Outliers Group Chapter Presentation Discussion Suggestions

Here are some items to consider as you prepare your chapter presentation. Topics of importance are listed. You are not required to answer all or any of the discussion questions, although you may if you choose to. They are only presented as a guide for your group discussion and for the discussion your group will lead with the class. Ultimately, it is up to your group to determine what is most fascinating and significant about your chapter. Just be sure to mention some of the examples, anecdotes, etc. that Gladwell provides to support his key points.

Chapter 3: The Trouble with Geniuses part 1

  • Chris Langan
  • Stanford-Binet test
  • Lewis Terman and his research
  • IQ tests
  • Gladwell’s take on IQ scores
  1. Where does the 10,000 - Hourrule come throughinchapterthree?
  2. “Tohave a highIQ,youtendtospecialize, thinkdeepthoughts.”Doyouagree with this statement? Explain.
  3. How didLewis Termanactas a coach?
  4. “There is nothingaboutanindividual as importantas his IQ,exceptpossiblyhis morals.”Terman

Comment on this statement.

  1. Gladwellsays thatmanypeople andcompanies inoursociety“are convincedthatthose atthe verytopofthe IQ scale have the greatestpotential”. Comment on this statement.
  2. Does this statementnegate the significance ofchapterone andtwo? Explain
  3. Whatis the significance ofa thresholdandhow does this relate to IQ exams?
  4. Describe the importance ofAffirmative Actionatthe Universityof Michigan.
  5. Whatis the significance oftestscores vs. qualityofstudent?
  6. Whatis the difference betweendivergence andconvergence testing?

Outliers Group Chapter Presentation Discussion Suggestions

Here are some items to consider as you prepare your chapter presentation. Topics of importance are listed. You are not required to answer all or any of the discussion questions, although you may if you choose to. They are only presented as a guide for your group discussion and for the discussion your group will lead with the class. Ultimately, it is up to your group to determine what is most fascinating and significant about your chapter. Just be sure to mention some of the examples, anecdotes, etc. that Gladwell provides to support his key points.

Chapter 4: The Trouble with Geniuses part 2

  • Chris Langan
  • Oppenheimer
  • In this chapter, what does Gladwell say is required for someone to succeed?
  1. Whatevents ledChris Langantobelieve thathe coulddowithoutthe highereducation system?
  2. Whatwas a turningpointinLangans’life?
  3. Does Langanhave Harvardbackwards as Gladwellbelieves?
  4. Whatare the similarities anddifferences betweenLanganandOppenheimer?
  5. Whathappens withLanganandhis Calculus professoratMontana State? Whyis this eventsignificantinthe course ofLangan’slive?
  6. Whattype ofintelligence is differentfromwhatIQ measures? Whatis the significance ofitwhendiscussingLangan?
  7. Is IQ solelya measure ofinnate ability? Describe Annette Lareau’sstudy?

Outliers Group Chapter Presentation Discussion Suggestions

Here are some items to consider as you prepare your chapter presentation. Topics of importance are listed. You are not required to answer all or any of the discussion questions, although you may if you choose to. They are only presented as a guide for your group discussion and for the discussion your group will lead with the class. Ultimately, it is up to your group to determine what is most fascinating and significant about your chapter. Just be sure to mention some of the examples, anecdotes, etc. that Gladwell provides to support his key points.

Chapter 5: Three Lessons of Joe Flom

  • Joe Flom
  • Proxy wars
  • Borgenichts
  1. Joe Flom,“rags-to-riches”story
  2. Whatis he a productof?
  3. Whatwas significantinhis environment? Whatwere Joe Flom’sopportunities?
  4. Doyouagree that“acceptabilityis made upofthe sumofitsparts”?
  5. Whatdoes Gladwellmeanwhenhe says “buriedinthatsetbackwas a golden opportunity”?
  6. Whatis a proxywar?
  7. Whatmade Joe Flom’swill towin?
  8. Explainhowstartingoutwithadversitycansometimes endupas opportunity
  9. Maurice and Mort Janklow
  10. WhydidMaurice Janklowstruggle as a lawyer?
  11. Whatare the benefits ofbeingbornduringthe 1930s? How didthese benefits affect MortJanklow?
  12. How does the Janklowsstoryrelate toJoe Floms?
  13. “Itis nothowmuchmoneywe make thatultimatelymakes us happybetweennine and five. It’s whetherourworkfulfills us.” Whatdoes this quote meantoyou?
  14. “Hardworkis a prisonsentence onlyifitdoes nothave meaning.”How does this relate to the jobs youhave hadinyourlife? How does this quote affectyouridea ofwhat yourprofessionwill be like aftercollege?
  15. Whatare some ofthe life lessons thatcanbelearnedfrom the earlyimmigrants to America?
  16. Whatis the significance ofa “demographic trough”?
  17. Whatdo theKatzes, the Rosens, the Liptons, the Watchtellsandthe Flomsall have in common?

Outliers Group Chapter Presentation Discussion Suggestions

Here are some items to consider as you prepare your chapter presentation. Topics of importance are listed. You are not required to answer all or any of the discussion questions, although you may if you choose to. They are only presented as a guide for your group discussion and for the discussion your group will lead with the class.Ultimately, it is up to your group to determine what is most fascinating and significant about your chapter. Just be sure to mention some of the examples, anecdotes, etc. that Gladwell provides to support his key points.

Chapter 6: Harlan, Kentucky

  • Harlan
  • Patterns and culture in Kentucky
  • Cohen and Nisbett experiment
  1. Whatis the “culture ofhonor”thattakes place throughoutthe Appalachian Mountains?
  2. Herdsmanvs.GrowingCrops
  3. Whyis violence requiredthroughoutHarlanKentucky?
  4. This chapterspeaks ofcultural legacies. Whatis thesignificance ofthese?

Outliers Group Chapter Presentation Discussion Suggestions

Here are some items to consider as you prepare your chapter presentation. Topics of importance are listed. You are not required to answer all or any of the discussion questions, although you may if you choose to. They are only presented as a guide for your group discussion and for the discussion your group will lead with the class. Ultimately, it is up to your group to determine what is most fascinating and significant about your chapter. Just be sure to mention some of the examples, anecdotes, etc. that Gladwell provides to support his key points.

Chapter 7: The Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes

  • Korean Airlines flight
  • SurenRatwatte's area of expertise
  • Colombian airplane crash
  • George Hofstede research
  • PDI
  • Where is the burden of understanding placed in a conversation between two Koreans?
  1. Throughreadingthe storyoftheGuam plane crashandSurenRatwatte’sexperience withhis ownriskyflights (Helsinki)whatwas the mostsignificanteventinhis success? Explain.
  2. Howsignificantare problemsolvingskills throughoutthis chapter? Explain.
  3. “Eachofus has his orherowndistinctpersonality. Butoverlaidontopofthatare tendencies andassumptions andreflexes handeddowntous bythehistoryofthe communitywe grewup in,andthose differences are extraordinarilyspecific.”

This is a theme thattravels throughoutOutliers. Comment on this quote.

  1. The willingness tochange is crucial inthe restructuringofKoreanAir. Howdoes Gladwelldescribe this andhow does this compare toa time whenyoumade a change inyourownlife? Whateffecthasthis change hadonyourcurrentsituationandwas this change internal orexternal?

Outliers Group Chapter Presentation Discussion Suggestions

Here are some items to consider as you prepare your chapter presentation. Topics of importance are listed. You are not required to answer all or any of the discussion questions, although you may if you choose to. They are only presented as a guide for your group discussion and for the discussion your group will lead with the class. Ultimately, it is up to your group to determine what is most fascinating and significant about your chapter. Just be sure to mention some of the examples, anecdotes, etc. that Gladwell provides to support his key points.

Chapter 8: Rice Paddies and Math Tests

  • cultural legacy among Asian peoples
  • rice paddies and rice farmers
  • Values of Asian culture
  • Famers in the Middle Ages
  • Crops and government
  1. How do the workhours ofa wet-rice farmerinAsia compare tootherfarmers across the world?
  2. How does the occupationofa wet-rice farmerrelate tochaptertwo:10,000-hourrule?

Outliers Group Chapter Presentation Discussion Suggestions

Here are some items to consider as you prepare your chapter presentation. Topics of importance are listed. You are not required to answer all or any of the discussion questions, although you may if you choose to. They are only presented as a guide for your group discussion and for the discussion your group will lead with the class. Ultimately, it is up to your group to determine what is most fascinating and significant about your chapter. Just be sure to mention some of the examples, anecdotes, etc. that Gladwell provides to support his key points.

Chapter 9: Marita’s Bargain

  • KIPP Academy
  • early American educational theorists claim about education
  • the school year
  • parenting style
  • student needs
  1. Whatis special aboutthe KIPPprogram?
  2. Whatare the majordifferences betweenAsianandUSnotions inregards toworkethic as itrelates toeducationinthe early19thcentury?
  3. Whatis the significance ofsummervacationforstudents inelementaryschool?
  4. WhenCorcoranis describinghowhe works withhis mathematics class atKIPPandis “makingmathmeaningful”,how does this change yourperceptionofmathinterms of yourownabilityandexperiences inthe classroom?
  5. Inthis chapterGladwellexplains howhe has found“success follows a predictable course”,whathas this course beenas itrelates toMarita?
  6. How does Gladwellexplainprovidingopportunities forallinordertoenable success? Explainthe miracle ofmeaningful work?