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7 Shocking Lessons You'll Learn From Malcolm Gladwell's Newest Book

Bestselling author Malcom Gladwell's newest book,, takes us on a journey from the battlefield to the classroom, to shatter our perception of adversity and being the underdog.
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Author, THE THIRD DOOR (Crown/Random House)

Author, THE THIRD DOOR (Crown/Random House)
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Bestselling author Malcom Gladwell's newest book, David and Goliath, takes us on a journey from the battlefield to the classroom, to shatter our perception of adversity and being the underdog.

Here are seven shocking lessons you'll learn from the book:

7 Shocking Lessons From Malcolm Gladwell's Newest Book
Why is it NOT a surprise that David won?(01 of07)
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David and Goliath, the tale we all know, conveys the lesson that the scrappy underdog can perform miracles and beat the giant. But Gladwell explains that in the historical account of the battle, the reason the underdog beat the giant makes perfect sense—it’s not a miracle at all. You see, the real Goliath was a giant, powerful infantry soldier whose expertise was hand-to-hand combat. David, a shepherd, was smaller, scrappier, and couldn’t fight toe-to-toe. But that’s exactly why he won. David was a master slinger -- an expert in the slingshot. And sure, if he were to fight Goliath in hand to hand combat, he would have been the underdog. But in reality, his incredible accuracy with the sling was no match for Goliath’s enormous and slow body. David’s strength came from his ability to break the assumptions of the battle by letting his sling do the work. Just because someone looks like the underdog, there’s more to the situation than meets the eye. Gladwell explains that “the duel reveals the folly of our assumptions about power... Power can come in other forms as well - in breaking rules, in substituting speed and surprise for strength.” (credit:Flickr:whiteafrican)
Can dyslexia help you succeed?(02 of07)
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We all think of dyslexia as a huge barrier to success. But what about dyslexics such as Steven Spielberg or Richard Branson?Gladwell says that since dyslexics have so much trouble reading, they are forced to learn other forms of communication out of sheer necessity. And “what is learned out of necessity is inevitably more powerful than the learning that comes easily,” he writes.Steven Spielberg had to make up for his disadvantage by honing his skills of visual storytelling. And Richard Branson had to make up for his disadvantage by honing his verbal communication skills and his charisma. What was once their biggest disadvantage eventually led to their biggest advantage. (credit:AP)
Does smaller class size actually make a difference?(03 of07)
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According to Gladwell, “a smaller classroom only translates to a better outcome if teachers change their teaching style when given a lower workload. Evidence suggests that teachers don’t necessarily do that.” If schools know there’s not much of a difference between a class of 25 students and a class of 18, then why do private schools pride themselves on small class sizes? These schools have “fallen into the trap that wealthy people and wealthy institutions and wealthy countries - all Goliaths - too often fall into: the school assumes that the kind of things that wealth can buy always translate into real-world advantages.” (credit:Flickr:Editor B)
Why do wealthy parents often struggle with parenting?(04 of07)
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Most people assume that growing up in wealth means greater advantages for children. But Gladwell says that after a certain point, incredible wealth is also a disadvantage.The truth is that “money makes parenting easier until a certain point - when it stops making a difference.” Gladwell says that it’s difficult for wealthy parents to tell their kids, “Yes, I can buy that for you. But I choose not to,” especially when they have a Ferrari in the driveway, a private jet, and a house in loft in Manhattan the size of an airplane hangar. (credit:Flickr:Tax Credits)
Why do countries with self-declared happy citizens have higher suicide rates?(05 of07)
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Because, as Gladwell explains, “if you are depressed in a place where most people are pretty unhappy, you compare yourself to those around you and don’t feel that bad. But can you imagine how difficult it must be to be depressed in a country where everyone else has a big smile on their face?” (credit:Flickr:VinothChandar)
Why can choosing a “good school” be a better decision than choosing a “really good school”?(06 of07)
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Because of the ‘Big Fish-Little Pond’ effect. Gladwell writes that “the more elite an educational institution is, the worse students feel about their own academic abilities. In other words, “students who would feel that they have mastered a subject at a good school can have the feeling that they are falling farther and farther behind in a really good school.” So why are people convinced that top-ranked schools are so valuable? The truth is that “we take it for granted that the Big Pond expands opportunities. We have a definition in our head of what an advantage is - and it isn’t right. It’s the Little Pond that maximizes your chances to do whatever want.” Abandoning conventional wisdom and establishing yourself as a Big Fish in a Small Pond “might be scorned by some on the outside, but Small Ponds are welcoming places for those on the inside. They have all of the support that comes from community and friendship - and they are places where innovation and individuality are not frowned upon.” (credit:AP)
Why were MLK and his right hand man, Wyatt Walker, happy about this brutal photo?(07 of07)
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Because, as Gladwell explains, “Walter and King were trying to set up that picture. To the press, they pretended that they were shocked at the way [Birmingham Commissioner of Public Safety Bull] Connor let his dogs loose on their protesters - while at the same time, they were jumping for joy behind closed doors.” Things aren’t always what they seem…

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Alex Banayan is an associate at venture capital firm Alsop Louie Partners and has been featured in major media including Forbes, Fortune, Businessweek, and CNN. His upcoming book (Random House/Crown) is focusing on the surprising skills the world's most successful people used to launch their careers. For more, sign up for Alex's email newsletter here.

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