David and Goliath Book Summary - David and Goliath Book explained in key points

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David and Goliath summary

Name: David and Goliath
Rating: 4.3 (149 reviews)
Author: Malcolm Gladwell

Malcolm Gladwell

Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants

4.3 (149 ratings)

20 mins

9 key ideas

Audio & text

What is David and Goliath about?

David and Goliath (2013) shares myriad stories of underdogs who won out against all the odds. Throwing out our traditional ideas of what it takes to be a success, it offers unconventional views on subjects such as the downsides to privilege, the benefits of learning difficulties, and how authorities should treat their citizens. These lessons are infused with academic studies, historical examples and detailed interviews with the underdogs themselves.

About the Author

Malcolm Gladwell is a journalist and author whose work reveals counterintuitive insights of psychology and sociology. He interviews a diverse number of people, ranging from the unknown to the ubiquitous, and weaves these personal anecdotes into accessible journalism, best-selling non-fiction and motivational talks to businesses.

Table of Contents

David and Goliath
summarized in 9 key ideas

Audio & text in the Blinkist app

Key idea 1 of 9

Comparing ourselves to our high-flying peers damages our confidence and stops us from reaching our full potential.

As we grow up we adjust to bigger and bigger schools, from primary to secondary and onwards. At each stage, we encounter more fellow pupils, many of whom have abilities we don’t have.

When we see peers whose skills surpass our own, we want to compete directly against them and become part of the elite; we want to be as good as the best. But this is misguided. If we compete against the brightest people, we feel relative deprivation. Comparing ourselves to brighter peers rather than to everyone causes us to lose confidence in our own abilities.

The lack of confidence brought about by trying to join the elite often leads to our failure in achieving all we want. For example, talented students who step up to elite universities and compete with the very best are more likely to drop out than those who choose a less prestigious university.

So if competing against the elite will damage our confidence, what should we do instead?

We should stop trying to compare ourselves with the best and instead aim to carve a niche for ourselves. In other words, we shouldn’t let the urge for peer recognition distract us from our unique passions. History is full of people who, rather than competing against the best, successfully followed their own paths.

For example, in the nineteenth century the Paris Salon was the most exclusive art exhibition in Europe. Artworks exhibited there had a huge audience and their value rocketed. Early Impressionist painters tried to have their work exhibited at the Salon, but to no avail: their avant-garde style was not accepted. Instead, they gave up trying to impress the elite and exhibited their pieces themselves – to great acclaim.

If they had let the Salon dictate what they should paint, they would not have ended up changing the course of art history.

Growing up in a privileged environment can hinder a child’s chance of learning valuable life lessons.

We assume that with richer parents and a more exclusive education, it becomes easier and easier for a child to grow up happy and healthy. However, a privileged background can, past a certain level, turn out to be counterproductive.

One way this manifests is when parents have too much money, causing their children to lack independence. Because the children can rely on their parents’ wealth for the remainder of their lives, they don’t learn the importance of hard work and thinking for oneself.

Learning difficulties can make reading arduous, but sufferers can develop incredible skills elsewhere.

Consider this question: if a bat and a ball cost $1.10, and the bat costs $1 more than the ball, how much does the ball cost?

You may well have said that the ball costs ten cents, but you’d be wrong. In fact the answer is five cents.

Traumatic experiences can spur people to achieve great things through increased courage and resilience.

The great writers Keats, Wordsworth and Swift shared something in common: they each lost a parent before reaching adulthood. But it is not only these writers who have shared this trauma. A large number of notable people, from biologists to US presidents, have lost a parent early. In fact, a study of the people whose achievements have seen them listed in an encyclopedia found that an incredible 45 percent had lost a parent by age 20.

You might think such a tragedy would damage their prospects in life, but instead it seems to have given them a massive impetus to forge an exceptional career.

Underdogs can overturn the odds and succeed by employing unconventional tactics.

You may have seen many films and read many novels where the underdog wins. Yet, in real life, this hardly ever happens. In a direct fight, competitors with vastly superior resources and wealth outgun their weaker opponents nearly every time.

However, while underdogs can’t hope to beat stronger opponents in a direct competition, they stand a higher chance of success if they employ unexpected tactics.

The shrewd tactics of the Civil Rights Movement show how tricks and deception are vital weapons in an underdog’s arsenal.

The US Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s has a rather saintly and honest image today. Yet, in their battle to attain their noble aims and defeat a powerful enemy, the Movement often used deceptive and misleading tricks to succeed against the odds.

One way the Civil Rights Movement used deception was to trick the authorities and the public into thinking they were stronger than they were.

To succeed in our goals, we need to be prepared to take risks and upset those around us.

Imagine if everyone believed everything they heard, or if everyone accepted all authority or caved in to pressure from peers. That would result in a seriously boring and tepid environment because no one would innovate or think differently.

Instead, we owe revolutions and innovations to those who flout social norms and don’t care what people think of them – those who are disagreeable.

Far from discouraging crime, excessive and harsh punishments in fact exacerbate it.

The underdogs don't always go on to become great successes or found multi-billion dollar companies. Being socially underprivileged often means poverty, and the dark side of poverty is that it can sometimes lead to crime. In this arena, too, we face a David vs. Goliath situation: The Goliath-like government aims to prevent crime and often ends up using drastic measures to do so. But why do they resort to such means? And does it really help?

Some economists argue that because humans act rationally, law and order can be determined by mathematics. Everything, they say, is merely a case of calculating costs and benefits.

People disobey authorities they perceive as enemies, but obey those whom they perceive as fair and humane.

It is popular to believe that authorities should be concerned only with setting and upholding the law, not with what people think about it. But in fact nothing could be further from the truth.

If authorities are seen as an adversary, people will be less likely to obey their laws. For example, a study of African American males born in the 1970s shows that as many as 69 percent of them who dropped out of school spent time in prison. Harsh punishments given out to one community led many of its members to regard the police and legal system as being unfair and unrepresentative. It became a badge of honor for the friends and family members of the jailed men to stand up to the authorities who deprived them of their loved ones.

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Who should read David and Goliath

Anyone looking for motivation or inspiration in their lives
Anyone who has always wanted to know the behind-the-scenes or personal stories of well-known events in history
Anyone interested in psychology, or crime and punishment

Categories with David and Goliath

Motivation & Inspiration Management & Leadership

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David and Goliath summary

What is David and Goliath about?

About the Author

David and Goliath
summarized in 9 key ideas

Comparing ourselves to our high-flying peers damages our confidence and stops us from reaching our full potential.

Growing up in a privileged environment can hinder a child’s chance of learning valuable life lessons.

Learning difficulties can make reading arduous, but sufferers can develop incredible skills elsewhere.

Traumatic experiences can spur people to achieve great things through increased courage and resilience.

Underdogs can overturn the odds and succeed by employing unconventional tactics.

The shrewd tactics of the Civil Rights Movement show how tricks and deception are vital weapons in an underdog’s arsenal.

To succeed in our goals, we need to be prepared to take risks and upset those around us.

Far from discouraging crime, excessive and harsh punishments in fact exacerbate it.

People disobey authorities they perceive as enemies, but obey those whom they perceive as fair and humane.

Key ideas in David and Goliath

Comparing ourselves to our high-flying peers damages our confidence and stops us from reaching our full potential.

Growing up in a privileged environment can hinder a child’s chance of learning valuable life lessons.

Learning difficulties can make reading arduous, but sufferers can develop incredible skills elsewhere.

Traumatic experiences can spur people to achieve great things through increased courage and resilience.

Underdogs can overturn the odds and succeed by employing unconventional tactics.

The shrewd tactics of the Civil Rights Movement show how tricks and deception are vital weapons in an underdog’s arsenal.

To succeed in our goals, we need to be prepared to take risks and upset those around us.

Far from discouraging crime, excessive and harsh punishments in fact exacerbate it.

People disobey authorities they perceive as enemies, but obey those whom they perceive as fair and humane.

Who should read David and Goliath

Categories with David and Goliath

Books like David and Goliath

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David and Goliath summary

What is David and Goliath about?

About the Author

David and Goliath summarized in 9 key ideas

Comparing ourselves to our high-flying peers damages our confidence and stops us from reaching our full potential.

Growing up in a privileged environment can hinder a child’s chance of learning valuable life lessons.

Learning difficulties can make reading arduous, but sufferers can develop incredible skills elsewhere.

Traumatic experiences can spur people to achieve great things through increased courage and resilience.

Underdogs can overturn the odds and succeed by employing unconventional tactics.

The shrewd tactics of the Civil Rights Movement show how tricks and deception are vital weapons in an underdog’s arsenal.

To succeed in our goals, we need to be prepared to take risks and upset those around us.

Far from discouraging crime, excessive and harsh punishments in fact exacerbate it.

People disobey authorities they perceive as enemies, but obey those whom they perceive as fair and humane.

Key ideas in David and Goliath

Comparing ourselves to our high-flying peers damages our confidence and stops us from reaching our full potential.

Growing up in a privileged environment can hinder a child’s chance of learning valuable life lessons.

Learning difficulties can make reading arduous, but sufferers can develop incredible skills elsewhere.

Traumatic experiences can spur people to achieve great things through increased courage and resilience.

Underdogs can overturn the odds and succeed by employing unconventional tactics.

The shrewd tactics of the Civil Rights Movement show how tricks and deception are vital weapons in an underdog’s arsenal.

To succeed in our goals, we need to be prepared to take risks and upset those around us.

Far from discouraging crime, excessive and harsh punishments in fact exacerbate it.

People disobey authorities they perceive as enemies, but obey those whom they perceive as fair and humane.

Who should read David and Goliath

Categories with David and Goliath

Books like David and Goliath

Discover the Blinkist catalogue

Popular titles

Most popular categories

Trending Collections

David and Goliath
summarized in 9 key ideas