Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
Gladwell is a New Yorker columnist who has written 4 books (all of which I have read and loved.) His work tends to be more of a political/economical commentary than a story but I think it would provide interesting discussion topics. Outliers is a fascinating look at what sets people apart from each other. How kismet translate to success in the modern world. Gladwell suggests that things like timing, income level, and culture contribute as much to a person's success as hard work and tenacity do. "These are stories, [about] people who were given a special opportunity to work really hard and seized it, and who happened to come of age at a time when that extraordinary effort was rewarded by the rest of society. Their success was not just of their own making. It was a product of the world in which they grew up." Gladwell points out "steady accumulations of advantages" that seem to add up to success in business and education.
