"The intellectual life of the whole of western society is increasingly being split into two polar groups...Literary intellectuals at one pole--at the other, scientists, and as the most representative, the physical scientists. Between the two a gulf of incomprehension."~C.P. Snow
"Men grind and grind in the mill of a truism, and nothing comes out but what was put in. But the moment they desert the tradition for a spontaneous thought, then poetry, wit, hope, virtue, learning, anecdote, all flock to their aid."~Ralph Waldo Emerson
This month's meeting centers on things that lie outside the norms that constitute mundane existence, hence the title of our book chosen by Dick Smith: Outliers. Authored by popular cultural commentator Malcolm Gladwell, the book seeks to explain hidden forces and conditions that foretell success for some, as well as failure for others. Through his gift for putting individual lives into a context which may not be readily visible to us, Gladwell makes success in everything from computer science to professional hockey seem not only logical, but inevitable.
It all proves to be a fascinating look into the very components of our lives that determine success, or the lack of it. It is also a meditation on the elements of opportunity, place, and time that aren't always considered when we seek to explain the Warren Buffetts, Bill Gates, and Robert Oppenheimers of the world. This will no doubt turn out to be one of the liveliest discussions of the year. The questions below were provided by Dick, who presides Tuesday night. See you then.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
This month's meeting centers on things that lie outside the norms that constitute mundane existence, hence the title of our book chosen by Dick Smith: Outliers. Authored by popular cultural commentator Malcolm Gladwell, the book seeks to explain hidden forces and conditions that foretell success for some, as well as failure for others. Through his gift for putting individual lives into a context which may not be readily visible to us, Gladwell makes success in everything from computer science to professional hockey seem not only logical, but inevitable.
It all proves to be a fascinating look into the very components of our lives that determine success, or the lack of it. It is also a meditation on the elements of opportunity, place, and time that aren't always considered when we seek to explain the Warren Buffetts, Bill Gates, and Robert Oppenheimers of the world. This will no doubt turn out to be one of the liveliest discussions of the year. The questions below were provided by Dick, who presides Tuesday night. See you then.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
