Name:

Reading Guide for Outliers, Chapter 1: The Matthew Effect

1. Look at the title: The Matthew Effect: For unto everyone that hath shall be given, and he shall have
abundance. But from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. -Matthew 25:29
Make a prediction for how this title relates to the idea of success.

2. How does Gladwell contextualize the chapter to make it relevant for us, the readers? (Hint: What is
section 1 about?)

3. Gladwell claims that hockey is a _______________________. How do you become a successful hockey
player in this kind of system?

4. On p.18, what are the usual questions that people ask about successful people? What do we usually expect
the conventional success story to look like?

Successful peoples personal qualities:

A. personalities
B. __________________________
C. __________________________
D. __________________________

Hero = ____________________________ + __________________________________

5. In contrast, how does Gladwell define success instead? (Read pp.19-20 through his analogy of the
ecology and the tallest oak in the forest. How does this analogy explain his definition of success?)

6. This is not a book about tall trees. Its a book about forests (20). If successful people are the tall trees,
what might the forests be?

7. Read through pp.20-25. Suddenly, we jump into hockey! What is the pattern that Roger Barnsley points
out about the hockey players? What is the significance of this pattern?

8. Brainstorm: to what other fields/selection processes can we perhaps apply Barnsleys theory? (Hint: look
at pp. 25-26, 28-30)

9. Read pp.30-31. Explain the Matthew Effect using the phrase accumulative advantage (30). Draw a
picture/diagram to help visualize this.
10. Read pp.31-33. What are some actions that Gladwell recommend we take to change how the system
produces successful people?

11. Read p.32. In a tweet, summarize the main idea of section 6. What might be Gladwells purpose for
including an anecdote at the end of this chapter?

12. Evaluate: What are the implications of systems that are skewed based on relative age?