Outliers

By Malcolm Gladwell
Published in 2008 by Little, Brown and company

Would you believe me if I told you that the success of amazing people like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs depended on the year they were born? That Asians are so good at math because of the agricultural activities of their ancestors?  Or that the reason for several mysterious plane crashes was actually the ethnicity of the first officer? In Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell tells us the real story of success. Whether it’s high school hockey players, software geniuses, or amazing math scores, there’s more to success than meets the eye.

In part one, Opportunity, we see how success depends more on opportunity and luck than on personal talent. Learn how Bill Gate’s success was thanks to  the ‘Mother’s Club’ at his school, and how Bill Joy the computer legend would have been a small, infamous biologist if he was born just three years earlier than he was. Through all these stories and more, we understand the amazing way that every small opportunity plays a part in turning unremarkable people into stars. Even setbacks are golden opportunities in disguise. It isn’t enough to have talent. To succeed you need extraordinary perseverance, fortune, ambition, and chances. But sometimes even that is not enough.

Part two, Legacy, tells us what influence the cultural background of a person can have on their success. The author studies how important it is for officers on airplanes to learn English and get used to American culture, and also how rice paddies play such an important role in the math tests of Chinese children.  You wouldn’t believe the effect ethnicity can have on a person’s achievements.

To read more of these remarkable stories about how exceptional accomplishments are made, read Outliers, an incredible book which will alter the way you look at the world.

 

To me, ‘non-fiction’ has always been pretty much synonymous to ‘boring textbook’. But then, I was given Outliers to read as a classroom assignment. After reading just a few pages I was fascinated. I went far past the one chapter I was supposed to read and finished the entire book. By the end, my views and ideas about success had changed completely. I’ve learned an amazing amount from this one book, and I will never look at a ‘rags to riches’ success story the same way again. For the first time, I have truly realized the amazing complexity and hardship success involves.

I would definitely recommend this book to all kids twelve years and above. A wonderful and informative read this is the kind of book that not only you will love, but your parents will be proud of as well!

 

My work in progress

This is a story which I haven't finished yet. Please note that any number of changes may be made to it at any point of time. In other words, work is still in progress!


I sat, head in my hands, resisting the urge to jump up and slap the wrinkly old man pacing back and forth in front of me. He was saying something, and it might have been important, but I couldn’t hear him through the rush of emotions pounding through my head. Anger, shame, disbelief and bitter resentment coursed through me. Not because of him, though I was mad at him too. I was fuming at me, my life, and the whole world in general.

All of a sudden I would think, ‘being angry isn’t really making things better’. This would give me a brief respite from the storm of my own fury, but it was back within seconds; anger at how stupid I was being, wallowed in my emotions when I could be doing something useful.

Finally Augustin seemed to realize I wasn’t listening, and came over. He asked me something. I raised my head a bit and asked, "What?"

I was surprised at the sound of my own voice. It sounded quite normal, considering the emotions coursing through me. I looked at Augustin, and received another shock. He was grinning in triumph, obviously delighted. "I said, isn’t it brilliant!"

I just stared at him in bewilderment. He shook his head and said, "Snap recap- I’ve found the answer to our problem with the hearing enhancer!"

He paused, probably thinking he was creating a dramatic effect. Instead I just felt exhausted and thoroughly confused. "Yeah… that’s great, Augustin. I’ll just leave you to work on it for now." I said, and I grabbed my laptop from the table and walked out.

Just two steps out of the doorway, I realized that it was pouring buckets. Irritated, I stormed back into the house and demanded an umbrella. After fumbling around in a dark cupboard, Augustin managed to produce a bright red one with yellow polka dots. With a frown and a quick ‘thank you’, I walked down the road in the direction of my home.

Once there, I placed my laptop on my desk and threw myself down onto my bed. Instantly my mind travelled back, relieving the moments that had led to today…

　

I was ten years old again, running through the streets as fast as I could. I had no idea how far behind my pursuers were. I heard the engine of a car behind me, and risked a glance around my shoulder. I was momentarily relieved to see a regular horse-drawn carriage, before I noticed the long black limousine not far behind it.

They were close. I had to hide.

Suddenly I spotted an open gate to my left. I rushed in and discovered an old fashioned house. A set of stairs to my right led to the terrace of the house.

Without pausing to think, I rushed up the stairs, two at a time. It was only once I reached the top that I realised I was trapped. There was no other way down except the way I had come, and to keep moving was essential.

Then I noticed that the railing around the terrace was very low, and that the terrace of the adjoining house was hardly two feet away. It was an easy jump, but if I fell…

Fate decided for me. An old lady walked up the stairs, and screamed when she saw me. I ran and jumped. For a moment I sailed through the air, heard the rattling as bits of gravel I had dislodged skipped off the roof onto the road below. Within moments I was on the roof of the next house. This time I didn’t stop- I ran and jumped again, landing on the next house. So I continued, finally stopping around ten houses away from where I had begun.

I turned in a full circle, making sure I was absolutely alone, before dropping the backpack (which contained all my worldly belongings) and opening my hand to look at the glittering object clenched in my fist.

It was a beautiful golden locket, oval-shaped, about the size of a grape, but flatter. It was studded with tiny, precious stones. And in the middle, engraved in elegant script, was my name: Sara.

Fingers trembling, I opened it. Inside, looking like someone had painstakingly scratched them in, were just two words ‘love you’.

Tears sprang into my eyes. This was it. My last gift from my parents. Throughout my search for this tiny treasure, I had hoped that the locket would contain something more- some clue to my parent’s whereabouts, or some words of advice from them. I couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed. And yet, at the same time, these two words were perfect- they spread wonderful warmth through me, and I felt better, more confident, less confused. I picked myself up, fastened the locket around my neck and slung the blue backpack onto my shoulders. It was time to leave.

　

A loud ‘crack!" made me zoom back to the present. I looked out of the window. The storm had worked itself up into a gale, and a branch of the tree outside had hit my window. "Looks like nature’s having a day just as bad as mine", I thought as I drew the curtains.

I sat down at my desk and unlocked my computer. Still open on the screen was the message that had caused all my boiling emotions-


The gang has taken Alex. They traced your ‘clue’, and guess what? You were wrong. They found us. It took them some time, but now none of us are safe. Except you, of course. Because that was the whole plan, wasn’t it? Risk our lives while keeping yours perfectly safe. All I want to say is, don’t even consider helping us. We’ll do everything ourselves.

Malviya
I stared at the message numbly. It had been nearly two years since the incident, and I had stopped worrying completely. This had been a sudden and unexpected blow.

Alex… my very best friend. He was one person who had really understood. I had lived in his house for almost a whole year. We were all happy together- the two of us, his parents, and his little brother. Then, I found out about the locket my parents had left me. It was extremely precious and expensive. I managed to track it, and found out that it was in the possession of ‘the gang’.

‘The gang’ was what everyone called a mysterious society that engaged in all kinds of shady activity. It was said that every kidnapper, thief, and lawbreaker in the kingdom was part of, or connected to, the gang. The gang was unbeatable, impossible to penetrate. And if you crossed the gang- well, nothing worse could ever happen to you.

But I, Sara, had broken the rule. I had broken into one of the gang’s headquarters, and stolen something, and I had gotten away with it. That wasn’t allowed. The gang was supposed to be all-powerful. It was a foolish thing to do, but I had to get the necklace. I couldn’t explain why.

Planting a false clue had been Alex’s idea. We argued about it for months. Alex had wanted me to plant a false clue leading to him. He had disagreed when I suggested planting false clues that led to nowhere, saying that wouldn’t be authentic enough. I knew he was right- the gang had the most amazing technology and capabilities. But I still didn’t want Alex to put himself in danger.

In the end, Alex managed to convince me. If traced, there was only a 0.0001% chance that the clue would lead to Alex.

I had stayed in many places after escaping the gang, until now, when I worked as an assistant for Professor Augustin Sigma, an inventor. There had been absolutely no news. We lost contact, but I guess we both assumed that Alex was perfectly safe.

But, like Alex’s mother Malviya said in the message, we were wrong. The gang found Alex. And he was in grave danger.

A grumble from my stomach made me remember that I hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast. I looked at the time. Eight o’clock p.m. I decided to get some food. I could never think straight on an empty stomach. Alex wasn’t in immediate danger, anyway. They would not recognize him, since he was not the thief, but they would try to force information out of him. But knowing Alex, he would resist as long as he could.

I stood up and walked outside. The rain had slowed to a drizzle. I turned around and locked the door before starting on my way.

As I walked towards a small café down the road, anger, guilt and worry assaulted me continuously, like waves crashing on a rocky shore. One second I was thinking-

"Why? Why doesn’t anyone understand? It wasn’t my idea to put Alex in danger! Who does Malviya think she is…"

Then-

"It’s entirely my fault, I never should have planted that ‘clue’, I was so selfish, obsessed with finding the locket…"

And finally-

"I wonder whether Alex is all right, I’m sure he’s holding on. What if they’re hurting him? Oh God…" and so on.

　

　

　

　

　

　

As the last rays of daylight filtered through the windows, Professor Augustin sat at his desk, writing a report on his newest invention. The inspiration had come to him in the dead of the night before last, and he hadn’t paused work since. Heedless of the hours that had passed, he laboured on, for this was no ordinary invention. It was the result of an amazing discovery that could change the world.

Absorbed in his work, Augustin did not hear the creak of the door; nor did he notice the flash of azure as the weapon raced towards his neck.

The weapon was long, thin as a needle, and studded with tiny blue diamonds. It was enchantingly beautiful- brilliant blue and a hilt studded with obsidian stones.

Death took its cold hold within seconds. A lone figure, shrouded in white, left silently through the window, as the beautiful weapon clattered to the floor, stained a vivid shade of violet. This was no ordinary weapon. It destroyed the person so completely, from deep inside, that there was absolutely nothing to be saved. But that was not the worst of it. It toyed with the person’s brain, making each moment of pain seem a millennium. And this was the terrible fate which had befallen Augustin Sigma.

But more important was the fate of the documents which still lay, unfinished, upon the professor’s desk. As the steady drip, drip of blood marked the destruction of the precious pages, it was something of a marvel that the rest of the world did not realize what was happening.

The destruction of the documents that could decide the fate of the world.
And, more importantly, the destiny of two very special thirteen-year-olds.



　

　
 I woke up biting my lip so hard it was bleeding. I wondered what I had dreamt about. It must have been pretty bad, considering the metallic taste in my mouth. Sighing, I swung my legs out of bed and pulled my long hair up into a bun. I asked myself, for the millionth time, why I even bothered to grow it in the first place. But as always, the answer was the same: it made me look like my mother.


In twenty minutes I was ready for work. I picked up my laptop, grabbed a piece of toast and headed out, carefully locking the door behind me. I munched on my toast as I walked, and let my mind drift to the topic that I had been avoiding all morning. Alex.

He was probably not having a great day. The Gang were not known for their mercy. To them it made no difference whether they were hurting a two-year old or an old woman. A captive was a captive regardless of age or gender. Also, the Gang was known for being deceivingly smart. If they couldn't force the information they wanted out of a captive, they would trick them into telling.

But I wasn't too worried. In fact, it sort of made me feel guilty, but I hardly felt in a hurry to go rescue him. Alex was probably the smartest person I had ever met. The Gang had probably discovered that they couldn't force secrets out of him, so they must have resorted to trickery. I was willing to bet they were going mad, with him foiling their plans over and over again. The thought made me smile.

Finally, I reached Proffessor Augustin's front drive. As I walked up to his front door, I noticed that the window of his study was open. This was strange. Augustin was the kind of man who preferred small, silent, enclosed places to perform his experiments. His house was always lit by extra-bright tube lights. I had never seen him open a window.

I rang the doorbell and twined my fingers together idly, waiting. After a few seconds, I rang the bell again. Wondering whether the bell was out of order, I rapped on the door. I waited a few more minutes, and hten banged harder. To my surprise, the door flew open.

Maybe I was starting to overreact. My hair was standing on end and I was on full alert. But every instinct in me told me that something was very, very wrong. Augustin was no absent-minded professor. He had a memory sharper than an elephant's. He was also a keen observer. I doubted he would have accidentally left the door open.

Silent as a cat, I walked into the house. I stopped for a moment, and listened. Not a sound. I frowned. Augustin was usually hustling around, clinking bottles, adjusting machines and whatnot. Even when he was doing deskwork, you could hear him. The fancy fountain pens he liked to use made a sharp scratching noise against paper.

In the next split second, all my suspicions were confirmed. The horrible stench of blood filled my nostrils and I was running. I was already halfway down the road by the time I realised that I should have checked whether Augustin was all right. Well, I was actually thinking "check if he's still alive".

Wary, I turned back towards the house.

Carefully I stepped into the study. I stared at the floor, scared of the sight that would eet me when I raised my eyes. Taking a deep breath, I looked up. The sight that met me was horrifying.

to be continued...

What's Life Without Simple Machines?

This is a poem I wrote in 4th grade which I found recently and posted. Enjoy!


Imagine how the world would be,

Without any technology.

No simple machines, and so no compound,

Nothing but our voices to provide a sound!



Imagine that there were no screw,

If you had to hold things together,

There would be nothing to do!

Your desks would break,

And the doors would fall flat,

Imagine all the problems caused because of that!



Now try and think what it would be like,

If there was no such thing as a pulley!

Then how would you play and ride on your bike?

Also there would, of course, be no elevators.

Also it would be so tough to draw water from a well

(Aah! Imagine what would happen if you fell!)



Here goes my favourite, can you guess what it is?

None other than the great lever!

Without levers, you wouldn’t be able to do all of this:

Playing on see-saws,

Opening doors,

You wouldn’t even be able to mop up your floors!



If there were none of these,

We wouldn’t be able to chop down trees!

It’s none other than the fantastic wedge!

Imagine there were no wedges, then how would we

Use a nail for connecting,

Or a knife for cutting?



Imagine there were no inclined plane

They really help us a lot,

(Though you may say they do not)

You find them in steps,

And on your playground slides,

Just look around, and you’ll see them on all sides!



Last but not least, the wheel and axel,

You find them on roller skates,

And on very heavy crates,

You’ll see them in trains,

And on cranes,

The wheel and axel never fails!



So now can you clearly see?

How difficult life without simple machines would be?

Gratitude

Knowledge

Great, Everlasting

Shines like light

Reflections on the truth

Wisdom

It shines like a beacon in the distance,

So easy, yet impossible, to attain;

The ultimate treasure which one can seek to gain:

That glowing lamp, shrouded in mist;

Obscured by the fog of ignorance.

Without it, one will be lost,

Filled with fear and doubt.

Just a blind man, wandering about.

So Avoid all foolish delusions,

Reach that brilliant lamp, at any cost.

It is difficult to find it all by oneself,

Several guides must show the way.

And in the end, one owes it to they:

Wonderful, loving TEACHERS,

Who reveal the path to success.

They tirelessly explain and instruct,

Help one learn from one’s mistakes,

They put in all the effort it takes,

Preparing one for all obstacles,

Showing how to rise and construct.

So celebrate every teacher,

Give thanks to those who helped you discover:

That wonderful lamp in the distance,

No longer obscured by doubt and ignorance.

Teachers

Intelligent, encouraging

Steer lives towards knowledge

Deserve so many thanks

Educators



My Bharathanatyam Arangetram

On June 30th, 2012, I performed my bharathanatyam Arangetram. An Arangetram is the first full- length stage performance by a bharathanatyam dancer. By doing her Arangetram, a dancer proves that she has mastered the basics of bharathanatyam and is ready to climb the stage and show her talent to the world. The Arangetram is a very big event in a dancer’s life, and so you can understand that I was very, very excited to be performing mine.


It was sometime in July, 2011, that our parents and my teacher, Smt. Rohini Ramesh (or Rohini aunty, as I call her) decided that me and two of my friends, Tanya and Priyanka, would be doing our BharathanatyamArangetram together. It would take a full year to prepare, so we got started right away. In addition to our normal classes Rohini aunty started giving us special classes, with just the three of us.

We picked up pace, and started learning at twice the speed we had before. Now that I had a great goal to work towards, I worked a lot harder and put in more effort. By March, we had perfected all the dances. Now, all that remained was the “icing on the cake”, as my teacher calls it. Though our steps were correct, we needed to learn how to beautify our dance with expressions and eye movements.

Throughout April and May, we threw our full force into the dance. We practised all day and attended class in the evening. Slowly, the practice worked its magic on us. Our stamina increased and we had finally reached the level of perfection required for an Arangetram.

While I was busy learning dance, my parents were even busier still. They had millions of things to do: hiring the hall and orchestra, printing cards and banners, setting costumes and makeup, finding places for guests to stay… I could go on and on!

So, the days passed, and finally the final day arrived! I had butterflies in my stomach the whole day. In the afternoon my mother and I drove to the hall. There I met Tanya and Priyanka, and we all started getting our makeup done. Unable to sit still, we discussed steps, formations, and movements. Rohini Aunty had to keep telling us to ‘relax, everything will be fine!’

Soon we were ready, wearing our costumes. We sat in the green room, shaking with nervousness. Already I could hear the noise from the crowd downstairs. Finally, our programme director came up and told us it was time to go backstage. In the wings were plates of white chocolate and bottles of Gatorade, for us to eat and drink between dances.

I took a deep breath as the first song started, and then walked onstage. I looked out into the audience. Though I couldn’t see their faces, I could tell that there were around 400 people out there. But, I felt confident. The dance was so much fun, I couldn’t help but smile. We completed the entire dance without a single mistake! By the time we walked offstage, we were brimming of energy and confidence.

We danced through the entire first half, which ended with the 30- minute long Varnam. Relieved after the tiring dance, we went backstage. Immediately we were swept into the green room, where we changed costumes. It was a real challenge to get ready within 10 minutes!

The second half began with Tanya’s solo, followed by mine, and then Priyanka’s. My solo was one of the dances that I was most nervous about, but it went very well and everyone loved it. After the solos, it was time for each of us to give our vote of thanks. Then, finally, we came to the last dance of the day, called the Thillana. After that was over, we walked backstage.

Waiting there were many of my friends and relatives. Everyone told me that I had danced very well, and that my vote of thanks had been especially nice! People piled gifts and bouquets into my arms. We had danced for over 2 hours, with hardly any break! But, to me it seemed like it was over even before it had all begun. After dinner, people left one by one, and finally I drove home as well.

I simply couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t believe that we had actually done it! I was really, really happy.

Preparing and performing my Bharathanatyam Arangetram was one of my most fantastic experiences. It took a lot of work, time and practice, but in the end it was completely worth all the effort I put in. My Arangetram was a huge milestone in my life and I will never forget it!

The Conch Bearer

Here is a book review on the book 'The Conch Bearer' by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni in the form of a poem!

The book starts in a bengali alley,
and takes you to a secret himalayan valley.
Along the way there is lots of magic,
and interesting events,
both happy and tragic.

The excitement begins in a tiny shack,
from work a boy named Anand has come back.
But there he finds a mysterious man,
who claims that he will and can,
take Anand on a wonderful travel,
if he will protect a conch which is quite a marvel.

So Anand sets out, starting in his alley,
to go return the conch to its silver valley.
Accompanying him is Nisha, a girl of the streets,
and the man, of course, with his magical feats.
On the trip there is lots of danger,
and scary encounters with an evil stranger.
But Anand and his friends overcome it all,
and enter the secret valley standing tall!
Yet, even there, Anand must make with precision,.
a horrible, poignant, life-changing decision.

This is a fantastic compelling adventure story,
with ups and downs, despair and glory
The Indian setting gives the story a special feeling,
making the book very appealing.
I assure you this book will never make you frown,
It's a real page turner, impossible to put down!

The story of a far away land

Long ago, there was a far away land,
where almost no one would lend a helping hand.
 the adults were selfish and full of themselves,
never bothering to clean floors or dust shelves.
because with enjoying themselves they were never done,
all day the men would drink and have fun.

The women were even worse,
always worried about their hair and purse.
 but the children, Ah! the children were good!
They never cried or bothered, and they were never rude!
they were helpful and kind, loving and caring,
always happily laughing and sharing!
but were they rewarded for their kindness? No way!
Instead they had to cook and scrub all day!
 the self-centred grown-ups made them do all the work,
 while all they did was sit and smirk.
who would change this? No one would.
not one of the grown-ups was kind and good!
Then, one day, out of the blue,
came strangers: there were two!
 they had magical powers, that could:
turn evil and bad into good!

it was wonderful, what the strangers did to that land,
now everyone would lend a helping hand!
now the people were always singing and sharing,
always looking out for each other, ever so caring!
so now in that land the people were happy,
never, ever, rude, mean or snappy!
 So this is the story of a far away land,
and how it's people learnt to lend a helping hand.