Barking Up the Wrong Tree summary

In the 1980s and 1990s, an American doctor named Michael Swango murdered at least 60 patients. While his colleagues suspected him of these crimes, not one of them tried to intervene.

It’s just one example of the way bad people seem to get away with everything. But does the world really tip in favor of those prepared to be bad?

Today, Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa, also known as Dr. Q, is one of the top brain surgeons in the world. He runs his own lab at America’s best hospital, Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. However, his life started out in absolute poverty; as an illegal migrant farmworker, he had to demonstrate true grit, sticking with difficult work throughout his life and never giving up.

It sounds like everyone could benefit from some grit like that, but where does it come from?

In a working world that’s increasingly organized around teams and networking, how far can a lone wolf advance? Do you have to be extroverted to succeed in your career?

Well, if research is any guide, the scales certainly tip in favor of outgoing and popular people. Extroverted workers are much more likely to succeed than their peers, both in financial terms and in career progress.

When the chess master Garry Kasparov played the supercomputer “Deep Blue” in 1997, the computer executed a random move caused by a software bug. In response, Kasparov assumed that the machine had a plan he wasn’t smart enough to understand; he lost his confidence and eventually the match.

It’s a clear example of how poor confidence can cause serious problems. Success and confidence have a clear positive association.

If you’ve read this far, you’re ready to succeed and, if you strive for the traits outlined in the earlier blinks, you can. But you won’t strike it rich and get famous just by working when the mood hits you. Having a strong work ethic is essential.

The number of hours you spend working will make all the difference between the decent and the incredible. While intelligence will certainly help, once your IQ stretches beyond 120, adding additional points has basically no effect on success. That’s why the smart people who succeed are those that work the hardest.