Malcolm Gladwell's take on the genesis of high achievers

As both giants and pygmies take the stage in elections on both sides of the 49th, and with the Masters of the Universe tottering in their financial centres across the western world, a new book next month by Canadian author Malcolm Gladwell will be a timely examination of what makes high achievers different.

Outliers: The Story of Success looks at the world of these "outliers"––the best and the brightest, the most famous and the most successful. Here, the author of The Tipping Point argues that we pay far too much attention to what people are like, instead of their roots: culture, personal childhood experiences, and family.

To illustrate his points, Gladwell draws upon examples of Canadian junior hockey champions and Asian math masters, and the secret formulas of success for the Beatles and Bill Gates.

Whether it will have the same long-term impact as The Tipping Point and Blink remains to be seen, but Outliers: The Story of Success will probably fly off the shelves for the holiday season.

Read an excerpt here.