have them on a shelf to
check.
Both books talked about how social class can affect talents and hobbies. One book spoke about a child who sang at their school. The child had talent, the potential to turn it into a career and live a different life from what her family had known. But the family didn't think of it that way. Music wasn't seen as a viable career that could/should be nurtured and encouraged. Instead, it was seen as a minor hobby, just something that the child did.
That hit home, for me. It reminded me of a conversation with one of my aunts, about how her father, my grandfather, always encouraged education, but on practical things. I don't think it's coincidental that of his 8 children, the 6 college graduates majored in subjects like accounting and mathematics.
Both books talked about how social class can affect talents and hobbies. One book spoke about a child who sang at their school. The child had talent, the potential to turn it into a career and live a different life from what her family had known. But the family didn't think of it that way. Music wasn't seen as a viable career that could/should be nurtured and encouraged. Instead, it was seen as a minor hobby, just something that the child did.
That hit home, for me. It reminded me of a conversation with one of my aunts, about how her father, my grandfather, always encouraged education, but on practical things. I don't think it's coincidental that of his 8 children, the 6 college graduates majored in subjects like accounting and mathematics.
