David and Goliath | Malcolm Gladwell | Talks at Google

Malcolm Gladwell, the original speaker for the Authors at Google series, returns to Mountain View for a discussion about his latest book: "David and Goliath".
Malcolm was interviewed by Prasad Setty of the People Analytics group at Google.
Malcolm Gladwell, the #1 bestselling author of The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, and What the Dog Saw, offers his most provocative---and dazzling---book yet.
Three thousand years ago on a battlefield in ancient Palestine, a shepherd boy felled a mighty warrior with nothing more than a stone and a sling, and ever since then the names of David and Goliath have stood for battles between underdogs and giants. David's victory was improbable and miraculous. He shouldn't have won. Or should he have?
In David and Goliath, Malcolm Gladwell challenges how we think about obstacles and disadvantages, offering a new interpretation of what it means to be discriminated against, or cope with a disability, or lose a parent, or attend a mediocre school, or suffer from any number of other apparent setbacks.

[@LuckyPierre5]

Awesome book. Just completed Chapter 5. Hits home - my son had died of cancer 35 years ago. Yes, the greatest doctors, of which we had several, never treated a patient as he was about to die, despite the dismal prognosis.. It was about HOPE; our son read a meaningful life for 12 years following his first diagnosis and treatment..

[@ChristineGPadua]

I love all of his books too! Malcolm for President! :)

[@kyleBlittle]

Christine G. Padua he cant be president he wasnt born in the US.

[@paulaberumensoto7527]

is so fun and motivating to realized that many ideas that I had long ago are not that crazy after all and even amazingly smart people like him agree, I have always said that, it doesn't really matter what school you go to, as long as you are smart, hard working and motivated person....

[@Carolfoasia]

Malcolm Gladwell's insights never cease to fascinate and inspire me! I am constantly looking at things differently after reading both Outliers and David and Goliath.

[@Carolfoasia]

P.S. Loved his quote about the motive behind his provocative insights: “You’re not looking for converts. You want people to start conversations.” Malcolm Gladwell

[@beldonhuang]

A great talk from Malcolm and I absolutely love the talk he had at TED. For me, the idea that others are “stronger or weaker” than us is solely an illusion, as the strength of the individual we are looking at may strongly depend on the person who is judging. Whilst, neither can we say that a person is “strong” or “weak” only based on our first impression of them, as I think people all have strengths and weaknesses, and it is merely a matter of how obvious these traits are.

[@GreenIdo]

Interesting conversation. Thank you for recording it.

[@MaboCologne]

great book, my favorite author!

[@cathie223]

As Malcolm Gladwell stated, “Respect of Specialist vs non-specialist is appropriate.” Agree, we should be respectful of each, yet not fear contradicting outsider’s who may have thoughts, views, ideas and suggestions that would be advantageous to others. We can become so conditioned ‘how to think’ about a variety of things, that we no longer accept, access or have any concern with listening to others lesser known in our sphere of influence [outliers]; hierarchy of thought or societal conventional wisdom. Exceptional conversation for myself, as it clearly addressed how untapped learnings, voices and potential talent that could be advantageous to others are oft dismissed due to opinions or stances of the listening audience. For example, a parents efforts to impart wisdom of lessons learned onto their children. It’s obvious we must be selective, and gravitate to those who have a pattern of listening, and a willingness for sharing sound advice, which will inevitably develop our personal growth and development in all areas of Life. School’s of thoughts and conversations - our circles of influence - of highest interest for us to prioritize. Thank you for shared messaging, as who doesn’t like… a David and Goliath story. 🙌

[@micheleinacharles-hazellem1968]

❤ brilliant

[@strikingitrich7630]

That baseball procedure thing was fascinating.

[@ImTheAsianLad]

so awesome

[@TheChu8907]

damn it is one of great videos I've ever seen ! I am totally convinced with his cogent arguments.

[@MikeBudny]

brilliant, I've got to get the book now!

[@VEROTIKAA]

Malcom n google absolutely perfect love it

[@dopeoplereally3972]

How do you feel about it now

[@anandmu36]

Excellent.

[@gladysadeleye9310]

Wow!!

[@robertbrower6600]

AMEN

[@thomasdequincey5811]

If you make failure the goal...then everyone succeeds.

[@TaranRampersad]

37:24 - good stuff.

[@unprose]

interesting stuff

[@KACZMARCZYK4369]

If your a smart kid your a smart kid

[@estherrobergeau2391]

👑

[@brazilfootball]

I imagine schools everywhere fervently disagree with this notion lol

[@majrebelrat9019]

Mr. Gladwell mentions ~Ennaveda's Dilemma~ (12:30) the spelling of which I am not certain. Does anyone know what he is refering to? Thanks.

[@MaximizaTusRentas]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Innovator's_Dilemma

[@normanby100]

He's just explained Dave Beasant's Wimbledon about the girl's basketball team.

[@garryhyare1659]

absolutely amazing books This Year the top 5 Books in My Opinion are HERO By:Rhonda Byrne, Night Film By Misha Pessel, The Ocean at the end of the lane, And the mountains echoed . Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal. David and goliath by Malcolm Gladwell..

[@babyirene3188]

I like this guy better now. He's loosened up.

[@samuelchibuezeokonkwo]

I got Value .Wow

[@conversiontube3067]

at 53:25 Example Ford Motor Company.

[@greglopez884]

cool dreadlocks.. and wooord!

[@uqox]

At minute 20: Doesn't Google use a lot of academic information in determining who they hire? I wonder, analytically, what they're seeing in regard to the long-term performance of an employee when using that data? Do they see that students from top schools "perform" better than students from the University of Tennessee...if they apply the equalizer? Is intelligence the only qualifier for performance? "Smart is smart"?

[@darlenemotley5508]

Appreciate that Malcolm returned to his roots after this but his explanation if David lacks knowledge. David had already killed a bear and lion as a shepard. Goliath was a true Giant and did not suffer acromegaly. Nowhere in the account was he led out to the battlefield. Even Lincoln spoke of Giants at Niagra Falls. Since the late 1800s there has been a systemic cover up of Giants. They are the result of the Genesis 6 narrative exactly as written and not some warped interpretation by theologians who say the sons of God were offspring of Seth. Goliath had brothers and if you actually read the Bible there are accounts of David's contemporaries slaying them.

[@warreninspireryan8717]

how do i apply to be a speaker for Google Talks ?

[@MrTinogomez]

como lo puedo traducir a español mil gracias

[@avanigupta8258]

Sir,pleaze reply to my question if you can. When Prasad Setty asks you about the motivation one gains by being with great people.You don't say on it but move to a completely new topic stating a kid who is smart will do good wherever he goes.So wont he do good if He goes to the best institution He is offered?If He does'nt compare himself to the guys smarter than Him instead learns from them He would be a better person and would be able to achieve his best.What will you say about this?

[@MeeCee5204]

Avani Gupta In Another talk that Gladwell did he explain that if you take a very smart kid and put him with other smart kids or even kids who are smarter than him, the doesn't necessarily always improve his intelligence, sometimes that kid starts to compare himself with his very smart friends and then he may think of himself as being not as smart as his peers. I think part of the problem people have with Malcolm Gladwell is that they are taking his ideas and trying to make into hard and fast rules. That will apply to all peopleall the time. Thats not the point of his writing. He himself says he likes to explain things and he likes to tell stories, he is not Academian and he's not a scientist. His job is to make you think about things in a different way not necessarily give you answers. He understands that you can't take an idea and say this is the way it is 100% of the time for 100% of the people. And the people who read his books should understand that as well.

[@lawearsmith9851]

EveryDay Class is in session

[@heisenberg6689]

Gladwell is the master of unnecessary detail. When I was reading his … was it Blink???… after 30 pages of Sesame Street production details I was creaming inside my head…. Make your point Mr. Gladwell! Just give birth to that “child”. Though I loved the Outliers and it took me 10 to solve that second Raven’s test on page 87.

[@fjhaydn6047]

Heisenberg Great thinkers value details. Personal revelation doesn't come in the summary, it's usually hidden in what appears to be "unnecessary details".

[@styledtothetop3579]

Perhaps check your attention span.

[@LorgeDelta]

@@styledtothetop3579 "Kids these days." 💀

[@MrAirmentbob]

I was told that david was a shepherd boy, the story paints a picture that he is weak and that he fought this super man. david picked up the giants sword and chopped his head off, didn't saw it for days or get help.

[@draculagump13]

Google might fall, but you won't.

[@FeFabregas]

the analogy David and Goliath is similar with analogy hedgehog and fox from Jim Collins Book. Find your Hedgehog/David!

[@TomLeg]

Google can be taken as an equivalent for Harvard. If you are among the top at Google, good for you, But if you aren't, might you be better off as the top scientist at another company?

[@yosoypatrick]

Well Lance did a little bit more than just re-inject his own blood...

[@HussainFahmy]

David and Goliath or Google and Microsoft

[@shaduck06]

China's monopolies are gonna kick USA politically correct, legal code & insecurities' ASS!

[@susymay7831]

Lance Armstrong? Lance knowingly violated major rules, year after year, knowing that breaking these rules was officially considered cheating.

[@tonegoober]

It astounds me how Malcolm Gladwell can speak precisely about subjects directly connected to a class system and class struggle and completely ignore all of it, for example, he will explain the advantages of successful rich people using soft phrases like "the kinds of people who go to harvard" instead of The Fucking Upper Class of America. Having read 3 of his books years ago, I'm realizing now it's almost an eerie ignorance he displays.

[@vLinko777]

I think he does in Outliers. About how intelligence doesn't matter but class systems do.

[@StephenGlasskeys]

+Michael Schellenberg Because TED attendees smoke Gladwell's BS like crack addicts.

[@projectdregs3380]

Mike, listen to his new podcast, he talks about this in detail. I know you made this comment two years ago; however, just look at this comment as an update.

[@zodiacmanan]

Because he is a hack. He pretends to be Noam Chomsky without the knowledge.

[@mikefreel2175]

Except David was prepared to fight hand-to-hand if necessary. He killed the lion and/or bear up close. "34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it." David did not go out assuming he would only use the sling shot. He was trusting in God to defeat Goliath, however the fight went.

[@MrApplewine]

I'm not going to support the evil part just because they are the underdog.

[@ursulamannix2093]

2021 stalking!

[@dabidoe]

Wow there are a lot of surprisingly idiotic replies to this very intellectually stimulating discussion

[@rohadtanyad8908]

he is saying idiotic things. he has no idea how a sling is used, he has no idea about heavy infantry. no way ancient people would have sent a person with acromegaly into single combat. the same reason you don't see people with acromegaly in sports. they are slow, awkward, have no mobility and vision problems. not an advantage in fighting. sending a severely disabled person into single combat is suicidal. it is one thing to try to use one for intimidation, but not in actual combat.

[@MON-ud7sw]

Fancy Google employees considering Google an “elite” institution. Does that justify telling the world what to think? I consider it an insidious, manipulative institution

[@MarcBrewer]

Still working on his non-empathy for underdogs

[@clarenceho625]

... you raise your chances of losing?

[@Jay-ul4mg]

Malcolm a great storyteller but he has totally missed the point! David did what he did through the wisdom and the strength of God. That’s the whole point……God is working through David. The lesson God wants to give you over the centuries is the “Goliath’s” in your life ie poor health, relationship problems, financial problems etc can all be defeated through God’s hand in your life! Without God, our life is a mess! With God, any giants in our lives we can overcome!

[@ok2pro]

I think he was embarrassed when one of the audience told that he was contradicting himself. He seemed confused and was just trying to defend his ego.

[@Gary_Reid_Backing_Tracks]

Louuuder

[@lexushoops]

no wonder the Sacramento Kings are so bad.

[@avanigupta8258]

Sir what if the elite colledges are having more opportunitues to delevep as an individual than the non elite ones?The people there are far far more intelligent than the people at the non elite ones?

[@TruckersChannel]

Ccd

[@robertbrower6600]

what you are saying eat the whole apple lollollol

[@beritbranch2436]

🍌

[@hotpntz007]

who is this crazy guy

[@taddl44]

Can't you get a moderator that hasn't an indian accent? For people with english as their mother language it's not that big of a deal, but for people who has english as their second language it's quite difficult to follow the content and thinking about what was said, because you have to concentrate fully on his squeaky voice.

[@baski3d]

+taddl44 But subtitles really helped either way. Be with Malcolm (learning new vocabularies) or the Moderator (Prasad) in case of an indian accent. Also his talk is less than 10% i assume in the whole conversation, when I was deeply focussed on the words by Malcolm. Yeah, but could ask Prasad to sort of train his voice over, but thats fine as his humorous attitude and presence of mind was substituting the squeaky voice (if u feel its disadvantage).

[@rumples584]

Ironic, most people with English as their second language are more likely to sympathize with the moderator than bitch about it like you.

[@baski3d]

There is a lot of people who have English as their 2 rated language than the native.

[@philiplucky7170]

Worst book ever written with facts that are pure lies what a croc

[@susanpepper148]

Wow you single handedly rewrote Gods word to fit the world and increase your own pride not to mention defile David a man after Gods heart. First Mr. Magoo... Philestines were from the grecian area and were sons of fallen angels. Men of renoun men of great size some as tall as 13 ft as described by the size of their bed in the bible.. Goliath was over 9 ft tall. Yes you said 6'9.. Goliaths sword was evidence of his great height as the sword was very large and much too large for a man of only 6'9... and David kept it as Israels trophy ! Israelites feared them as Philestines made Israelites appear " as grasshoppers" next to them. Now where you get the idea that Goliath had a tumor and was nearly blind and wasnt very healthy , God only knows. Goliath was one of several tribes of giants in those days. Nephilem Anakim Rephiams etc... Did all of them have some kind of radio actve nuclear fallout or maybe a middle east region wide chemical spill to cause so many people to have this rare tumor you speak of ? Hundreds of them ? How rediculous you are. How many stones did young David carry in his pocket ? 5 . Why 5 ? He was an excellent shot and needed only one maybe two in case he missed and would have maybe time to reload once more before the long legged Giant could reach him ? Never would have gotten off a 3rd 4th or 5th shot ! No.. David carried five stones for one purpose.. Goliath had 4 giant brothers ! You left that out too.. The entire tribe were giants ! I guess you had guessed that your secular audience would not have known that ! So what was the purpose of your speech ? 1. To slander God and his power to use the week to overcome the powerful. Your version , very non biblical , says that a jewish kid used a 45 to overcome a big retarded disable legally blind opponent ! How coincidental , that your story is not only Satans agenda but you liberal secular god hating marxists agenda. Lies and pride both hallmarks of Satans fall.. beware...

[@StephenGlasskeys]

Ugh, not this guy again. Gladwell's "10,000 hour rule" was proven utter nonsense and tripe. Why people continue to believe anything this tobacco industry shill/con artist says is beyond me.

[@PBrofaith]

isnt he a jew?

[@PT-zz9ks]

PBrofaith He is Black Jamaican (mother) and White English (father)

[@PT-zz9ks]

PBrofaith And so what if he was?

[@PBrofaith]

+Porschia Thomas If he is, that could possibly influence his pesentation of things such as presenting a fact as being incongruent (i forget the phrase he uses) when in reality it is perfectly logical. After all, they did succeed in creating a jewish state which adopted the same disregard for human beings.

[@PT-zz9ks]

Ok I see