When he arrived, Dr. Wolfe and his team first scoured the medical records of everyone in town. There was no pattern of relationships which couldn't be found in any other town in America. Then, he studied their diet, the most obvious culprit, but without finding anything spectacularly different. The team studied the environmental conditions. Again, there was no advantage in one town over the others in the same area. Frustrated, the team checked the medical records again. There was no unusual pattern of health issues. There were just as many obese people as other towns, no large number of people who did harder work than in other town, no fewer smokers or drinkers. These were ordinary people doing something extraordinary. They stayed free from heart disease longer than anyone else in the country. Wolfe had to find out why.

The exhaustive study showed that the difference was in the cooperative spirit of the town. All citizens, regardless of age, wealth or health, worked together for the good of all. The lack of conflict dramatically reduced stress.

The book is well written, and quite interesting. I was amazed at the small things that could spell the difference between success and mediocrity, if not outright failure. Is it possible to overcome the handicaps of being born on the wrong date or in the wrong year? Only if you are an outlier or have what it takes to become one.

Do you want to be successful? Read Outliers, and get a step closer.