outliers.

outliers was a very interesting read. it brought many theories to light, such as the 10,000 hours theory and the  tie between Asians and their ability to do math. it has made me realize how lucky i am to belong to Wayzata, a school that surpasses probably every national average. the book gave evidence to support that where you are raised and the expectations that are put on you throughout your life will determine the level of your success. i learned that my culture, when i was born, where i go to school, everything... determines the amount of opportunities i have.
the author's overall argument was that various things contribute to how successful a person is. in arguing this, he highlights the time of year someone is born, and how long the spend practicing the thing they want to be successful at. this book matters because in a way, it can teach someone how to be successful. granted, no one can really control their culture or where they come from, but they can find what they should be more successful at based on this unchangeable things. this book can create many experiments to take place on top of the large amount of evidence he included to prove this argument.
gladwell writes confidently. this makes the reader trust everything he has to say. on top of this, he uses logos quite often to qualify his thesis. the gives certain statistics and specific stories to back his claims. he writes very professionally, almost like he is a professor. however, he keeps it interesting by adding more personal stories that would interest the reader. the claims themselves almost seem to engage the reader, too. 
i have decided that i will have the dream child. in order to do this, he will be a boy born in January so he can be great at hockey, and he will spend time in China tending to rice paddies to learn the dedication and attention to detail he needs to be successful in school. i will enroll him in a good schooling system and make him continue to keep his brain alive over summer break by sending him to expensive camps to ensure the perfect child. oh, and i will have him play hockey for 10,000 hours so he can become a professional and really be successful.