Books

I got up early last Saturday with the intention of dropping by Barnes and Noble to grab a cup of coffee and finish my latest issue of Portfolio magazine.  Michelle called to tell me she had picked up a copy of Peaks and Valleys, the latest Spencer Johnson book, the day before; so I thought I’d take a closer look at her purchase while I was at the book store. 

Just a couple hours later the remnants of my coffee were cold and I had consumed all of Peaks and Valleys.  What’s more, the book was so fantastic I bought it (even though I had just read every word from cover to cover).

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I tend to lean toward non-fiction books.  I like knowing the hours spent reading something are beneficial.  If the book is interesting I’m done in a few days - absorbing big mouthfuls like a jumbo-size tub of popcorn.  If it’s not so good I consume it like a slice of holiday fruitcake - with gracious etiquette - laboring over every bite because I feel impelled to finish what I start.  Malcolm Gladwell’s latest book Outliers was not only consumed like a jumbo-size tub of popcorn – it was deliciously smothered in butter.

First of all, I have to admit my bias.  I love Gladwell’s previous books, Tipping Point and Blink.  Both are very insightful.  But Outliers has made me view life, success and most importantly screenwriting and what we do here at LitCentral in a much different way.  In Outliers Gladwell suggests that “genius” or a high IQ has nothing (yes, I said nothing) to do with success… and even more so, extraordinary success (hence the title - Outliers).

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