Who is Malcolm Gladwell? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Canadian Celebrities Born In September

Also Known As: Malcolm Timothy Gladwell

Age: 61 Years, 61 Year Old Males

Family:

father: Graham Gladwell

mother: Joyce (Nation) Gladwell

Born Country: England

Novelists Non-Fiction Writers

Ancestry: Jamaican Canadian

More Facts

education: University Of Toronto

awards: 2007 - American Sociological Association's first Award for Excellence in the Reporting of Social Issues

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1

What are some key concepts in Malcolm Gladwell's book Outliers?

In "Outliers," Malcolm Gladwell explores the idea that success is not solely based on individual talent and effort, but also on external factors such as opportunity, cultural background, and timing.
2

How has Malcolm Gladwell's writing style been described by critics?

Critics often praise Malcolm Gladwell's writing style for its engaging storytelling, ability to simplify complex ideas, and use of real-world examples to illustrate his points.
3

What is the 10,000-hour rule?

The "10,000-hour rule" suggests that achieving mastery in any skill or field requires approximately 10,000 hours of deliberate practice, as discussed in Gladwell's book "Outliers."
4

How does Malcolm Gladwell challenge conventional wisdom in his book Blink?

In "Blink," Malcolm Gladwell challenges the idea that snap judgments are always inferior to carefully considered decisions, arguing that sometimes our unconscious mind can make accurate and insightful decisions in the blink of an eye.
5

What is the concept of Thin-slicing?

"Thin-slicing" is a concept introduced by Malcolm Gladwell in his book "Blink," referring to the ability to make quick, accurate judgments or decisions based on limited information or intuition.

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Childhood & Early Life

Malcolm T. Gladwell was born to Joyce and Graham Gladwell in Fareham, Hampshire, England. His mother is a psychotherapist, while his father�a mathematics professor.

When he was 6-years-old, the family moved to Ontario, Canada. He was always focused on academics and would spend time reading and researching in libraries.

When he was in high school, he was also very athletic and participated in middle-distance running. He also won a title at the Ontario High School in 1978.

In 1982, he was an intern at the National Journalism Center in Washington D.C. Around the same time he was majoring in history. He graduated from the University of Toronto two years later.

Since his grades were not very good, he did not get a place in the graduate school. He finally accepted a journalism position at ‘The American Spectator’ and moved to Indiana for the job.

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Career

In 1987, Malcolm Gladwell began covering news pertaining to business and science for ‘The Washington Post’, where he worked for almost a decade, quitting in 1996.

After leaving�The Washington Post, he began working with The New Yorker, where his first assignment was to write a piece about fashion. Instead of writing about fashion, he chose to write about a man who produced t-shirts, which he found more interesting to write.

In 1996, Malcolm Gladwell shot to fame with two articles that he wrote for The New Yorker:�The Tipping Point�and The Coolhunt. These two articles became the basis for his first novel�The Tipping Point, which was written four years later.

In 2002, he wrote an article for The New Yorker,�based on the concept of The Talent Myth. This article directly appraised the administrative techniques that successful people used and vice versa.

In 2005, he authored his second book, ‘Blink’. Three years later, he published his third work, ‘Outliers’, which is a book about how an individual’s success is related to personal determination and inspiration.

In 2009, he published one of his best-selling works, ‘What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures’. The book is a compilation of his articles published in The New Yorker.

He published his fifth book, David and Goliath,�in 2013. The book scrutinizes the melee between preferences and small fry.�

Malcolm Gladwell released his sixth book, Talking to Strangers, in September 2019. The book analyses interactions with strangers.

His seventh book, The Bomber Mafia:A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War,�was released in April 2021.�

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Major Works

‘The Tipping Point’, published in 2000 is regarded as his best-known works. This went on to become an international best-seller and was named as one of the ‘best books of the decade’ by Amazon.com customers, ‘The Guardian’, ‘The Times’ and ‘The A.V. Club’.

‘Blink’, which was published in 2005 was an international best-seller and was included in the Fast Company’s list of ‘Best Business Books of 2005’. Combined with ‘The Tipping Point’, both the books sold nearly 4.5 million copies around the world.

‘Outliers’ was published in 2008 and spent approximately 11 weeks in the number 1 position on ‘The New York Times’ list and was also included in Times’ list of ‘best non-fiction books of 2008’.

Awards & Achievements

In 2005, Malcolm Gladwell was included in the ‘Time’ list of one of the ‘100 most influential people’.

In 2007, he won the American Sociological Association’s first award for ‘Excellence in the Reporting of Social Issues’.

Malcolm Gladwell was appointed to the Order of Canada�in 2011.

Personal Life & Legacy

His curly hair attracted a lot of negative attention from the police who began charging him speeding tickets for no apparent reason, which Gladwell cites in one of his works.

Facts About Malcolm Gladwell

Malcolm Gladwell is known for his distinctive hairstyle, often sporting long curly locks that have become somewhat of a signature look for him.

Despite his fame as a bestselling author and public speaker, Gladwell is said to be quite humble and down-to-earth in person, often engaging with fans and colleagues in a friendly and approachable manner.

Gladwell is a self-proclaimed lover of music and has shared in interviews that he often listens to music while writing, finding it to be a source of inspiration and creativity.

In addition to his work as a writer, Gladwell has also dabbled in podcasting, hosting the popular show "Revisionist History" where he delves into overlooked or misunderstood events from the past.

Gladwell is a keen observer of human behavior and social dynamics, often incorporating these insights into his writing and speaking engagements to offer unique perspectives on a wide range of topics.

Malcolm Gladwell Biography

You wanted to know

What are some key concepts in Malcolm Gladwell's book Outliers?

How has Malcolm Gladwell's writing style been described by critics?

What is the 10,000-hour rule?

How does Malcolm Gladwell challenge conventional wisdom in his book Blink?

What is the concept of Thin-slicing?