David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits and the Art of Battling Giants

Front Cover
Allen Lane, 2013 - Business & Economics - 305 pages

Why do underdogs succeed so much more than they should? How do the weak outsmart the strong? In David and GoliathMalcolm Gladwell takes us on a scintillating and surprising journey to uncover the hidden dynamics that shape the balance of power between the small and the mighty.

From the conflict in Northern Ireland and Vietnam, through the tactics of civil rights leaders and the problem of privilege, Gladwell demonstrates how terribly we misunderstand the true meaning of advantage and disadvantage. When is a traumatic childhood a good thing? How can a disability leave someone better off? And do you really want your child to go to the best school he or she can get into?

Drawing on the stories of remarkable underdogs, history, science, psychology and his unparalleled ability to make the connections other miss, David and Goliathis a brilliant, illuminating book that overturns conventional thinking, and brings home the incredible leverage of the unexpected.

Other editions - View all

About the author (2013)

Malcolm Gladwell has been a staff writer with The New Yorker magazine since 1996. In 2005 he was named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People. He is the author of three books- The Tipping Point- How Little Things Make a Big Difference (2000), Blink- The Power of Thinking Without Thinking (2005), and Outliers- The Story of Success (2008), all of which were number one New York Times bestsellers.

Bibliographic information