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- Herausgeber: Business Book Summaries
- Kategorie: Fachliteratur
- Sprache: Englisch
The must-read summary of Malcolm Gladwell's book: "David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants".
This complete summary of the ideas from Malcolm Gladwell's book: "David and Goliath" explains that outsiders can win over obvious leaders. It shows that a perceived advantage can, in the end, turn out to be a disadvantage. Gladwell illustrates this theory with the story of David and Goliath. When confronting powerful opponents, instead of wondering if they have more power than you, the question you should be asking yourself is if there is a way that you can play by your own rules. For Gladwell, the key to defeating a powerful competitor is to avoid confronting them outright.
Added-value of this summary:
• Save time
• Understand the key concepts
• Turn your underdog status into a strength
To learn more, read "David and Goliath" and find out how to play by your own rules.
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Seitenzahl: 43
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015
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Book PresentationDavid and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell
Summary of David and Goliath (Malcolm Gladwell)
Book PresentationDavid and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell
Book Abstract
Everyone knows the Biblical story of David and Goliath – little guy beats the big bad bully. The funny thing is we usually get this story backwards. It was David that had all the advantages in this battle, not Goliath.
The real lesson of David versus Goliath is how a perceived advantage can actually turn out to be a disadvantage in practice. This kind of situation crops up in life and in business much more often than you might realize.
When ordinary people confront powerful opponents, the first question that usually gets asked is: “Who has the most power here – and therefore the greatest chance of success?” The real question you should be asking is: “Do I want to play by their rules or by mine?” If you can find a way to play by your own rules, then you increase the odds that you will prevail quite significantly.
Underdogs can and do win more often than you think. The key to pulling this off is not to go against a competitor where they are obviously strong and formidable. Instead, figure out a way to go around, under or over them rather than against them. That's how to win.
“Much of what we consider valuable in our world rises out of these lopsided conflicts, because the art of facing overwhelming odds produces greatness and beauty. We consistently get these kinds of conflicts wrong.”
- Malcolm Gladwell
About the Author
MALCOLM GLADWELL is a journalist and public speaker. He has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1996. He was previously a reporter at the Washington Post. Gladwell is the author of five books including The Tipping Point, Blink and Outliers. He is a graduate of the University of Toronto and was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2011.
Important Note About This Ebook
This is a summary and not a critique or a review of the book. It does not offer judgment or opinion on the content of the book. This summary may not be organized chapter-wise but is an overview of the main ideas, viewpoints and arguments from the book as a whole. This means that the organization of this summary is not a representation of the book.
Summary of David and Goliath (Malcolm Gladwell)
David versus Goliath Who had the advantage?
Most people who read the ancient Biblical story of David and Goliath marvel at the fact David (the underdog) was able to defeat Goliath (the overwhelming favorite.) But was that in fact how the battle really played out?
Goliath was a Philistine. The Philistines were from Crete and were therefore a seafaring people who settled along the coast of Palestine. In the second half of the eleventh century, the Philistines started moving east which brought them into conflict against the Israelites who lived in the mountains under the leadership of King Saul. The Philistine army worked along the Elah Valley with the goal of trying to capture the mountain ridge near Bethlehem, if they could do that, they would split Saul's kingdom in two. Saul gathered his men and hastened down from the mountains to try and prevent the Philistines from doing that.
Both armies pitched their tents either side of the Elah Valley and sat there looking at each other. To resolve the deadlock, the Philistines sent Goliath to engage in an accepted practice of the time called “single combat.” The idea was to save bloodshed, each side would pick a champion to represent them. Goliath was at least six foot nine and he carried a javelin, a spear and a sword and was perfectly equipped for close hand-to-hand combat. He cried out: “Choose you a man and let him come down to me. If he prevail in battle against me and strike me down, we shall be slaves to you. But if I prevail and strike him down, you will be slaves and serve us.”
At first no one from the Israeli army responded but then, David, a shepherd boy who wasn't even a soldier informed King Saul he would battle Goliath. At first Saul dismissed the notion but he then realized he had no other options. Assuming David would fight Goliath hand-to-hand in the conventional way, Saul tried to equip David with armor but it was so bulky David couldn't move in it. Eventually, David ran down the hill to battle Goliath in one of history's most famous battles equipped with little more than his shepherd's sling and five smooth stones.
At first glance, it appears David was at a severe disadvantage but the facts portray a different story. Some of these key facts were:
Scientists have postulated Goliath may have had a serious medical condition now called acromegaly. This is caused by a tumor in the pituitary gland which overproduces human growth hormone. That explains why Goliath was so tall but a common side effect is double vision. That may explain why Goliath was so slow moving. He was ideally suited for close hand-to-hand combat but useless for any distance combat requiring agility or hand-to-eye coordination.
