Summary: The Three Lessons Of Joe Flom

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Malcolm Gladwell(2008) wrote the book The Outliers and in his fifth chapter, “The Three Lessons of Joe Flom”, he dissects the ways Joe Flom’s disadvantages provide opportunities for him to succeed. Gladwell says “ buried in that setback was a golden opportunity” when he talks about Joe Flom because Flom had the hidden advantage of having Jewish heritage, being in the right place at the right time, and seeing his parents do meaningful work and enjoy it (p. 124). For example, Flom’s Jewish heritage meant he couldn’t work at the bigger, influential firms and so he instead worked at a small startup firm. While that sounds like a disadvantage, it lead to his success at the jobs that the upper-level firms wouldn’t do, such as “proxy fights” (Gladwell, 2008. P. 125). These fights are the courtroom arguments before hostile takeovers are successful, which had a increase in the mid-70’s just as Flom had finished his 10,000 hours. Flom was also in the right place- New York, and the born at the perfect time- the 1930s. By being born in the 1930s he had smaller class sizes and fewer people to compete with for jobs and New York provided the best education available at that time. For example, Gladwell(2008) cites Diane Ravitch when she says “[t]he New York City public schools of the 1940s were considered the best schools in the …show more content…

150). It relates to chapter five through the difficult work that the Jewish immigrants had to do to survive. Due to their previous experience with garment making, they came to the U.S. and already had a career they were accomplished at and enjoyed. If they had not had their experience they would have had to work at any job they could find. These Jewish workers show that even though they must work hard to succeed they can find meaning and enjoyment in

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