Outliers: What Factors Play Into A Person's Successes?

What are the most common factors we attribute to a person's success or ability to become successful?  

Let's make this a bit more personal.  

What unique factors have contributed to your own success?

In his book, "Outliers," Malcolm Gladwell takes a different approach in asking the question, "What makes high-achievers different?"  Putting IQ aside, he examines where people have come from rather than what has made them successful, in terms of cultural background, dates of birth, their family of origin, generation, skin color, and personal experiences and  then links them to what has made them successful.  

The most intriguing aspect of this approach is Gladwell's art of storytelling.  For the most part, entrepreneurs are reading books that give you the 7 or 10 ways you can (fill in the blank) to make your life more successful or improve your business.  But this book is unique in its appeal.  

He invites you to peek into the lives of people just like you and me, and to soak in the vastness of their great experiences.  In turn, you will want to look around at those you admire and wonder about what exactly has made them who they are today.  Things that we don't consider important or haven't even allowed ourselves to consider at all, could be the most important factors in our own successes.

You will want to also check out this Business Book Review.